The Hijri calendar differs from the Gregorian calendar in calculating the months;
The Hijri calendar is measured by the rotation of the moon around the Earth, unlike the Gregorian calendar, which depends on the Earth's rotation around the sun, which leads to a variation in the days of the month between 29 and 30 days in the Hijri calendar, while the Gregorian calendar is a specific day.
As a result of this difference, the Hijri year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, which makes Islamic rituals and events occur in different seasons and times.
The reason for the Hijri date
The Companions agreed to link the first year of the Hijri calendar with the Prophet’s migration (12 Rabi’ al-Awwal), and they adopted the beginning of the Hijri year from the first of Muharram because it comes after the end of the Hajj season, and represents the beginning of new business for the Arabs.
The Hijri date did not exist at the beginning of Islam, but it appeared after an incident that occurred in the time of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, who is the first to use the Hijri date.
A letter arrived in the 17th year of the Hijrah to Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari, a historian in Sha’ban, and in turn, he sent the Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him, inquiring about the books that arrive dated months without mentioning the years, which would cause confusion between the letters.
Umar gathered the Companions to search for a solution to this problem, so they differed between those who believed that the date of the birth of the Messenger, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and those who believed that the date of his death be based, and some of them suggested working with the dating of the Persians or the Romans.
The deliberations of the Companions concluded that the history of the honorable Prophet’s migration was recognized as an important event in the history of the Islamic state, and in that Omar, may God be pleased with him, said that “Migration differentiated between truth and falsehood, so they dated it.”
This important event thus became the launch of the Hijri history of the Islamic nation, which coincided with the beginning of the sacred month of Muharram in the year 622 AD.
months before Islam
It was the custom of the Arabs in the past to name the months to be according to distinct events that occur to them or according to the phenomena that characterize these months, but the names changed after the Arabs decided to unify the lunar months.
Ramadan, for example, was called “Natiq” because it disturbed them by its severity, and it was said because of the large amount of money in it after the battles of Sha’ban, and Shawwal was called “Wa’il” (the meaning of refuge), as they were fleeing from raids and fighting before the sacred months.
Dhul-Hijjah was called “Maymoon” and “Blessings”, because of the blessing it contains during the Hajj, and Jumada al-Ula was called “Haneen”, because of the yearning of the Arabs traveling in it for their countries after the spring, and so on.
Because of migration and instability, the Arabs did not refer to the years with numerical dates, but rather linked the lunar years to major incidents such as the war of the ignorant and the year of the elephant.
During the era of Kilab bin Murra (the fifth grandfather of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace), the heads of the Arab tribes agreed on new names for the Hijri months, including the sacred months of Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab, which they drew from the era of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, and it was proven even in the era of Islam and was forbidden in it. Fighting.
The beginning of each Hijri month is determined by observing the crescent after sunset on the last day of the preceding month (Pixabay)
The meanings of the names of the Hijri months
Muharram: It was called so because of the prohibition of fighting in it, and it is - according to the commentators - one of the months that are included in the words of God Almighty (The number of months with God is twelve months in the Book of God on the day He created the heavens and the earth, of which four are sacred) (Surat Al-Tawbah, verse: 36). .
Safar: When its people went out to fight in Mecca, they would leave their homes “safra” (i.e. empty), as they would go out “zero belongings” empty of everything.
Rabi` al-Awwal: It was given this name because it was initially associated with the spring season, despite the successive and different seasons in the lunar year, and it is not related to specific months.
Rabi` al-Akhir (also called Rabi` al-Thani): It is so called because it was also associated with the spring season, and comes in order after Rabi` al-Awwal.
Jumada al-Ula: It was at the beginning of the naming that it falls in the winter and the water freezes in it.
Jumada al-Akhirah: It falls in the winter and comes after Jumada al-Awwal.
Rajab: Among the sacred months, the Arabs used to remove the blade from the spear and prevent people from fighting.
Shaaban: It was said that people dispersed and dispersed in it in search of water. Another opinion says that the Arabs were divided in it towards wars after they stopped in Rajab.
Ramadan: From Ramada, when that period was very hot due to the strength of the sun in it, and after Islam, fasting was initiated during it.
Shawwal: Eid al-Fitr falls on it, and it is named after what is known as “Shoulan” the she-camel, that is, when its milk is weak and its udder dries up.
Dhul-Qa’dah: It was given this name because the Arabs refrained from war, movement and travel in it, as it was the first of the sacred months.
Dhul-Hijjah: It was called so because the Arabs used to go during the Hajj, and it was a forbidden month.
religious matters
The Hijri calendar is based on some legal rulings, such as calculating several cases of divorce and several widows. It is also used to determine the date of paying zakat, in addition to other legal matters such as the sacred months, Ramadan fasting, Hajj season, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.