Introduction to the Islamic Calendar
The Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, is the calendar used in Islam to determine dates of Islamic holidays, events, and worship practices. This lunar calendar consists of 12 months in a year spanning 354 or 355 days. Let’s take a look at the origins, structure, and key details around the Islamic calendar system.
Overview and History
In pre-Islamic Arabia, various tribes used different calendar systems, many of them lunar. When Islam arose in 610 CE, a uniform calendar was needed to determine religious occasions and practices. Thus the Islamic calendar was established during the first Muslim community in Medina in 638 CE under the second caliph Umar.
The starting point of the calendar, year 1 AH (Anno Hegirae, meaning “in the year of the Hijra”), was set to the Hijra – Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina which marks the beginning of the Muslim era. As it is today, the Islamic calendar consisted of 12 lunar months but only had 354 or 355 days per year.
Importance in Islam
In Islam, the accurate observance of religious duties and festivities requires a reliable calendar system. The Islamic calendar provides Muslims critical information for performing obligatory rituals and worship. These include daily prayers, annual fasting in Ramadan, pilgrimages to Mecca (hajj), Muslim holidays (Eid), and commemoration of holy days and events in Islamic history.
Thus the calendar is intrinsically tied to the practice of Islam across the world. It shapes not just religious life but also the culture and society of Muslim communities. Agricultural, commercial, and economic activities in Muslim-majority countries also follow the Islamic calendar system.
Main Features and Structure
The Islamic calendar is strictly lunar as opposed to solar, with each month beginning at the first sighting of the crescent moon’s first phase. A new moon cycle takes 29 or 30 days to complete.
Common years have 354 days spread across 12 months. Leap years occur 11 times in a 30-year cycle – they have 355 days with the last month extended by an extra day.
The names of the 12 months are: Muharram, Safar, Rabiʽ al-Awwal, Rabiʽ ath-Thani, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada ath-Thani, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qiʽdah, and Dhu al-Hijjah.
The Islamic New Year in 2019
As the Islamic calendar is lunar-based, the date of New Year’s Day varies each year on the Gregorian calendar commonly used today.
Date
In 2019, the first day of Muharram – the first month in the Islamic calendar year – corresponded to September 1 in the Gregorian calendar. Thus, the Islamic New Year for the year 1440 AH began on Sunday, September 1, 2019 in the Gregorian calendar.
Celebrations
Muslims around the world celebrated the occasion with prayers of gratitude and reflection. Community events and holiday bazaars also take place. Families and friends exchange good wishes for health and prosperity in the coming year.
In some countries like Pakistan and Indonesia, the New Year is officially observed as a public holiday with speeches, festivals, and cultural programs. Businesses and schools may be closed to allow public celebrations.
Traditions
There are several cultural traditions associated with observing Islamic New Year. These include wearing new clothes, making sweet treats, shopping for gifts, and spending time with loved ones. Some visit gravesites of deceased loved ones and offer special prayers in remembrance.
Key Dates and Holidays in 2019
In addition to marking the first day of 1440 AH, the Islamic calendar set other prominent religious observances for Muslims worldwide during 2019 on the Gregorian calendar.
Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr
The holy month of Ramadan, commemorating the first Quranic revelation to Prophet Muhammad, occurred from May 5 to June 4. Muslims fast from dawn to dusk for spiritual cleansing.
Eid al-Fitr festival starts after Ramadan ends, celebrating the conclusion of fasting. In 2019, Muslims marked Eid al-Fitr from evening of June 4 to sunset of June 5.
Hajj
The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca known as Hajj took place from August 9 to 14 in 2019. All financially and physically able Muslims aspire to make this journey once in their lives when millions converge in Saudi Arabia.
Eid Al-Adha
Eid al-Adha, the “feast of sacrifice”, is another major festival remembering the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ishmael at God’s command. In 2019, Eid al-Adha began on evening of August 10 and ended at sunset of August 15.
Islamic New Year
As covered earlier, the Islamic New Year/first of Muharram for year 1440 AH corresponded to Sunday September 1, 2019.
Ashura
Ashura on the 10th day of Muharram commemorates the liberation of Israelites from Egypt. For Shia Muslims, it also marks the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Imam Hussein. In 2019, Ashura fell on Monday September 9.
