Islamic calendar

"Arabic calendar" redirects here. For the Gregorian calendar in Arabic, see Arabic names of calendar months. This article is part of the series: Islam Beliefs Allah · Oneness of God Prophets · Revealed books Angels Practices Profession of faith · Prayer Fasting · Charity · Pilgrimage Texts and laws Qur'an · Sunnah · Hadith Fiqh · Sharia · Kalam · Sufism History and leadership Timeline · Spread of Islam Ahl al-Bayt · Sahaba Sunni · Shi'a  · Others Rashidun · Caliphate Imamate Culture and society Academics · Animals · Art Calendar · Children Demographics · Festivals Mosques · Philosophy Science · Women Politics · Dawah Islam and other religions Christianity · Judaism Hinduism · Sikhism · Jainism · Mormonism See also Islam portal v · d · e The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar or Hijri calendar (Arabic: التقويم الهجري‎; at-taqwīm al-hijrī; Persian: تقویم هجری قمری ‎ taqwīm-e hejri-ye qamari; Kurdish: Salnameya Hicrî; Turkish: Hicri Takvim; Urdu: اسلامی تقویم Islami taqwīm; Indonesian: Kalender Hijriah; Malay: Takwim Hijrah) is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries (concurrently with the Gregorian calendar), and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic holy days and festivals. The first year was the year during which the emigration of the Islamic prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, known as the Hijra, occurred. Each numbered year is designated either H for Hijra or AH for the Latin anno Hegirae (in the year of the Hijra).1 A limited number of years before Hijra (BH) are used to date events related to Islam, such as the birth of Muhammad in 53 BH.2 The current Islamic year is 1432 AH, from approximately 7 December 2010 (evening) to 26 November 2011 (evening). Being a purely lunar calendar, it is not synchronized with the seasons. With an annual drift of 11 or 12 days, the seasonal relation repeats about every 33 Islamic years. Contents 1 Months 2 Days of the week 3 History 3.1 Pre-Islamic calendar 3.2 Prohibiting Nasi 4 Importance 5 Numbering the years 6 Astronomical considerations 7 Theological considerations 8 Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura calendar 9 Tabular Islamic calendar 10 Kuwaiti algorithm 11 Notable dates 12 Convert Hijri to Gregorian year or Gregorian to Hijri year 13 Current correlations 14 Uses 15 See also 16 References 17 External links Months The Islamic months are named as follows:3 al-Muḥarram المحرّم (or Muḥarram al-Ḥarām) Ṣafar صفر (or Ṣafar al-Muẓaffar) Rabīʿ al-Awwal (Rabīʿ I) ربيع الأوّل Rabīʿ al-Thānī (or Rabīʿ al-Ākhir) (Rabīʿ II) ربيع الآخر أو ربيع الثاني Jumādā al-Ūlā (Jumādā I) جمادى الأولى Jumādā al-Thāniya (or Jumādā al-Ākhira) (Jumādā II) جمادى الآخرة أو جمادى الثانية Rajab رجب (or Rajab al-Murājab) Shaʿbān شعبان (or Shaʿbān al-Muʿaẓẓam) Ramaḍān رمضان (or Ramaḍān al-Mubārak) Shawwāl شوّال (or Shawwāl al-Mukarram) Dhū al-Qaʿda ذو القعدة (or Dhū al-Qiʿda) Dhū al-Ḥijja ذو الحجّة (or Dhū al-Ḥajja) Of all the months in the Islamic calendar, Ramaḍān is the most venerated. Muslims are required to abstain from eating, drinking any liquid, and sexual intercourse during daylight hours (from dawn to sunset) of this month.citation needed Days of the week In the Arabic language, as in the Hebrew language, the "first day" of the week corresponds with Sunday of the planetary week. The Islamic and Jewish weekdays begin at sunset, whereas the medieval Christian and planetary weekdays begin at the following midnight.4 The Christian liturgical day, however, kept in monasteries, begins with Vesper, which is evening, in line with the other Abrahamic traditions. Muslims gather for worship at a mosque at noon on "gathering day" (Yaum al-Jumu'ah) which corresponds with Friday ("yawm يوم" means day). Thus "gathering day" is often regarded as the weekly day of rest, so the following day, Saturday, is often regarded as the first day of the work week. Arabic English Malti Turkish Persian Urdu Hindi Bengali Kannada Hebrew Indonesian Malay Pashto 1 Yawm as-Sabt يوم السبت (Sabbath day) Saturday Is-Sibt Cumartesi Shanbeh شنبه Hafta / Sanichar سنیچر / ہفتہ Shanivaar शनिवार Shonibar শনিবার Shanivaara ಶನಿವಾರ Yom Shabbat יום שבת Sabtu Sabtu خالی