The Islamic Calendar
The calendar has great significance in Islam. It determines the timing of important festivals, the length of the fast during Ramadan and at other times, and many other things. The calendar is based on the year the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions emigrated from Mecca to Medina to escape persecution in the year 622 CE. Until this time, Islam had few followers and was under constant threat from the polytheistic rulers of Mecca. Medina was much friendlier to the growing community, and from then on Medina became the political and cultural centre of Islam, and remains its second holiest city to this day.
Because of these events, the Islamic calendar is called the Hijri calendar – the Arabic word Hijrah means emigration. It is also sometimes referred to as AH – anno Hegirae (in the year of the Hijra). Years before the calendar began are often referred to as BH – before Hijra. It is currently 1430 AH (October 2009).
The Islamic calendar is lunar, which means it is based upon the rhythms of the moon, and has 354 or 355 days per year (the Western Gregorian calendar is solar, based on the sun, and so has 365 days). This means that the ‘Islamic year’ starts 10 or 11 days earlier each Gregorian or solar year.
It does not follow the lunar precisely, however, largely due to the fact that each month requires a visual sighting before it can officially begin, which is affected by weather and other astronomical parameters. One consequence of this is that Muslims follow localised time and dates, for example Saudi Arabia has sighting committees to determine the first visual sighting of the lunar crescent at the beginning of each lunar month. Another consequence is that Muslims in the West are a day behind for many festivals. Most Muslims take little notice of these issues except for at the start and finished of the month of Ramadan, when the annual debate over methodology takes place.
Months of the Islamic calendar.
1. Muharram
2. Safar
3. Rabi’ al-awwal
4. Rabi’ al-thani
5. Jumada al-awwal
6. Jumada al-thani
7. Rajab
8. Sha’aban
9. Ramadan
10. Shawwal
11. Dhu al-Qi’dah
12. Dhu al-Hijjah
Important dates in the Islamic (Hijri) year are:
• 1 Muharram (Islamic New Year)
• 10 Muharram (Day of Ashurah) For Sunni Muslims, the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites. For Shia Muslims, the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad, and his followers.
• 12 Rabi al Awal (Mawlid an Nabi for Sunni Muslims)
• 17 Rabi al Awal (Mawlid an Nabi for Shia Muslims Twelvers)
• 13 Rajab (Birthday of Ali ibn Abi Talib.)
• 27 Rajab (Isra and Miraj)
• 15 Sha’ban (Shab-e-Baraat, or Night of Forgiveness)
• 1 Ramadan (first day of fasting)
• 21 Ramadan Ali ibn Abi Talib’s Martyrdom.
• 27 Ramadan (Nuzul Al-Qur’an) (17 Ramadan in Indonesia and Malaysia)
• Last third of Ramadan which includes Laylat al-Qadr
• 1 Shawwal (Eid al-Fitr)
• 8-10 Dhu al-Hijjah (the Hajj to Mecca)
• 10 Dhu al-Hijjah (Eid al-Adha)
• 18 Dhu al-Hijjah (Eid al-Ghadeer)
More information on the Hijri calendar can be found here.