Calculations and Methodology
The Islamic calendar is observational, calculated based on actual sightings of the new crescent moon. Let’s examine some of the astronomical details and procedures involved.
Lunar Cycles
The Islamic calendar tracking lunar cycles gives it a 354-day year. With a roughly 29.5 day lunar cycle, 12 cycles amounts to 354 days. Periodically, an extra day is included to maintain alignment with the lunar cycle, making some years 355 days long.
Sighting of the Moon
Traditionally, beginning of new months relied on physical sightings of a crescent moon following its conjunction with the sun when it cannot be seen. Religious authorities decide if a new moon has been reliably observed by the naked eye to declare a new month.
Modern calculations can accurately predict timings of new moons. Despite this, many Muslim communities and countries still depend on visual moon sightings for official declarations. This leads to variation between regions on exact dates for a few days.
Variations
Due to varying methodologies of visual sightings vs. astronomical predictions across sects, countries and scholarly authorities, some differences arise in Islamic calendar dates. These are usually limited to one or two days and standardized across regions over the next year or two.
Uses and Applications
Beyond religious context, the Islamic calendar broadly impacts Muslim societies and cultures. Let us explore some of the key real-world functionality and effects.
Religious Practices and Worship
The Islamic calendar enables Muslims to precisely perform religious duties prescribed for specific timeframes yearly, monthly, weekly or even daily. These include five-times daily prayers (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and night); fasting during Ramadan month; Friday midday congregational prayers; performing Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca; observing the day of Ashura; celebrating Ramadan and the two Eids.
Culture and Society
As religious occasions regulated by the Islamic calendar punctuate the year, Muslim communal life, festivals, traditions, gatherings with loved ones and special meals have evolved around them over centuries. Arts, music and entertainment also commemorate Islamic heritage and events. So the calendar deeply influences culture and society.
Agriculture and Business
In Muslim countries, farmers schedule cultivation practices and harvests per suitable monthly climate conditions. Annual business activities also revolve around major festivals like Eid holidays. Schools break for Ramadan and Eid. Government and public office hours can be affected too. So the calendar has economic and commercial ramifications.
Differences From Gregorian Calendar
As the Gregorian solar calendar is internationally the most widely used civil calendar today, let us examine some key contrasts with the Islamic lunar calendar.
Year Length
The Gregorian calendar has a 365-day common year and 366 day leap year every 4 years. Meanwhile, the Islamic calendar has a 354-day common year and 355 day leap year 11 times in 30 years. So the Islamic year is around 11 days shorter.
Epoch
The Gregorian calendar counts years from the traditionally estimated birth year of Jesus Christ. In contrast, the Islamic calendar starts from Prophet Muhammad’s Hijra migration in 622 CE Gregorian. So the 2018 Gregorian year equivalated to 1439-1440 AH Islamic years.
Leap Years
To keep in sync with the tropical year, the Gregorian calendar adds an extra day to February every 4 years (except years divisible by 100 but not 400). The Islamic calendar’s leap years add an extra intercalary day to the last month Dhu al-Hijjah arbitrarily – 11 times per 30-year cycle.
Structure and Names
The Gregorian calendar begins weeks on Sunday, has no religious names for months or days. Meanwhile Sunday/Monday aren’t fixed week starts in the Islamic calendar. And its month names have religious significance ( four being prohibited for fighting). Days can be numbered or named as per the Quranic 7-day creation narrative.
Impact on Muslims’ Daily Lives
Beyond marking annual occasions like Ramadan and Hajj, the Islamic calendar profoundly shapes various aspects of observant Muslims’ daily lives globally.
Prayers and Fasting
Muslims offer prescribed prayers (salah) five set times every day determined via the sun’s position. As the Islamic calendar is lunar-based, prayer times get earlier daily by 1-2 minutes on the Gregorian calendar. Monthly fasting for 29-30 days during Ramadan is only possible with an accurate Islamic calendar.
Events and Celebrations
Commemorating historical events annually instills cultural and religious identity. Major festivities like Eid and Ashura, gathered around Islamic calendar dates, strengthen community bonding. Families reunite and children receive money, gifts and new clothes.
