History of the Foundation of the Hijri Calendar: Its Origins, Development, Ruling and Civilisational Role in Building the Islamic Nation (II)

Characteristics and Civilisational Dimensions:

A purely lunar system, the Hijri year averages 354–355 days. It is 10–11 days shorter than the solar (Gregorian) year, causing religious observances to cycle through all seasons over a 33-year period. Months begin with the sighting of the new crescent moon (ru’yah), preserving a connection to natural observation and collective participation of the Ummah all around the world.

The historical trajectory of this calendar is marked by foundational milestones: the Year of the Elephant and the Prophet’s birth (c. 570–571 CE); the beginning of Revelation (610 CE); the Hijrah itself (622 CE / 1 AH); the passing of the Prophet  (632 CE / 11 AH); and the official institutionalisation of the calendar by Umar (c. 638 CE / 17 AH).

The Hijri calendar transcended mere chronology. Religiously, it regulates worship cycles. Administratively, it standardized records and governance. Economically, it governed contracts, debts, and fiscal years. Politically, it unified the ummah’s temporal framework, fostering a distinct Islamic consciousness independent of Gregorian, Indian, Byzantine or Persian systems (Zein, 2021).

The Significance and Modern Applicability of the Islamic Calendar:

The significance of the Hijri calendar extends far beyond timekeeping; it is a profound spiritual and civilisational anchor. Spiritually, it dictates the timing of obligatory acts of worship such as fasting in Ramadān, the pilgrimage of hajj, and the calculation of Zakāt and Iddah (waiting periods). This lunar cycle ensures that these acts of worship rotate through all seasons, distributing the spiritual and physical equitably across different geographical latitudes. Civilisationally, by anchoring time to the Hijrah, it constantly reminds the Ummah of the transition from persecution to empowerment, standing as a testament to Islamic independence.

In the contemporary era, the applicability of the Hijri calendar remains deeply embedded in the religious and legal fabric of the Muslim world. Religiously, it is universally applied to determine the start and end of Ramadān and the days of hajj. Legally and financially, it is the foundation of Islamic personal status law, governing marriage contracts, divorce, and inheritance. In Islamic finance, the calendar is crucial for calculating deferred payments, lease agreements (ijārah), and the maturity of Sukuk (Islamic bonds), ensuring compliance with Sharīhah principles that tie financial obligations to specific lunar terms (Ilyas, 1984). While many Muslim-majority countries have adopted the Gregorian calendar for international trade, nations such as Saudi Arabia and Morocco continue to utilize the Hijri calendar and global standardisation of the Hijri Calendar as their primary official civil calendar. Modern astronomical calculations and digital applications have significantly enhanced the date, facilitating its applicability in an interconnected world (King, 2004; Odeh, 1999).

Jurisprudential Rulings on the Calendar Across the Four Schools of Law:

The jurisprudential ruling on the adoption and use of the Hijri calendar is a subject of detailed analysis across the four Sunni schools of law. There is a unanimous consensus among the Hanafī, Mālikī, Shāfi’ī, and Hanbalī schools that the use of the lunar calendar is strictly obligatory (wājib) for specific acts of worship (Hibādāt) explicitly tied to time in the Qur’ān and Sunnah, such as fasting, Hajj, Zakāt, and Iddah.

Regarding its use for civil, administrative, and historical dating, the majority of jurists consider the official adoption of the Hijri calendar by the Muslim state to be a collective obligation (fard kifāyah) or highly recommended (mandūb) to preserve Islamic identity. The Salaf al-Sālil (the pious predecessors) never used solar calendars for official state documents; their strict adherence to the lunar calendar makes it a binding Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, in accordance with the Prophet’s command: “You must follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me” (Abū Dāwūd, 2009).

The Mālikī Perspective:

The Mālikī school forinstance, with its profound emphasis on the objectives of Sharī’ah (maqāsid al-sharī’ah) and public interest (maslahah), provides a particularly robust framework for understanding the necessity of the Hijri calendar. Classical Mālikī scholars, such as Abū Ishāq al-Shātibī in Al-Muwāfaqāt, emphasise that the preservation of the Muslim community’s distinct identity is a fundamental objective of the Sharī’ah (al-Shātibī, 1997). Consequently, abandoning the Hijri calendar in favour of foreign systems without genuine necessity is viewed as a means to the erosion of Islamic identity, which must be blocked under the principle of Sadd al-Dharā’i (blocking the means to harm).

