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9.3.1.2
Historical Background |
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This section summarizes the history of the Islamic calendar and briefly discusses some problems with lunar calendars. |
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9.3.1.2.1
The Word Hegira |
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The word Hegira is the commonly used misspelling of the word Hijra. The term Hijra is often translated by Western scholars to mean flight, and this translation has been questioned by Islamic scholars. Ilyas quotes Samiullah (A Modern Guide to Astronomical Calculations of Islamic Calendar, Times and Qibla, p. 59) to say, "It means neither flight nor fleeing. The Arabic word Hajara means: to break off from the relations or abandon one's own tribe." |
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9.3.1.2.2
The Epoch of the Hegira |
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The general intent is that the epoch of the calendar should be the first visibility of the lunar crescent marking the first month (i.e., the New Year day) in the year in which the Hegira occurred. As usual, however, the historical situation is more complex, and our knowledge of it is more muddled. |
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The Hegira is thought to have occurred on A.D. 622 September 20, which corresponds to the eighth day of the third month of the Islamic calendar. It is well established that Mecca observed a kind of lunar-solar calendar prior to this period, in common with most Middle Eastern cultures of the time. This calendar involved the intercalation of a 13th month. |
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The Saha and Lahiri text, however, states that the Islamic calendar has been shown to have been originally lunarsolar as well (History of the Calendar in Different Countries Through the Ages, p. 180). Up to the last year of the life of Mohammed (A.D. 632, or A.H. 10), a 13th month was intercalated when necessary. The system was, again, a common one for the area. A family of astronomers, known as Qalammas, had the responsibility of proclaiming an intercalation. This proclamation would occur at the Hajj in the last month of the year and should have been made either three times in eight years, or seven times in 19 years. The elders apparently enjoyed a certain amount of latitude in making this determination. |
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This view holds that intercalation was applied in the years up to A.H. 10. The consequence that logically follows from the acceptance of this historical research is that the epoch of the Islamic calendar requires repositioning to an earlier date. It would be necessary to insert four intercalary months, consisting of 118 days, between the New Year dates of A.H. 1 and A.H. 11 (A.D. 632 March 29). Thus, the Hegira epoch would be A.D. 622 March 19, the day following the vernal equinox in that year. The Persian Solar calendar, instituted in A.D. 1925, accepts this date as its epoch. |
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