Introduction: Why Do We Need a Special Calendar?
Early Muslims were not merely seeking a tool to arrange days, but rather 'civilizational independence'. In the seventeenth year of the Hijrah, as the state expanded, Caliph Omar Ibn Al-Khattab faced the dilemma of official correspondence lacking a fixed date, so he decided to establish a special temporal compass for the Ummah.
The Philosophy of Choosing Hijrah: The Event That Separated Truth From Falsehood
In a historic meeting comprising senior companions, several options were presented; dating by the Prophet's birth or his death. But Omar's insight favored the Hijrah. Birth is a predestined event, and death is a sorrowful one, while 'Hijrah' is the first voluntary action that moved Islam from the realm of 'calling' to the realm of 'state'. Choosing the Hijrah is a message that our history does not begin with individuals, but with principles and moving towards empowerment.
Defending Our Religion: Why the Lunar Calendar?
Some criticize the Hijri calendar for its lack of seasonal stability compared to the Gregorian, and here the divine greatness appears. Relying on the moon makes Islamic rituals (Ramadan and Hajj) rotate throughout the four seasons of the year. This circulation achieves divine justice; a Muslim in a specific geographical area does not always fast in the heat of summer, but rather tastes the sweetness of worship in all atmospheres. It is an 'innate' calendar directly connected to the sky, far from the interventions of emperors and kings who distorted solar calendars throughout the ages.