Community and Family
Muslims congregate every Friday afternoon for communal prayers and sermons guided by the calendar. It strengthens the community. Elders regulating moonsighting and calendar decisions gain prestige. Younger generations also appreciate the scientific intricacies while upholding tradition. Families gather more frequently throughout Ramadan for evening meals.
Challenges and Issues
Despite its deep importance and relevance for Muslims worldwide, the Islamic calendar also faces some issues and disputes.
Moon Sighting Disputes
Varying moon sighting reports and conflict between traditional visual sighting vs. astronomical predictions frequently cause controversies. Government authorities often clash with religious scholars or individual moon sighting groups. Different regions ending Ramadan fasting on separate days causes particular friction.
Globalization and Secularization
As Muslims integrate across global economies and secular multicultural societies, solely relying on the Islamic calendar for planning and activities causes practical difficulties. Many Muslims now also follow the Gregorian calendar simultaneously for worldly affairs. Some experts argue for addressing globalization issues via calendar reform.
Calls for Reform
Citing convenience for modern times and addressing disputes, various Muslim scholars and academics have called for reforms. Suggestions include a fixed calendar using consistent astronomical calculations for predicting visibility rather than actual moonsighting. Others back calculations calibrated to regional latitudes with built-in review of the odd year mismatch. But most Muslims favor retaining the original methodology aligned with Islamic tradition.
Coexistence With Other Calendars
Despite its unique structure and processes, the Islamic calendar synchronously operates alongside other calendar systems in Muslim communities.
Use Alongside Gregorian
Especially over the past century with increasing globalization, many Muslim countries and communities use both the Islamic calendar for religious affairs as well as the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes. Government and corporate institutions will often display both AH and CE dates on official communications.
Conversion Tools and Methods
Calendar conversion tables help convert specific Gregorian dates to corresponding Islamic calendar (AH) dates and vice versa. Online calculators and smartphone apps provide instant conversions and highlight Islamic holidays/events dates on Gregorian calendars for planning cross-cultural events.
The Future of the Islamic Calendar
As a cherished symbol intertwined deeply with Muslim cultural and religious identity for over 1400 years, the legacy of the Islamic calendar seems assured. However, some debate continues around its applications in the modern world.
Preserving Tradition
Most Muslims strongly believe the original Quranic lunar-based methodology should be preserved to maintain connection with Islamic history and principles. Sighting the moon is seen as a community duty. Calls for reform over global integration concerns threaten to undermine this rich Islamic heritage.
Pressure to Modify
With increasing urbanization and demands of modern life, some experts argue Muslims should adapt the traditional methodology relying solely on moon sightings. Suggested options include relying on calculated astronomical predictions rather than actual sightings for standardized uniformity across the global Muslim community.
Promoting Cooperation
As preserving the core methods underlying the Islamic calendar seems non-negotiable for most Muslims, increased global communication and cooperation could help reconcile disputes between variants emerging across regions. Constructive debate and grassroots education promote unity on methodology within flexibility for local cultural practices.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the lunar-based Islamic calendar deeply impacts global Muslim worship, culture, and community bonds by structuring annual religious occasions like Ramadan and the two Eids. Though the modern world presents some challenges, Muslims remain invested in upholding their cherished calendar traditions, striving to celebrate their proud heritage and identity for generations to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Islamic New Year in 2019 in the Gregorian calendar?
A: The Islamic New Year for the year 1440 AH began on Sunday, September 1, 2019 in the commonly used Gregorian calendar.
Q: How often does a leap year occur in the Islamic calendar?
A: Leap years occur 11 times in a 30-year cycle in the Islamic calendar. The leap day is added to the last month, Dhu al-Hijjah.
Q: What is the current Islamic year?
A: As of 2019, the current Islamic year is 1440 AH (Anno Hegirae , “in the year of the Hegira”). This will remain 1440 AH until the next Islamic New Year.
Q: How are the start and end of Islamic months determined?
A: Traditionally, the sighting of the new crescent moon by the naked eye signals the start of new lunar months in the Islamic calendar. Modern astronomical calculations are increasingly also consulted now for predictions.
Q: Why does Ramadan occur earlier every year on the Gregorian calendar?
A: As the Islamic calendar is lunar-based while Gregorian calendar is solar-based, the annual drift causes Ramadan to fall roughly 10 days earlier each Gregorian year. Prayer times also shift earlier daily during Ramadan.