khali 2 Yawm al-Aḥad يوم الأحد (first day) Sunday Il-Ħadd Pazar Yek-Shanbeh یکشنبه Ek-Shamba / Itwaar اتوار Ravivaar रविवार Robibar রবিবার Bhaanuvaara or Ravivaara or Aadityavaara ಭಾನುವಾರ / ರವಿವಾರ / ಆದಿತ್ಯವಾರ Yom Rishon יום ראשון Minggu Ahad اتوار itwar 3 Yawm al-Ithnayn يوم الاثنين (second day) Monday It-Tnejn Pazartesi Do-Shanbeh دوشنبه Do-Shamba / Pîr پير Somvaar सोमवार Shombar সোমবার Somavaara ಸೋಮವಾರ Yom Sheni יום שני Senin Isnin گل gul 4 Yawm ath-Thalaathaaʼ يوم الثلاثاء (third day) Tuesday It-Tlieta Salı Seh-Shanbeh سه شنبه Teen-Shamba / Mangal منگل Mangalvaar मंगलवार Monggolbar মঙ্গলবার Mangalavaara ಮಂಗಳವಾರ Yom Shlishi יום שלישי Selasa Selasa نھہ nahia 5 Yawm al-Arba'aa' يوم الأربعاء (fourth day) Wednesday L-Erbgħa Çarşamba Chahar-Shanbeh چهارشنبه Chaar-Shamba / Budh بده Budhvaar बुधवार Budhbar বুধবার Budhavaara ಬುಧವಾರ Yom Revi'i יום רבעי Rabu Rabu شورو shoro 6 Yawm al-Khamīs يوم الخميس (fifth day) Thursday Il-Ħamis Perşembe Panj-Shanbeh پنجشنبه Panj-Shamba / Jumey'raat / Beefay جمعرات Guruvaar / Brahaspativaar गुरुवार Brihôshpotibar বৃহস্পতিবার Guruvaara ಗುರುವಾರ Yom Khamishi יום חמישי Kamis Khamis زیارت ziyarat 7 Yawm al-Jumu'ah يوم الجمعة (gathering day) Friday Il-Ġimgħa Cuma Jom'e / Adineh جمعه / آدينه Juma'h جمعہ Shukravaar शुक्रवार Shukrobar / Jumobar শুক্রবার / জুমমাবার Shukravaara ಶುಕ್ರವಾರ Yom Shishi יום ששי Jumat Jumaat جمعه juma History Pre-Islamic calendar Some scholars, both Muslim56 and Western,7 think that the pre-Islamic calendar of central Arabia was a purely lunar calendar similar to the modern Islamic calendar, differing only when the sanctity of the four holy months were postponed by one month from time to time. Other scholars, both Muslim89 and Western,1011 concur that it was originally a lunar calendar, but about 200 years before the Hijra it was transformed into a lunisolar calendar containing an intercalary month added from time to time to keep the pilgrimage within the season of the year when merchandise was most abundant for Bedouin buyers. This intercalation was administered by the Nasa'a of the tribe Kinana, known as the Qalāmis, the plural of Qalammas, who learned of it from Jews. The process was called Nasi or postponement because every third year the beginning of the year was postponed by one month. The intercalation doubled the month of the pilgrimage, that is, the month of the pilgrimage and the following month were given the same name, postponing the names and the sanctity of all subsequent months in the year by one. The first intercalation doubled the first month Muharram, then three years later the second month Safar was doubled, continuing until the intercalation had passed through all twelve months of the year and returned to Muharram, when it was repeated. Support for this view is provided by inscriptions from the south Arabian pre-Islamic kingdoms of Qataban (Kataban) and Sheba (Saba) (both in modern Yemen), whose lunisolar calendars featured an intercalary month obtained by repeating a normal month. The prohibition of Nasi was revealed when the intercalated month had returned to its position just before Nasi began. If Nasi meant intercalation, then the number and the position of the intercalary months between 1 AH and 10 AH are uncertain, western calendar dates commonly cited for key events in early Islam such as the Hijra, the Battle of Badr, the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Trench, should be viewed with caution as they might be in error by one, two or even three lunar months. Prohibiting Nasi In the tenth year of the Hijra, as documented in the Qur'an (sura 9:36–37), Muslims believe God (Allah) revealed the prohibition of the Nasi. The number of months with Allah has been twelve months by Allah's ordinance since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these four are known as forbidden [to fight in]; That is the straight usage, so do not wrong yourselves therein, and fight those who go astray. 