Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

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With Muharram coming soon, let us take a step back and look into history how the Islamic calendar or Hijra Calendar came about. The Islamic calendar, which is based purely on lunar cycles, was introduced in 638 CE by Umar Al-Khattab r.a. Umar r.a. did it in an attempt to rationalize the various, at times conflicting, dating systems used during his time. He consulted his advisers on the starting date of the new Muslim chronology. It was finally agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic calendar was of Hijra, which chronicles the divinely ordained migration of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and his Companions from Makkah to Madinah on September 20, 622 CE. For this reason, the Islamic Calendar is known as the Hijra calendar.

The actual starting date for the Hijra calendar was chosen (on the basis of purely lunar years, counting backwards) to be the first day of the first month (1 Muharram) of the year of Hijrah. Thus 1 Muharram, 1 AH, corresponds to July 15, 622 CE. AH stands for After Hijrah.

The Islamic year consists of 12 lunar months. They are Muharram, Safar, Rabiul Awwal, Rabiul Akhir, Jamadil Awwal, Jamadil Akhir, Rejab, Sha'ban, Ramadhan, Syawal, Zul Qaedah and Zul Hijjah.

In establishing the new Islamic Calendar, Umar r.a. relied on several verses of the Al-Quran, including the following ones:

"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 for are sacred: that is the straight usage. So wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the Pagans all together as they fight you all together. But know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves. Verily the transposing (of a prohibited month) is an addition to Unbelief; the unbelievers are led to wrong thereby: for they make it lawful one year, and forbidden another year, in order to adjust the number of months forbidden by Allah and make such forbidden ones lawful" (At-Taubah: 36-37).

"It is He who made the sun to be shining glory and the moon to be alight (of beauty), and measured out stages for her; that you might know the number of years and the count (of time)" (Yunus: 5)

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