The Islamic Calendar is part of our culture

We are currently in the month of Muharam, the first month of the Islamic calendar. This is an ideal time for us to reflect on our calendar and its unique approach to charting time. In this epoch western culture dominates the world in every aspect. The regulation of dates and time by the Gregorian method is testimony as to how all encompassing the ways of the west are.

It may be argued that a calendar is not central to Islamic culture. It is merely a method of keeping record of the passing of the days, months and years. Recording times and dates is something that predates the revelation to Rasool-Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) by millennia. The development of a calendar was vital for the study of chronology, since this is concerned with reckoning time by regular divisions, or periods, and using these to date events. It was essential, too, for any civilization that needs to measure periods for agricultural, business, domestic, or other reasons. The first practical calendar to evolve from these requirements was the Egyptian. This was later modified and developed into the Julian calendar (named after Emperor Julius Caeser) that served western Europe for more than 1,500 years. The Gregorian calendar (1582, proclaimed by Pope Gregory XIII) was a further refinement of this. This was almost universally adopted in Christendom because it attempted, rather clumsily, to draw into one system the dating of religious festivals based on the phases of the Moon and seasonal activities determined by the movement of the Sun. This was a bit of a mismatch, since the periods of the Moon's phases and the Sun's motion are incompatible.

The Hijri calendar, based on lunar phases rather than solar cycles, is what we as Muslims have been advised to adopt. It is not therefore some neutral utilitarian phenomenon that we can either take or leave. The lunar calendar, starting from the day Rasool-Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) entered Medina is part and parcel of our culture. It is central to our deen.

Narrated Sahl bin Sad: Rasool-Allah’s (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) companions did not take as a starting date for the Muslim calendar, the day, the Rasool-Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) Prophet had been sent as an Apostle or the day of his death, but the day of his arrival at Medina. [Bukari]

There are many rules linked to this calendar. Zakat, Hajj and Ramadan are all based on this calendar. Also, there are other significant things determined in Islam based on the lunar calendar, such as the mourning period for the widow etc.

The names of the Islamic months were used before Islam, but we follow then not because the Arabs of jahilia used them, but because Rasool-Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wasallam) used them. The Arabs of the time used to manipulate the months especially the four sacred months. While Islam considered the lunar calendar as the legal calendar, Islam prohibited any manipulation of the months.

The postponing (of a Sacred Month) is indeed an addition to disbelief: thereby the disbelievers are led astray, for they make it lawful one year and forbid it another year in order to adjust the number of months forbidden by Allah, and make such forbidden ones lawful. The evil of their deeds seems pleasing to them. And Allah guides not the people, who disbelieve. [TMQ at-Tauba 9:37]

This Ayah prohibits such practice.

Regarding the origin of names, Arabs came up with the names long before Islam. Most of the names are based on the climate at the time or big event, which was taking place.

1. MUHARRAM - This month's name is taken from the word "Haram" which means forbidden. There was a custom in Arabia which forbade fighting during this month. After Islam, this custom was taken away by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’aala). This month was one of the four sacred months.

2. SAFAR - This word means "whistling of the wind". When this name was assigned to this month, it was probably a windy time of the year. As mentioned earlier, most of the months were named according to weather conditions at the time. However, since they are based on the moon, the months shift about 11 days every year. So, the seasons do not necessarily correspond to the name of the month anymore.

3. RABI' AL-AWAL - The first month of spring. It seems it was spring time when the name was given.

4. RABI' ATHANI - The second month of spring.

5. JUMADA AL-UWLA - The first month of summer. "Jumada" means dry.

6. JUMADA ATHANIA - The second month of summer.

7. RAJAB - Another one of the sacred months in which fighting was forbidden prior to Islam. This was one of the most respected months for the Arabs. It is also called Rajab al Fard. Fard means alone; because the other three sacred months come one after another, except this month. It comes alone not like the other 3 consecutive sacred months.

8. SHA'BAN - This month's name was derived from the word "shu'ba", which means branch. The Arabs used to branch out during this month to look for water.

9. RAMADHAN - Taken from the word "ramda' " which means hot stones. This tells us that when this name was given, it was a very hot time of the year.

10. SHAWWAL - Taken from the word "shala" which means "when the female camel gets pregnant". When this name was given, the female camels used to get pregnant during this time of the year.

11. DHUL Q'ADAH - Taken from the word "qa'ada" which means to sit. This is the third sacred month in which fighting was forbidden. The people also used to stop their business activities during this month and sit and prepare for the Hajj (Pilgrimage). This is also a sacred month.

12. DHUL-HIJJAH - This is the last sacred month in which fighting was forbidden. This is the month in which the Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makka) was performed.

Khilafah.com Journal
21 Muharram 1425 Hijri
12 March 2004