Hijrah of the Prophet and the Beginning of Islamic Calendar
By Sheikh Mohammad Amir
Chairman Ulama Board of New Zealand
All praise is due to Allah the Lord of all worlds. Prayers and peace be upon our beloved Prophet, Muhammad, his family and all of his companions.
The significance of Hijrah (the migration of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, from Makkah to Madinah) is not limited to the Islamic history or to the Muslims. The Hijrah not only reshaped – socially and politically – the Arab Peninsula, but also had its impact on worldwide civilizations.
Hijrah, in essence, is a process of transfer to a better situation. It is not meant for one to find a comfortable place to relax and stop all endeavor. Rather, it is a search for an environment that is more favorable to continuous and constructive effort. Immediately after reaching Madinah, the Prophet (saw) undertook an all-embracing process to establish a faithful, cohesive and strong society.
In physical terms, Hijrah was a journey between two cities (Makkah and Madinah) about 200 miles apart, but in its grand significance it marked the beginning of an era, a civilization, a culture and a history for the whole of mankind. Islam progressed not only from the physical Hijrah, but also because Muslims took Hijrah seriously in all its aspects and dimensions.
The real concept of Hijrah is stated by the beloved prophet (saw) as: “And the real immigrant is one who abandoned what Allah forbade him”, (Bukhari). This concept of Hijrah means that a Muslim migrates within himself from one state to a better state, from obeying himself and his desires to seeking closeness to Allah, and from sins and disobedience to repentance and forgiveness. He keeps progressing from one level to another, until his whole life becomes subservient to the will of Allah.
The prophetic migration placed the human being at the forefront of integrity and respect and established the principles of moderation, tolerance and the rule of law. Hence it represented a significant historical event in the history of Islam, and an important shift by which Muslims moved from weakness to strength, and from oppression and tyranny to justice and equality.
When the Prophet Muhammad (saw) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, he did not just transfer his residence or take shelter in another city, but as soon as he arrived in Madinah he began the transformation of that city in every aspect. Therefore, Hijrah was one of the most important vents in the history of Islam. Hence the Caliph `Umar (RA) and his fellow Muslims chose the hijrah as the focal point to establish their chronology and thus the hijrah calendar was born.
Beginning of Islamic Calendar:
A calendar was not established at the beginning of Islam and didn’t exist till the caliphate of Umar ibn Al Khattab (RA). By the third or fourth year of his caliphate, the Islamic empire had taken a new direction and was well-established, having expanded far and wide. Umar ibn Al Khattab (RA) sent and received correspondence from his governors and office-bearers from across his caliphate. At this time, one of his prominent governors, Abu Musa Ashari (RA), wrote to him stating that he received undated letters, which heightened the need to establish an Islamic calendar to put artefacts in the right order. Ameer ul Mumineen, Umar ibn Al Khattab (RA), called a general meeting for a wider discussion on the establishment of a calendar. He opened the floor for discussion and invited people to suggest their ideas and views on how to address this issue. Some participants stated that the calendar start from the birth of the Prophet (SAW). Another opinion was to start the calendar from the time the Prophet (SAW) received prophet-hood. A further suggestion came that the calendar be started from the time the Prophet (SAW) migrated from Makkah to Madinah (Hijrah). Ameer ul Mumineen liked the last view as the Hijrah proved to be the criterion between the truth and falsehood (Haq and Baatil). Therefore, he ordered the calendar to be marked by the Hijrah. All unanimously agreed that the beginning of the Islamic calendar be the first year of Hijrah (migration).
A second issue arose, that of which month should mark the beginning of the year. Some people suggested it should be Ramadhan as this was the month in which Allah (SWT) had revealed the Quran. Others suggested the month of Rabi-ul-Awal as this was the month in which the Prophet (SAW) migrated to Madinah Al Munawarah. Another opinion suggested starting the year with the month of Muharram, which was also supported by Ameer ul Mumineen Umar ibn Al Khattab, Usman ibn Affan and Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), for this month was adjacent to the month of Dhul Hijjah in which Muslims performed their Hajj, thus accomplishing the pillars of Islam. It was also the month in which the allegiance (Baiaah) of Ansar (residents of Madinah) had taken place where they offered all the required support to the Prophet (SAW) when He (SAW) migrated to Madinah Al Munawarah. Therefore, it was decided that the first month of the Islamic year would be the month of Muharram.
Allah SWT says in the Quran, “Indeed the number of months with Allah (SWT) is twelve (lunar) months in the register of Allah (SWT) from the day he created the heaven and the earth; of those, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them”. (Quran, 9:36).
We have passed one year and are entering in to a new year and now is the time for us to reflect and hold ourselves accountable for our actions and achievements in the last year. We should be receiving our days and months and years with the obedience of Allah SWT, with full accountability of our deeds and rectifying what went wrong. At the same time, we should be keeping an eye on those who have been entrusted to us, such as our families and children, and making provisions for their well-being. God Almighty says, “O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones.” (Quran, 66:6).
Nowadays there is more focus on celebration of the new Islamic year and sending congratulatory messages on social media, when these things have no significance in Islam, and there is very minimal focus on reflection and contemplation. We should try our best to lead our lives in the obedience of Allah (SWT) and His Messenger saw, and make each year better than the previous one, as every passing year takes us closer to the grave and distances us from our worldly abode. The number of years you are granted is not important, rather what you do with those years is. The prophet (SAW) said: “the best person is he who has been given a long span of life with virtuous deeds. And the worst person is he who has been given a long span of life with evil deeds”. (Tirmizi).
We must all, at the beginning of the new Hijri year, raise the banners of love, cooperation and peace amongst ourselves, so that we can face the challenges and tribulations with courage, and eradicate the roots of evils from our society. May Allah (SWT) grant us success in what is good for our community. We wish that the new Hijri year will be the year of goodness, safety and prosperity for the entire world. We ask Allah SWT to lift this pandemic, cure the affected and protect us from its further spread and lift it from the world. Aamin.
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Published in 12th Edition – 2021