Furthermore, Imam Mālik’s foundational reliance on the Amal Ahl al-Madīnah (the living practice of the people of Madinah) inherently validates the lunar dating system, as it was the uninterrupted practice of the Salaf in the Prophet’s city. Therefore, Mālikī jurists rule that while using other calendars for sheer convenience in isolated instances is permissible, the state’s exclusive reliance on them is strongly discouraged (makrūh) or prohibited if it leads to the marginalization of Islamic symbols (al-Dasūqī, 1996). The Mālikī tradition thus, views the calendar not merely as a tool, but as a vital symbol of the Ummah’s sovereignty.

Views of the Other Schools:

The other schools share this underlying concern for Islamic identity. The Hanafī school, as noted by Ibn Ābidīn, permits the use of non-Arabic or non-Islamic calendars for administrative necessity but warns against imitating non-Muslims (tashabbuh) in their festivals and temporal systems (Ibn ‘Ābidīn, 1992). The Shāfi’ī and Hanbalī scholars similarly maintain that while there is no explicit textual prohibition against using the Gregorian calendar for practical, international administrative needs, prioritising the Hijri calendar remains a vital symbol of Islamic identity, and abandoning it entirely for state affairs is a departure from the honoured Sunnah of the Sahaba (al-Nawawī, 1995; al-Buhūtī, 1983). Thus, the fiqh perspective balances the strict obligation of the lunar calendar in worship with pragmatic flexibility in civil affairs, provided the Islamic calendar is never entirely abandoned in official state matters.

Jurisprudential Rulings on Exchanging Greetings, Organizing Feast Festival or Fasting to Mark the Occasion of the Hijrah:

A natural corollary to the establishment of the Islamic calendar is the social practice of exchanging greetings and pleasantries at the onset of the new year, specifically the first of Muharram. Before delving into the jurisprudential nuances, it is imperative to establish the historical precedent set by the Salaf al-Sālih.

There is authentic historical evidence that the early generations congratulated one another on the arrival of the new year. The eminent Successor (Tābi’ī) Abū Ma’shar al-Sindī narrated: “I asked Muhammad ibn Ziyād al-Alhānī about the people’s greeting each other on the first day of the year… He said: I met people who had accompanied Muhāwiyah and Abū Bakr… and they used to congratulate each other on the  day of the year” (Ibn ‘Asākir, 1995). This narration from the treasures of the Salaf demonstrates that exchanging greetings at the onset of Muharram is a recognized social custom with deep historical roots in the early Muslim community.

The Mālikī Perspective:

In the Mālikī school of jurisprudence, which places immense weight on the living practice of the people of Madīnah and the broader objectives of social harmony (maslahah), exchanging greetings at the onset of the Islamic year is viewed through the lens of customary social interactions (mu’āmalāt and ‘urf). According to the foundational Mālikī legal maxim, the default ruling in matters of worldly customs and social interactions is permissibility (al-asl fī al-ashyā’ al-ibā’ah), provided there is no textual prohibition.

Because the Salaf engaged in this practice, Mālikī scholars view it as a permissible (mubāh) and commendable social courtesy that fosters love and brotherhood among Muslims. Classical Mālikī texts on social etiquette, such as those by Imam al-Turkūshī, encourage maintaining good relations and showing joy at the arrival of blessed times, as long as it does not devolve into extravagance. The Mālikī school strictly warns, however, against elevating this greeting to the status of a religious ritual (ibādah) or a fixed Sunnah that one feels sinful for omitting. It remains a beautiful custom (‘urf hasan) that aligns with the Mālikī principle of accommodating beneficial societal practices (al-Zarqānī, 1990).

Views of the Other Schools:

The other three Sunni schools of jurisprudence share a remarkably similar consensus regarding the permissibility of these greetings:

The Hanafī school considers exchanging greetings on the first of Muharram to be entirely permissible. Scholars such as Ibn ‘Ābidīn clarify that while it is not a formal religious obligation or a ritual act of worship, it falls under the category of good social conduct (adab) and is therefore permissible and even praiseworthy as a means of strengthening communal bonds (Ibn ‘Ābidīn, 1992).