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, of months forbidden by Allah and make such forbidden ones lawful. The evil of their course seems pleasing to them. But Allah guideth not those who reject Faith. Muhammad prohibiting intercalation, illustration of Al-Bīrūnī's The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries (17th century copy of an early 14th century Ilkhanid manuscript).12 This prohibition was repeated by Muhammad during the farewell sermon which was delivered on 9 Dhu al-Hijja 10 AH on Mount Arafat during the farewell pilgrimage to Mecca. Certainly the Nasi is an impious addition, which has led the infidels into error. One year they authorise the Nasi, another year they forbid it. They observe the divine precept with respect to the number of the sacred months, but in fact they profane that which God has declared to be inviolable, and sanctify that which God has declared to be profane. Assuredly time, in its revolution, has returned to such as it was at the creation of the heavens and the earth. In the eyes of God the number of the months is twelve. Among these twelve months four are sacred, namely, Rajab, which stands alone, and three others which are consecutive. —translated by Sherrard Beaumont Burnaby13 The three successive forbidden months mentioned by Muhammad (months in which battles are forbidden) are Dhu al-Qi'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram, months 11, 12, and 1. The single forbidden month is Rajab, month 7. These months were considered forbidden both within the new Islamic calendar and within the old pagan Meccan calendar, although whether they maintained their "forbidden" status after the conquest of Mecca has been disputed among Islamic scholars.citation needed The prohibition on the Nasi has not affected the creation of new purely solar calendars in the Muslim world; the modern Iranian calendar is a solar calendar dated from the Hijra, with eight intercalated leap days in a 33-year cycle. Importance To Muslims, the Hijri calendar is more than a sentimental system of time reckoning, and dating important religious events. It has a much deeper religious and historical significance in the Muslim life. The advent of the 15th Islamic century is indeed, a unique occasion to ponder that the Islamic Era did not start with the victories of Islamic wars, nor with the birth or death of the Prophet Muhammad, nor with the Revelation itself. It starts with Hijra, or the sacrifice for the cause of Truth and for the preservation of the Revelation. It was a divinely inspired selection. Allah wanted to teach Man that the struggle between Truth and Evil is eternal. The Islamic year reminds Muslims not of the pomp and glory of Islam but of its sacrifice, and prepares them to do the same. All the events of Islamic history, especially those that took place during the life of the Prophet Muhammad, and afterwards are quoted in the Hijri calendar era. But calculations in the Gregorian calendar keep people away from those events and happenings, which are pregnant of admonitory lessons and guiding instructions.citation needed Numbering the years In pre-Islamic Arabia, it was customary to identify a year after a major event which took place in it. Thus, according to Islamic tradition, Abraha, governor of Yemen, then a province of the Christian Kingdom of Aksum (Ethiopia), attempted to destroy the Kaaba with an army which included several elephants. The raid was unsuccessful, but that year became known as the Year of the Elephant, during which Muhammad was born (surat al-Fil). Most equate this to the year 570 CE, but a minority use 571 CE. The first ten years of the Hijra were not numbered, but were named after events in the life of Muhammad according to al-Biruni:14 The year of permission. The year of the order of fighting. The year of the trial. The year of congratulation on marriage. The year of the earthquake. The year of enquiring. The year of gaining victory. The year of equality. The year of exemption. The year of farewell. In 638 CE (17 AH), Abu-Musa al-Asha'ari, one of the officials of the second Caliph Umar in Basrah, complained about the absence of any years on the correspondence he received from Umar, making it difficult for him to determine which instructions were most recent. This report convinced Umar of the need to introduce an era for Muslims. After debating the issue with his counsellors, he decided that the first year should include the date of Muhammad's arrival at