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Origins and Establishment The Hijri calendar, also known as the Islamic calendar, is a purely lunar calendar consisting of 12 months that total approximately 354 days. Its establishment marks one of the most significant events in Islamic history - the Hijra (migration) of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. This migration wasn't merely a physical journey but represented the beginning of the first Muslim community and the establishment of Islam as a complete way of life. Caliph Umar ibn Al-Khattab institutionalized the Hijri calendar in 638 CE, choosing the Hijra as the starting point because it symbolized the transition from persecution to freedom, from individual faith to communal establishment. The calendar begins with the month of Muharram, though the actual Hijra occurred in Rabi' al-Awwal, demonstrating the calendar's symbolic rather than literal connection to the migration event. Unique Lunar Characteristics What makes the Hijri calendar truly distinctive is its strict adherence to lunar cycles. Each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon, making the calendar approximately 11 days shorter than the solar-based Gregorian calendar. This lunar nature means Islamic months rotate through all seasons over a 33-year cycle, giving Ramadan and other Islamic occasions the opportunity to occur during different seasonal conditions throughout a Muslim's lifetime. The calendar's twelve months carry deep religious and historical significance: Muharram: The month of Ashura, commemorating Moses' victory over Pharaoh Ramadan: The month of fasting and Quranic revelation Dhul-Hijjah: The month of Hajj pilgrimage Cultural and Religious Significance The Hijri calendar serves as more than just a timekeeping system; it's deeply woven into the fabric of Muslim life and identity. It determines the timing of all religious observances including the five daily prayers, Friday congregational prayers, Ramadan fasting, Eid celebrations, and the Hajj pilgrimage. This lunar connection keeps Muslims constantly aware of the natural world and celestial cycles, fostering a spiritual relationship with creation.
Roman Origins and Julian Predecessor The Gregorian calendar's story begins with its predecessor, the Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE. This was a revolutionary improvement over the chaotic Roman calendar that had become severely misaligned with seasonal cycles. The Julian calendar established a 365-day year with a leap day every four years, creating an average year length of 365.25 days. However, this calculation was slightly longer than the actual solar year (approximately 365.2422 days), causing a gradual drift of about 11 minutes per year. While seemingly insignificant, this accumulated to about 10 days by the 16th century, creating noticeable seasonal misalignment that affected agricultural planning and religious observances, particularly the calculation of Easter. Papal Reformation and Implementation Pope Gregory XIII introduced the reformed calendar in 1582 through the papal bull "Inter gravissimas." The solution was elegant yet mathematically precise: Remove 10 days to realign with seasonal cycles Modify leap year rules so that century years must be divisible by 400 to be leap years This created an average year length of 365.2425 days, remarkably close to the solar year The implementation faced significant resistance and unfolded gradually across nations. Catholic countries like Spain, Portugal, and Italy adopted it immediately, while Protestant and Orthodox nations resisted what they perceived as papal imposition. Britain and its colonies didn't switch until 1752, by which time they needed to remove 11 days. Russia held out until 1918, requiring a 13
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