Within the Shāfi’ī tradition, scholars have historically affirmed the permissibility of congratulating one another on the arrival of new months and years. Imam al-Suyūtī and other Shāfi’ī jurists noted that since the Salaf engaged in this practice, it cannot be classified as a blameworthy innovation (bid’ah sayyi’ah). Rather, it is a permissible social interaction that reflects joy at the continuation of life and the opportunity to worship Allah in the new year (al-Suyū’tī, 1983).

The Hanbalī perspective, echoed by classical jurists and contemporary scholars like Ibn ‘Uthaymīn, maintains that exchanging greetings for the Islamic New Year is permissible (jā’iz). The Hanbalī school distinguishes clearly between acts of worship (ta’abbudī) and social customs (mu’āmalah). Since greeting one another is a social custom and the Salaf practised it, it is allowed. However, they emphasise that it must not be accompanied by any specific religious rituals, special prayers, or the belief that it is a mandatory Sunnah, thereby preserving the purity of Islamic worship (Ibn ‘Uthaymīn, 2001).

In summary, across all four Madhhabs, and deeply rooted in the practice of the Salaf, exchanging pleasantries and greetings during the occasion of the Hijrah is unanimously regarded as a permissible and socially beneficial custom, provided it is kept within the boundaries of social etiquette and not elevated to a formal religious obligation.

However, initiating such greetings under the assumption that they constitute an established Sunnah is groundless, as warned by the prophetic narration stating that any innovated matter introduced into the religion will be rejected (Sahih al-Bukhari, 2697).

Fasting the New Year Day:

Dedicating the specific opening day of the New Year for fasting is considered reprehensible (Makruh) or an innovation if done under the belief that this particular date holds distinct ritual virtue. The authentic Sunnah contains no evidence of the Prophet fasting to mark the Hijrah. Similarly,  the Sahabas  who founded the calendar did not mark it with any act of established ibadah such as prayers or azkar or Fasting. However, while fasting on the first of Muharram is highly virtuous if it occurs naturally within a person’s regular habit of voluntary fasting such as the Mondays, Thursdays or white days, or as part of the generally praised practice of fasting throughout the sacred month of Muharram (Sahih Muslim, 1163). But, singling out the day as an isolated New Year ritual lacks textual authority and is bid’ah.

Organizing Special Feast:

Organizing feasts, gatherings, or commemorative celebrations to mark the beginning of Hijrah as a recurring annual festival is unlegislated and unfounded in Islam. The Shari’ah strictly defines the periodic festivals of the Muslim community. Upon his arrival in Madinah, the Prophet explicitly restricted religious festivities, stating that Allah had replaced all former days of celebrations with two specific occasions: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (Sunan An-Nasa’i, 1556).

So, introducing a third recurring festival, even to honour a major historical milestone, runs counter to this prophetic guidance. Academic lectures or educational forums designed to analyze the historical lessons of the Hijrah remain entirely permissible, provided they do not transform into ritualized holiday practices. Though this an isolated opinion.

Conclusion:

The Hijri calendar emerged as a pragmatic response to state needs and a profound civilizational statement. By anchoring time to the Hijrah, the Companions, through the profound insights of Uthmān, ‘Alī, and the rest of the consultative council, underscored themes of migration from oppression to justice, community-customs like the exchange of greetings, affirm thatbuilding, and divine guidance. The consensus of the Salaf and the jurisprudential rulings of the four schools, emphasis on preserving Islamic identity and accommodating beneficial social customs like the exchange, affirm that the calendar is an indispensable pillar of Islamic civilization. In an era of globalization and Gregorian dominance, many Muslim societies have marginalized the Hijri system for civil purposes. Renewing its prominence in education, administration, and culture is not merely a nostalgic endeavour, but a jurisprudential and civilisational imperative that strengthens Islamic identity while accommodating modern realities through technology and international cooperation.

Alhamdu lillah,  this is what Allah has granted me to share with you, hoping that such occasions will repeat severally during our lifetime and in good health and high spirit of Iman!

Amin thumma amin!