Madina tun Nabi (known as Yathrib, before Muhammad's arrival). Uthman ibn Affan then suggested that the months begin with Muharram, in line with the established custom of the Arabs at that time.15 The years of the Islamic calendar thus began with the month of Muharram in the year of Muhammad's arrival at the city of Medina, even though the actual emigration took place in September.1 Because of the Hijra, the calendar was named the Hijra calendar. The first day of the first month of the Islamic calendar (1 Muharram 1 AH) was Friday, 16 July 622 CE, the equivalent civil tabular date (same daylight period) in the Julian calendar.1617 The Islamic day began at the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July. This Julian date (16 July) was determined by medieval Muslim astronomers by projecting back in time their own tabular Islamic calendar, which had alternating 30- and 29-day months in each lunar year plus eleven leap days every 30 years. For example, al-Biruni mentioned this Julian date in the year 1000 CE.18 Although not used by either medieval Muslim astronomers or modern scholars to determine the Islamic epoch, the thin crescent moon would have also first become visible (assuming clouds did not obscure it) shortly after the preceding sunset on the evening of 15 July, 1.5 days after the associated dark moon (astronomical new moon) on the morning of 14 July.19 Though Cook and Crone in "Hagarism" cite a coin from 17 AH, the first surviving attested use of a Hijri calendar date alongside a date in another calendar (Coptic) is on a papyrus from Egypt in 22 AH, PERF 558. Astronomical considerations The Islamic calendar is based on the lunar calendar. Hence a symbol of Islam is the crescent The Islamic calendar is not to be confused with a lunar calendar that is based on astronomical calculations. The latter is based on a year of 12 months adding up to 354.37 days. Each lunar month begins at the time of the monthly "conjunction", when the Moon is located on a straight line between the Earth and the Sun. The month is defined as the average duration of a rotation of the Moon around the Earth (29.53 days). By convention, months of 30 days and 29 days succeed each other, adding up over two successive months to 59 full days. This leaves only a small monthly variation of 44 mn to account for, which adds up to a total of 24 hours (i.e. the equivalent of one full day) in 2.73 years. To settle accounts, it is sufficient to add one day every three years to the lunar calendar, in the same way that one adds one day to the Gregorian calendar, every four years.20 The technical details of the adjustment are described in Tabular Islamic Calendar. The Islamic calendar, however, is based on a different set of conventions.21 Each month has either 29 or 30 days, but usually in no discernible order. Traditionally, the first day of each month is the day (beginning at sunset) of the first sighting of the hilal shortly after sunset. If the hilal is not observed immediately after the 29th day of a month (either because clouds block its view or because the western sky is still too bright when the moon sets), then the day that begins at that sunset is the 30th. Such a sighting has to be made by one or more trustworthy men testifying before a committee of Muslim leaders. Determining the most likely day that the hilal could be observed was a motivation for Muslim interest in astronomy, which put Islam in the forefront of that science for many centuries. This traditional practice is still followed in the overwhelming majority of Muslim countries. Each Islamic state proceeds with its own monthly observation of the new moon (or, failing that, awaits the completion of 30 days) before declaring the beginning of a new month on its territory. But, the lunar crescent becomes visible only some 15–18 hours after the conjunction, and only subject to the existence of a number of favourable conditions relative to weather, time, geographic location, as well as various astronomical parameters.22 Given the fact that the moon sets progressively later than the sun as one goes West, Western Muslim countries are likely to observe the new moon one day earlier than Eastern Muslim countries. Due