The Hijra Calendar and the methods of calculation
At the time of the advent of the last Prophet of God Muhammad Musthafa (saw) the Jews were using an artificial lunar calendar. Arabs too used it. The Prophet (saw) was born on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal according to the Jewish or Arabic calendar. The Prophet (saw) did not approve this artificial lunar calendar for the Muslims. Muslims observed the lunar calendar based on the appearing of the first crescent Hilal. In his last days the Prophet (saw) gave orders to revive the ancient natural lunar calendar fixing the months at 29 or 30 according to the appearing of the crescent, the dates tallying with the phases of the Moon as commanded in the Qur'aan. He banned the use of leap years and ordered to fix the months according to the appearing of the crescent so that the calendar would be totally natural, scientific and free of error. In this system the dates can be calculated up to infinity forewards or backwards. The common people can check the dates with the phases of the Moon by observing the Ahilla with the naked eye. It is not based on any formula. It is a perpetual scientific calendar for mankind. The Sahaba named it as the Hijra calendar during the Caliphate of Umar (R).
Calculation of the Hijra calendar
It is very easy to make the Hijra calendar. The data of the phases of the moon is easily available and this is the only requirement to draw the calendar. The expert astronomers prepare the data of the phases of the moon. The laymen could check the dates by naked eye observation of the phases of the moon.
The phases of the moon from BC 5000 to AD 5000 are available from U. S. Naval Observatory. The data for a century is published in the Ephemeris also. The new moon date is the last date of the Islamic month. The months have 29 or 30 days according to the phases (Manazil) of the moon. An example is given below.
1990 Phases of the Moon
Universal Time
NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER
d h m d h m d h m d h m
JAN. 4 10 40 JAN. 11 04 57 JAN. 18 21 17
JAN. 26 19 20 FEB. 2 18 32 FEB. 9 19 16 FEB. 17 18 48
FEB. 25 08 54 MAR. 4 02 05 MAR. 11 10 58 MAR. 19 14 30
MAR. 26 19 48 APR. 2 10 24 APR. 10 03 18 APR. 18 07 02
APR. 25 04 27 MAY 1 20 18 MAY 9 19 31 MAY 17 19 45
MAY 24 11 47 MAY 31 08 11 JUNE 8 11 01 JUNE 16 04 48
JUNE 22 18 55 JUNE 29 22 07 JULY 8 01 23 JULY 15 11 04
JULY 22 02 54 JULY 29 14 01 AUG. 6 14 19 AUG. 13 15 54
AUG. 20 12 39 AUG. 28 07 34 SEPT. 5 01 46 SEPT. 11 20 53
SEPT. 19 00 46 SEPT. 27 02 06 OCT. 4 12 02 OCT. 11 03 31
OCT. 18 15 37 OCT. 26 20 26 NOV. 2 21 48 NOV. 9 13 02
NOV. 17 09 05 NOV. 25 13 11 DEC. 2 07 50 DEC. 9 02 04
DEC. 17 04 22 DEC. 25 03 16 DEC. 31 18 35
Hijra calendar for the Year 1410- 1411AH (From Rajab to Jumadil Akhir)
Rajab first on---------------- 27-01-1990
Shaban first on --------------26-02-1990
Ramdan first on -------------27-03-1990
Shavval first on --------------26-04-1990
Zul Quaida first on ----------25-05-1990
Zul Hajj first on --------------23-06-1990
Muharrsam first on ----------23-07-1990
Safar first on -----------------21-08-1990
Rabiul Avval first on --------20-09-1990
Rabiul Akhir first on --------19-10-1990
Jumadil Avval first on -------18-11-1990
Jumadil Akhir first on -------18-12-1990
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