The month of Muharram marks the beginning of a new year in the Islamic calendar. And Muslims all over the world are making awareness over the events surrounding this Holy month of Muharram as we welcome the year 1447AH in our lives.
What is the importance of a calendar?
A calendar is a way to keep track of time as we count days, weeks, months, years. Which eventually make us calculate the age.Counting age helps us judge our progression, milestone, development etc. It determines eligibility for rights and responsibilities,tracking physical and cognitive development in someone as well as identifying life stages
There are several calendars being observed around the world but I would like to highlight four with significant impact on us. And whenever they elapse we are notified.
The Gregorian calendar.
This calendar is widely used in our daily activities. Counted as the year 2025 A.D. A track of time that has lasted for 2025 years. This reminds us of an event that took place such years back by the abbreviation A.D after the numbers. A.D in full is Anno Domini. A Latin word translated as the year of the Lord which in its context meant is Jesus Christ.This calendar era takes as its epoch the traditionally reckoned year of the conception or birth of Jesus. It’s a Christian faith calendar. Those who were not at easy with the faith designated it C.E ( Common Era).Though some people do incorrectly conclude A.D to mean After Death and C.E to mean Christian Era.But all signify Jesus once on earth.The evangelists use this calendar to evaluate their work.
One’s own personal calendar.
This is your own birthday and your age. Counting age helps track an individual’s life progression, milestones, and development. It serves various purposes mainly:
First; Determining eligibility for rights and responsibilities (voting, driving). Second; Tracking Phsical and cognitive development in children. Third; Identifying life stages (adolescence, adulthood, seniorhood) that include obligation on worship and Maturity behaviors. Fourt;calculating benefits and pensions.Eventually, you find someone proud of what he has achieved at his/her age or regrets the time wasted.
A state calendar
Each year, several countries commemorate the day of their independence. It is not only celebrations but we are as well reminded how long it has been since independence.Development and whatever has been achieved is told, visions are drafted.You hear some activitists criticize the government. It is such and such years since independence yet we are being treated like not yet independence, or such and such services cannot be found.In other words the citizens want to understand the state’s history, development, and evolution over time.
The Islamic calendar (Hijri)
The Hijri calendar was founded when Umar r a as khalifa received complains from his officers on a confusion over a date at which a transition or his orders were to be executed. Omar (r.a) took it upon himself to gather the swahabas at a common location for a consultation on how to approach the situation, and what would be the best plan of action. Several opinions were aired.Some with the idea to adopt the Persian or Roman calendar. This calendar has distinguished between darkness and light.Pre- Islam, the Arab did not have time track system. They used to recall years by the events.
Once the proposition of the idea of an independent Muslim calendar was approved, they all collectively started to work on sorting out the nity-grities of the project. The discussion arose about when the calendar should begin. Some suggested starting from the Prophet’s birth, or his passing, or from the date at which the Prophet (s.a.w) received the first revelation etc. Bottom line, the date of every significant event was considered as a starting point for the Hijri calendar.
Ali (r a) then suggested starting the Islamic calendar from the date of the Prophet (s.a.w)’s migration, as this was the moment when truth (“haq”) was clearly distinguished from falsehood (“batil”), and when honor and dignity (“izzah”) were openly manifested within the Ummah, free from oppression. Omar (r.a) agreed with him and it was unanimously agreed that this will be the start of the hijri calendar.It is the year that the prophet s.a.w established Islamic state. A new dawn, a new era and new chapter to Islam. And this is in correspondence to the verse.
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala says:
هُوَ الَّذِيْۤ اَرْسَلَ رَسُوْلَهٗ بِا لْهُدٰى وَدِيْنِ الْحَـقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهٗ عَلَى الدِّيْنِ كُلِّهٖ ۙ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُوْنَ
“It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religion, although they who associate others with Allah dislike it.”
(TMQ 9: 33)
The verse tells us the reason why Islam was revealed. And it was fully witnessed as from that migration year.Ibn Kathiir elucidated the verse using the hadiths. That the prophet s.a.w said ” Allah made the eastern and western parts of the earth draw near for me (to see) and the rule of my umma will extend as far as I saw.”
Imam Ahmad reported from Tamim Ad – Dahri that he said.
” I heard the prophet s.a.w say. This matter (Islam) will keep spreading as far as day and night reach. Until Allah will not leave a house made of mud or hair, but will make this religion enter it, while bringing might to a mighty person ( a Muslim) and humiliation to a disgrace person ( who rejects Islam). Might with which Allah elevates Islam ( and its people) and disgrace with which Allah humilites disbelief (and its people).”Tamim Ad-Dari ( who was a Christian before Islam) used to say, ” I came to know the meaning of this Hadith in my own people,
* Those who became Muslims among them acquired goodness, honour and might.
* Disgrace, humiliation and jizya befell those who remained disbelievers.”
And that is the criteria we are to use when evaluating our efforts on da’wah year in year out.
Has Islam given us izzah over the kuffar?
Has Islam humiliated the kuffar to paying jizya?
Then, let it be the vision.
Written by:
✍️ Abu Aisha
Member of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Kenya.