to the interplay of all these factors, the beginning of each month differs from one Muslim country to another, and the information provided by the calendar in any country does not extend beyond the current month. A number of Muslim countries try to overcome some of these difficulties by applying different astronomy-related rules to determine the beginning of months. Thus, Malaysia, Indonesia, and a few others begin each month at sunset on the first day that the moon sets after the sun (moonset after sunset). In Egypt, the month begins at sunset on the first day that the moon sets at least five minutes after the sun. A detailed analysis of the available data shows, however, that there are major discrepancies between what countries say they do on this subject, and what they actually do.2324 Theological considerations If the Islamic calendar were prepared using astronomical calculations, Muslims throughout the Muslim world could use it to meet all their needs, the way they use the Gregorian calendar today. But, there are divergent views on whether it is licit to do so.25 A majority of theologians oppose the use of calculations on the grounds that the latter would not conform with Muhammad's recommendation to observe the new moon of Ramadan and Shawal in order to determine the beginning of these months.262728 But, some jurists see no contradiction between Muhammad's teachings and the use of calculations to determine the beginnings of lunar months.29 They consider that Muhammad's recommendation was adapted to the culture of the times, and should not be confused with the acts of worship.303132 Thus, jurists Ahmad Muhammad Shakir and Yusuf al-Qaradawi both endorsed the use of calculations to determine the beginning of all months of the Islamic calendar, in 1939 and 2004 respectively.333435 So did the "Fiqh Council of North America" (FCNA) in 20063637 and the "European Council for Fatwa and Research" (ECFR) in 2007.3839 Fatimid Dawoodi Bohra follows Tabular Islamic calendar( see section below) prepared on the basis of Astronomical calculations from the days of Fatimid imams. Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura calendar Saudi Arabia uses the sighting method to determine the beginning of each month of the Hijri calendar. Since AH 1419 (1998/99) several official hilal sighting committees have been set up by the government to determine the first visual sighting of the lunar crescent at the beginning of each lunar month. Nevertheless, the religious authorities also allow the testimony of less experienced observers and thus often announce the sighting of the lunar crescent on a date when none of the official committees could see it. The country also uses the Umm al-Qura calendar, based on astronomical calculations, but this is restricted to administrative purposes. The parameters used in the establishment of this calendar underwent significant changes over the past decade.40 Before AH 1420 (before 18 April 1999), if the moon's age at sunset in Riyad was at least 12 hours, then the day ending at that sunset was the first day of the month. This often caused the Saudis to celebrate holy days one or even two days before other predominantly Muslim countries, including the dates for the Hajj, which can only be dated using Saudi dates because it is performed in Mecca. For AH 1420–22, if moonset occurred after sunset at Mecca, then the day beginning at that sunset was the first day of a Saudi month, essentially the same rule used by Malaysia, Indonesia, and others (except for the location from which the hilal was observed). Since the beginning of AH 1423 (16 March 2002), the rule has been clarified a little by requiring the geocentric conjunction of the sun and moon to occur before sunset, in addition to requiring moonset to occur after sunset at Mecca. This ensures that the moon has moved past the sun by sunset, even though the sky may still be too bright immediately before moonset to actually see the crescent. In 2007, the Islamic Society of North America, the Fiqh Council of North America and the European Council for Fatwa and Research announced that they will henceforth use a calendar based on calculations, using the same parameters as the Umm