Mirroring a story of sacrifice, patience
As a commemoration of the New Hijri Year’s anniversary, here is a spotlight on the story of this occasion. Lots of questions might be asked by many, particularly those living in Muslim countries. They would undoubtedly like to understand the story behind the New Hijri Year, which is celebrated on the 1st day of Muharram. Others possibly would ask why it should be observed by Muslims?!
As well, others might wonder how different is the Islamic Calendar.
The New Islamic or socalled Hijri Year records the migration journey of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) from the city of Mecca to Medina. This was the central historical incident in the early days of Islam, and it declared the start of the Islamic Calendar.
The Prophet’s journey between both cities marked a turning point in Islamic history as it led to the foundation of the first Muslim state at that time during the Prophet’s era.
Just to clarify, the Gregorian and Islamic calendars are different in terms of names of the months and dates as well. Months in the Islamic Calendar consist of 29 or 30 days based on the moon sight while in the Gregorian calendar the months consist of either 30 or 31 days and they are fixed in rotation.
As the Quran verse clarifies, “They ask thee the New Moons. Say: They are but signs to mark fixed periods in the affairs of men and for Pilgrimage.” The number of months is also stated in the verse, “The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve in a year. So ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; Of them four are sacred; that is the straight usage. So wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the Pagans”.
Therefore, the Islamic Calendar consists of 12 months that are Muharram, forbidden, Safar, void, Rabee Al Awwal, the first spring, Rabee Al Thani, the second spring, Jumada Al Ula, the first of parched land, Jumada Al Thania, the second of parched land, Rajab, respect or honour, Shaaban, scattered, Ramadhan, burning, Shawwal, raised, Dhul Qa’ada, the one of truce, and Dhul Hijjah, the one of pilgrimage.
For religious reasons, every Hijri month is marked not by the start of a new moon, but by a physical sighting of the curved moon at a given setting. As another year of the Islamic Calendar has passed, a new one has just begun to remind us of the glorious memories of the significant day in which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated to Medina. The blessed migration mirrored an honourable challenge for human excellence and presented several lessons of patience, control, knowledge and wisdom. It stands as an improvement for future generations to take advantage of, so they will be able to clear up all the difficulties and overcome the hardships they come across.
The Almighty Allah has sent the Prophet Muhammad with guidance to renew the call for Islam; the religion of all the Prophets and Messengers who came before him. All of them in succession conveyed the religion, which Allah accepted to their respective audiences until the religion was fully completed by revealing the Quran to the last of the Prophets Muhammad.
As the verse confirms, “Say you we believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes of Al Asbat, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we submit to Allah in Islam.”
THE NEW ISLAMIC OR SOCALLED HIJRI YEAR RECORDS THE MIGRATION JOURNEY OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) FROM THE CITY OF MECCA TO MEDINA