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The calendar year of Islam begins notwith the birthday of our prophet (peace be on him), not from the time that therevelation came to him (Bethat) nor from the time of his ascension to heaven,but with the migration (Hijra) from an undesirable environment into a desirableplace to fulfill Allah's command. It was migration from a plot that was set bythe leaders of the Quraysh who were plotting to kill prophet Muhammad, and todestroy the truth that today is being conveyed to mankind everywhere againsttyranny and injustice. Their purpose was to destroy the foundation of theIslamic state, the Sunnah of the tradition of the prophet, and to prevent therevelation being delivered by Allah's messenger to mankind.

The Islamic calendar is reckoned fromthe time of migration (Hijra) of Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be Upon Him) from Mecca to Madina. TheProphet's decision to migrate from Meccacame after several years of inhuman treatment of the faithful by the powerfultribes who were united despite all their feuds to stop the spread of Islam.

Prophet Mohammad's decision to leave Mecca coincided with theinfidel's plan to assassinate him. In 622 AD, the Quresh tribesmen held ameeting and decided that a band of young men, one from each tribe, shouldassassinate Prophet Mohammad collectively so that their responsibility for themurder could not be placed on any particular tribe.

On the eventful night, the Prophetasked his cousin Ali Ben Abutalib to take his place in bed to make the Meccansthink that he was asleep. The Prophet himself slipped out unobserved alongwithhis loyal follower Abu Bakr (who was chosen as the first C aliph after thedeath of the prophet). They secretly made their way to a cave named Thawr, notfar from Meccaand lay in hiding there for a day or two until Abu Bakr's son reported that thesearch for him had been given up. Then the two set out from Madina on camelback. They reached Quba, on the edge of the Madina oasis, on 12th Rabiul Awwal.With Mohammad's arrival in Quba a new phase of his career and glory of Islamstarted.

This migration has a specialsignificance in the history of Islam. It ended the Meccan period of humiliationand torture and began the era of success. His own people to whom he preachedIslam for 13 years neglected the Prophet of Islam. But he was cordiallyreceived in Madina as an honored chief.

In Madina his power enhanced day byday. Here he was not only the religious leader but took the role of apolitician and statesman too. Prophet Mohammad expired ten years after hismigration to Madina but only in one decade he changed the course of humanhistory.

In view of this special significanceof the Prophet's migration the consultative body advised the Second IslamicCaliph, Omar ben Khattab, to start the Islamic year from the date of migrationof the Prophet from Meccato Madina.

According to early Moslem scholars,Abu Musa Al Shari drew attention of Omar to an improperly dated debenture orIOU which was payable in the month of Shaban but it was not clear which Shabanwas actually meant, the present one or the coming one. Omar called thedignitaries for consultation who made several suggestions to begin the Islamiccalendar.

Ali (who later became the fourthcaliph) suggested the Hijra as the beginning of the Islamic year with Moharramas its first month. Consequently, Caliph Omar in 21 A.H. or 641 A.D introducedthe Islamic calendar in its present form.

QURANIC GUIDANCE

The guidance about the Islamiccalendar is taken from the following verses from the Holy Quran: (In the nameof GOD most gracious and most merciful)

"Lo thenumber of the months with God is twelve months." IX:36.

"They askthee, of new moons. Say: They are fixed seasons for mankind and for thepilgrimage." II:189.

"He it iswho appointed the sun a splendor and the moon a light, and measured for herstages, that ye might know the number of the years, and the reckoning."X:5

The Islamic Calendar of 12 LunarMonths is determined by observation of the new moon with no effort byintercalation (addition) or other means to synchronize the Lunar year with theSolar year.

Seerahof Prophet Muhammed 27 - The Hijrah - Emigration to Madinah - Yasir Qadhi |March 2012

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utKZzIWZ0I4