al-Qura calendar, to determine (well in advance) the beginning of all lunar months (and therefore the days associated with all religious observances). This was intended as a first step on the way to unify Muslims' calendars throughout the world, in some future time. But, despite this stated objective, they will continue to differ, on this point, from Saudi Arabia's officially stated, but hard to verify policy of relying exclusively on sighting to determine the dates of religious observances.4142 Tabular Islamic calendar Main article: Tabular Islamic calendar There exists a variation of the Islamic calendar known as the tabular Islamic calendar in which months are worked out by arithmetic rules rather than by observation or astronomical calculation. It has a 30-year cycle with 11 leap years of 355 days and 19 years of 354 days. In the long term, it is accurate to one day in about 2500 years. It also deviates up to about one or two days in the short term.This calendar is a type of Fatimid calendar and followed by Fatimid Dawoodi Bohra in true sense. Kuwaiti algorithm Main article: Kuwaiti algorithm Microsoft uses the "Kuwaiti algorithm", a variant of the tabular Islamic calendar,43 to convert Gregorian dates to the Islamic ones. Microsoft claims that the variant is based on a statistical analysis of historical data from Kuwait.44 Notable dates Main article: Muslim holidays Important dates in the Islamic (Hijri) year are: 1 Muharram (Islamic New Year) 10 Muharram (Day of Ashura) For Sunni Muslims, the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites. For Shia Muslims, the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad, and his followers. 12 Rabi al Awal (Mawlid an Nabi for some Sunni Muslims) 17 Rabi al Awal (Mawlid an Nabi for Shia Muslims Twelvers) 13 Rajab (Birthday of Ali ibn Abi Talib.) 27 Rajab (Isra and Miraj) 15 Sha'ban (Mid-Sha'ban, or Night of Forgiveness), and the birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi (The Twelfth Imam) 1 Ramadan (first day of fasting) 21 Ramadan Ali ibn Abi Talib's Martyrdom. 27 Ramadan (Nuzul Al-Qur'an) (17 Ramadan in Indonesia and Malaysia) Last third of Ramadan which includes Laylat al-Qadr 1 Shawwal (Eid al-Fitr) 8-13 Dhu al-Hijjah (the Hajj to Mecca) 9 Dhu al-Hijjah (Day of Arafa) 10 Dhu al-Hijjah (Eid al-Adha) 18 Dhu al-Hijjah (Eid al-Ghadeer) 24 Dhu al-Hijjah (Eid al-Mubahila) Convert Hijri to Gregorian year or Gregorian to Hijri year This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010) To convert from a Hijri year to a Gregorian year: G = 0.97023×H + 621.57 To convert from a Gregorian year to a Hijri year: H = (G − 621.57)/0.97023 The simplest way to convert a Muslim date to its corresponding civil date is through the Jewish calendar. Theoretically, the months in both calendars start on the same day if the displacements which are a feature of the Jewish system are ignored. The table below gives, for nineteen years, the Muslim month which corresponds to the first Jewish month. Year AD Year AH Muslim month Year AD Year AH Muslim month 2010 1431 4 2020 1441 8 2011 1432 5 2021 1442 8 2012 1433 5 2022 1443 9 2013 1434 5 2023 1444 9 2014 1435 6 2024 1445 10 2015 1436 6 2025 1446 10 2016 1437 7 2026 1447 10 2017 1438 7 2027 1448 11 2018 1439 7 2028 1449 11 2019 1440 8 This table may be extended since every nineteen years the Muslim month number increases by seven. When it goes above twelve, subtract twelve and add one to the year AH. Example calculation What is the civil date and year AH of the first day of the first month in the year AD20875? We first find the Muslim month number corresponding to the first month of the Jewish year which begins in AD20874. Dividing 20874 by 19 gives quotient 1098 and remainder 12. Dividing 2026 by 19 gives quotient 106 and remainder 12. The two years are therefore (1098-106)=992x19 years apart. The Muslim month number corresponding to the first Jewish month is therefore (992x7)=6944 higher than in 2026. To convert into years and months divide by twelve - 6944/12=578 years and 8 months. Adding, we get 1447y 10m + 20874y - 2026y + 578y 8m = 20874y 6m. Therefore, the first month of the Jewish year beginning in AD20874 corresponds to the sixth month of