The New Hijri Year has just kicked off, announcing the start of a new chapter in the book of life. Two days back, Muslims all over the world observed the start of the Islamic calendar referenced to the event of Hijrah.
The word ‘Hijrah’ is referred to the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) from the city of Makkah to Madinah. This was the central historical event in the early days of Islam. In fact, it marked a turning point in the Islamic history as it led to the foundation of the first Muslim state at that time.
The 1st of Muharram, when the migration of the Prophet took place, was designated to be the actual starting date of the calendar. The most important dates in the Islamic calendar are 1st of Muharram, Islamic New Year, 27th of Rajab, Ascension Day, 1st of Ramadhan, first day of fasting, 1st of Shawwal, Eid al Fitr, 8 – 10 of Dhu Al Hijjah, Haj to Makkah and 10th of Dhu Al Hijjah, Eid al Adha.
For religious reasons, every Hijri month is marked not by the start of a new moon, but by a physical sighting of the curved moon at a given setting. To Muslims, the Hijri calendar is not just an old system of time/date calculation of important religious occasions such as Fasting and Haj, pilgrimage to Makkah. It has a much deeper religious and historical significance.
As another year has passed, a new one has just started to remind us of the glorious memories of the significant day in which the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) migrated to Madinah. The blessed migration mirrored an honourable challenge for human excellence and presented several lessons of patience, control, knowledge and wisdom. It stands as an improvement for future generations to take advantage of, so they will be able to clear up all the difficulties and overcome the hardships they come across.
The Almighty Allah has sent the Prophet Muhammad with guidance to renew the call for Islam; the religion of all the Prophets and Messengers who came before him. All of them in succession conveyed the religion which Allah accepts to their respective audiences until the religion was fully completed by revealing the Quran to the last of the Prophets Muhammad. As the verse confirms: “Say you we believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes of Al Asbat, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we submit to Allah in Islam.”
As a Messenger of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad was ordered to ask people convert to Islam and spread its rules among all people in Makkah. In the onset of his call, just a few people believed in him and the majority rejected his call and denied his prophethood. They used to worship idols, bury their newly-born female daughters alive and commit many acts of evil and dishonesty.
Thereafter, the Prophet advised his companions to migrate to another city called Habasha where there was a just Christian king who welcomed Muslims and believed in them. When the number of believers increased in Madinah, Allah revealed to the Prophet to migrate to it. Then, all Muslims started migrating one after another in compliance to the order of Allah and in obedience to the order of the Prophet.
The Prophet’s migration to Madinah started a new era for he could unite all believers as if they all had a heart of a single man. It was a dawn that enticed millions of people from every corner of the universe.
Abdulaziz Al Jahdhami
aljahdhami22@gmail.com
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