the Muslim year AH20874. The worked example in Hebrew calendar#Conversion between Jewish and civil dates shows that the civil date of the first day of this month (ignoring the displacements) is Friday, 14 June. The year AH20875 will therefore begin seven months later, on the first day of the eighth Jewish month, which the worked example shows to be 7 January, AD20875 (again ignoring the displacements). A reading of the section which follows will show that the year AH20875 is wholly contained within the year AD20875, also that in the Gregorian calendar this correspondence will occur one year earlier. The reason for the discrepancy is that the Gregorian year (like the Julian) is slightly too long, so the Gregorian date for a given AH date will be earlier and the Muslim calendar catches up sooner. Current correlations An Islamic year will be entirely within a Gregorian year of the same number in the year 20874, after which year the number of the Islamic year will always be greater than the number of the concurrent Gregorian year. The Islamic calendar year of 1429 occurred entirely within the Gregorian calendar year of 2008. Such years occur once every 33 or 34 Islamic years (32 or 33 Gregorian years). More are listed here: Islamic year within Gregorian year Islamic Gregorian Difference 1060 1650 590 1093 1682 589 1127 1715 588 1161 1748 587 1194 1780 586 1228 1813 585 1261 1845 584 1295 1878 583 1329 1911 582 1362 1943 581 1396 1976 580 1429 2008 579 1463 2041 578 1496 2073 577 1530 2106 576 1564 2139 575 Because a hijri or Islamic lunar year is between 10 and 12 days shorter than a Gregorian year, it begins 10–12 days earlier in the Gregorian year following the Gregorian year in which the previous hijri year began. Once every 33.58 hijri years, or once every 32.58 Gregorian years, the beginning of a hijri year (1 Muharram) coincides with one of the first ten days of January. Subsequent hijri New Years move backward through the Gregorian year back to the beginning of January again, passing through the entire year. Uses The Islamic calendar is now used primarily for religious purposes, and for official dating of public events and documents in Muslim countries. Because of its nature as a purely lunar calendar, it cannot be used for agricultural purposes and historically Islamic communities have used other calendars for this purpose: the Egyptian calendar was formerly widespread in Islamic countries, and the Iranian calendar and the 1789 Ottoman calendar (a modified Julian calendar) were also used for agriculture in their countries. In Morocco, the Berber calendar (another Julian calendar) is still used by farmers in the countryside. These local solar calendars have receded in importance with the near-universal adoption of the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes. As noted above, Saudi Arabia uses the Islamic calendar to date religious occasions such as Ramadan, Hajj, etc. and the Umm-al-Qura calendar, based on calculations, for administrative purposes and daily government business.45 See also New Moon Javanese calendar Iranian calendars Lunar phase References ^ a b Watt, W. Montgomery. "Hidjra". In P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912.  ^ Prophet Muhammad by Islamic Finder ^ B. van Dalen; R.S. Humphreys; A.K.S Lambton, et al.. "Tarikh". In P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Encyclopedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912.  ^ Trawicky (2000) p. 232 ^ Mahmud Effendi (1858), as discussed by Burnaby, pages 460–470. ^ According to "Tradition", repeatedly cited by F.C. De Blois. ^ F.C. De Blois, "TA'RIKH": I.1.iv. "Pre-Islamic and agricultural calendars of the Arabian peninsula", The Encyclopaedia of Islam X:260. ^ al-Biruni, "Intercalation of the Ancient Arabs", The Chronology of Ancient Nations, tr. C. Edward Sachau, (London: William H. Allen, 1000/1879) 13–14, 73–74. ^ Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi (787–886), Kitab al-Uluf, Journal Asiatique, series 5, xi (1858) 168+. (French) (Arabic) ^ A. Moberg, "NASI'", The Encyclopaedia of Islam VII:977. ^ A. Moberg, "NASI'", E.J. Brill's first encyclopaedia of Islam ^ From an illustrated manuscript of Al-Biruni's 11th c. Vestiges of the Past (Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, Arabe 1489 fol. 5v. (Bibliothèque Nationale on-line catalog Mandragore ^ Sherrard Beaumont Burnaby, Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars (London: 1901) 370. ^ Sherrad Beaumont Burnaby, Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars (1901) 376. ^ Appreciating Islamic History (Microsoft Word document, 569KB) ^ Sherrad Beaumont Burnaby, Elements of the Jewish and Muhammadan calendars (1901) pp.373-5, 382-4. ^ Calendrica ^ al-Biruni, The chronology of ancient nations, tr. C. Edward Sachau (1000/1879) 327. ^ NASA phases of the moon 601–700 ^ Emile Biémont, Rythmes du temps, Astronomie et calendriers, De Borck, 2000, 393p ^ Khalid Chraibi: Issues in the Islamic Calendar, Tabsir.net ^ Karim Meziane et Nidhal Guessoum : La visibilité du croissant lunaire et le ramadan, La Recherche n° 316, janvier 1999, pp. 66–71 ^ Moonsighting.com - Methods for beginning of Islamic months in different countries ^ Khalid Chraibi: Le mois islamique est-il universel ou national ? ^ Allal el Fassi : « Aljawab assahih wannass-hi al-khaliss ‘an nazilati fas wama yata’allaqo bimabda-i acchouhouri al-islamiyati al-arabiyah », "[...] and the beginning of Islamic Arab months", report prepared at the request of King Hassan II of Morocco, Rabat, 1965 (36 p.), with no indication of editor. ^ Muhammad Mutawalla al-Shaârawi : Fiqh al-halal wal haram (edited by Ahmad Azzaâbi), Dar al-Qalam, Beyrouth, 2000, p. 88. ^ Some theologians also interpret Surah al-Baqarah 2:185 as requiring direct sighting, but they represent only a minority. The Quranic verse reads as follows : "185. The month of Ramadân in which was revealed the Qur'ân, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadân i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Saum (fasts) that month, and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Saum (fasts) must be made up] from other days. God intends for you ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for you. (He wants that you) must complete the same number (of days), and that you must magnify God [i.e. to say Takbîr (Godu-Akbar; God is the Most Great) on seeing the crescent of the months of Ramadân and Shawwâl] for having guided you so that you may be grateful to Him." ^ Interpretation of the Meaning of The Noble Quran Translated into the English Language By Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali Ph.D. & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan ^ Abderrahman al-Haj : « The faqih, the politician and the determination of lunar months » (in arabic) ^ Allal el Fassi : "Aljawab assahih..." op. cit. ^ The dynasty of Fatimids in Egypt used a tabular pre-calculated calendar over a period of two centuries, between the 10th and 12th centuries, before a change of political regime reactivated the procedure of observation of the new moon. ^ Helmer Aslaksen: The Islamic calendar ^ Ahmad Shakir : « The beginning of arab months … is it legal to determine it using astronomical calculations? » (published in arabic in 1939) reproduced in the Arab daily « Al-Madina », 13 october 2006 (n° 15878) ^ Yusuf al-Qaradawi : « Astronomical calculations and determination of the beginning of months » (in arabic) ^ For a detailed discussion of Shakir's legal opinion on the subject, see "Issue N° 9" in Khalid Chraibi: Issues in the Islamic Calendar, Tabsir.net ^ Fiqh Council of North America Islamic lunar calendar ^ Zulfikar Ali Shah The astronomical calculations: a fiqhi discussion ^ Islamic Center of Boston, Wayland ^ For a detailed discussion of the issues and the FCNA and ECFR positions, see : Khalid Chraibi: Can the Umm al Qura calendar serve as a global Islamic calendar? Tabsir.net ^ Crescent sighting using the Uml al Qura calendar in Saudi ArabiaPDF (268 KB) ^ Ramadan and Eid announcement by the Fiqh Council of North America (revised) ^ Khalid Chraibi : Can the Umm al Qura calendar serve as a global Islamic calendar? ^ The "Kuwaiti Algorithm" (Robert van Gent) ^ Hijri Dates in SQL Server 2000 ^ Glassé, Cyril (2001). The New Encyclopedia of Islam, pp. 98-99. Rowman Altamira. ISBN 0759101906. 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