Islamic calendar

The Islamic calendar (Arabic التقويم الهجري, DMG at- taqwīm al - hiǧrī or التقويم الإسلامي at- taqwīm al -Islami ) is in some Islamic countries in addition to the Gregorian calendar in use, being used mainly for religious purposes. The Islamic calendar is a purely lunar calendar, the year used the Hijrah, the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina as a starting point. The Islamic calendar begins on 1 Muharram 1 AH = July 16, 622, the beginning of the set by the Islamic tradition, the year of the Hijrah. Information according to the Islamic calendar are provided in Western languages ​​usually with the abbreviation AH ( Anno = Hegirae ).

The months of the Islamic calendar hike in about 32 solar years ( in about 33 lunar years ) by the solar year. The fasting month of Ramadan may therefore lie in any season. For religious purposes, the observation of the moon is in some Islamic countries only crucial, which is why, for example, previously not know exactly when Ramadan begins. The new month starts when the lunar crescent after new moon is visible again ( Neulicht ). In other countries, the calendar is calculated in advance. Therefore, the calendar may vary slightly in different Islamic countries.

Since a pure lunar calendar for agriculture is useless, even the use of solar calendars happened everywhere in the Islamic world which are in the Maghreb, the Julian calendar, later Gregorian, with Roman month names ( yanair, fibrair, maris, abril, etc.), in Mashreq but with ancient Near Eastern month names ( kanun ath - thani, Shubat, Adhar, nisan, ayar, haziran, tammuz, from, aylul, Tishrin al - awwal, Tishrin ath - thani, kanun al - awal ), in Egypt the Coptic calendar and Iranian area of ​​old Iranian solar calendar, but which has taken as the starting point the year of the Hijra, in the Ottoman Empire times, the Rumi calendar.

• 2.1 conversion
• 2.2 history
• 2.3 The Iranian Hidschri - Schamsi - era

The Islamic lunar calendar

The Islamic lunar year

The Islamic year is as pure lunar year of twelve synodical months with each 29.5306 days. This gives a total of a total of 354.3671 days. Since neither the month nor the year are an integer multiple of the day, you can compensate for months of 30 and 29 days alternately and adds in a cycle of 30 years, eleven times a leap day ( yaum kabs ) a:

Since the lunar year eleven days shorter than the solar year, it moves backward through the different seasons. In about 32 lunar years it has once wandered through the solar year.

Determination of the Islamic holidays

Important is the Islamic calendar especially for measuring the Islamic feast days. Especially great religious significance in Islam, the holy month of Ramadan and the pilgrimage month Dhu al - Hijjah. The Festival of Sacrifice ( Eid al -Adha ʿ ) on 10 Dhu al - Hijjah is the most important holiday of the Muslims, the second highest is the festival of breaking the fast ( Eid al - ʿ fitr ) at the end of Ramadan. In the first ten days of Muharram, the Shia commit their highest festival, the Ashura rituals in which they intend with processions, passion plays and flagellation of the death of Imam Husain ibn Ali in the Battle of Karbala.

For religious purposes not astronomical calculation, but the observation of the moon is critical in most Islamic countries. The new month starts when after a new moon, the crescent moon ( hilal ) is again visible ( Neulicht ). If a sighting weather conditions is not possible, then it ends after 30 days. Particularly important is this form of observation for the determination of the beginning and end of the month of Ramadan.

History

The Islamic calendar month with his name goes back to the ancient Arabic calendar, which was a combined lunisolar calendar. The year began in the fall and consisted of twelve lunar months, as they were counted as in contemporary Islamic calendar from new moon to new moon; every two or three years, however, a thirteenth month is attached so that the start of the year could be maintained in the autumn. This intercalary month was nasi ʾ, " shift ", named because it moved the first month of the new year. The calendar was mainly used for the calculation of pilgrimage and market appointments. Four months of the year were considered sacred: the month of Rajab because of taking place at this time Umra, the month of Dhu al - Hijjah and the two months before and after due to this time held Hajj. In these four months was a general peace obligation ( see Sura 9:36 ).

After the Muslim conquest of Mecca the intercalary month was nasi ʾ abolished and in this way a pure lunar calendar ( see Sura 9:37 ). The exact date of the lifting is not clear. Ibn Ishaaq mentions both headed by Abu Bakr pilgrimage in the year 631 and for Muhammad's farewell pilgrimage in the year 632, the interposition of nasi ʾ is condemned in the sermons in question as a pagan practices and engagement of the people in the divine world order.

The pure lunar year with its 354 days thus became the basis for the Islamic calendar and served from then to determine the religious festivals. Because this lunar year for arable farmers driving but not practical, next to a solar calendar was in almost all countries where Islam has taken root, continued. In everyday life and economic life of the Gregorian calendar is used since the early 20th century in almost all Islamic countries. On the territory of the Ottoman Empire of the lunar calendar was officially replaced on March 1, 1917 the Gregorian calendar.

For the months of the Gregorian or the Julian calendar, the month known European names are used in some parts of the Arab world, in the rest of oriental month names. In Iran, the French names are in use. Besides officially applies the Iranian solar calendar that begins when spring arrives with the Nowruz festival.

The Hidschrī - era

As a starting point for the Islamic era the first of Muharram of the year in which Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina serves. This is the 16th July 622 According to the Arabic word for emigration, the Hijra, this era is referred to as hidschrī - era. Usually one expects according to the Islamic calendar in lunar years.

Conversion

The following approximate formulas can be used Islamic year figures convert into Gregorian and vice versa:

C ( the year of the Christian era ), H ( year after the Hijrah )

In addition, the internet numerous Datumsumrechner are available, such as the online converter of the Oriental Department of the University of Zurich.

History

According to the astronomers Al -Biruni (973-1048), who lived 400 years after the reported event, the Islamic Hidschri - era in the year 638 was introduced by the second caliph Umar ibn al - Khattab. The earliest evidence for the count, which begins in the year 622, is an inscription Muawiyas I. in Greek, but speaks of the " era of the Arabs." This has led to conjecture, only the later Islamic tradition have the reference point " emigration from Mecca " constructed. Most ancient documents leave open whether the count refers to the " era of the Arabs " or the Hijrah.

In the 20th century Hidschrī - era in many Islamic countries was replaced at the state level through the Christian era. In Turkey, this was done with effect from January 1, 1926, after a change was made ​​on the Gregorian calendar in the year 1917.

The Iranian Hidschri - Schamsi - era

In addition to the chronology according to the Islamic lunar calendar in Iran and Afghanistan is also a time bill after solar years usual, also since the Hijrah counts the year ( Iranian calendar). The Arabic term for this era is hidschri schamsi ( "sun - Hijra "). To distinguish the counting of the Islamic lunar year also hidschri qamari ( "moon - Hijra " ) is called. Since about 33 lunar years come to 32 solar years, the Iranian solar calendar the Islamic lunar calendar is underway after about 42 years.

On 21 March 2007, the Hidschri - schamsi - 1386 began; it ended on March 19, 2008. Hidschri The - schamsi - 1387 began on March 20, 2008.

Weekdays

Days of the week starting with Sunday and ending with Saturday ( the Gregorian calendar ) counted - as usual in Judaism and in many western countries, for example in the United States and Portugal, formerly in Austria and Germany. Friday is the weekly holiday so indeed, but not the last day in the Islamic calendar. The change from one day to the next is always the sunset instead ( which is mentioned in the Italian general Chronometrie hours counting, since the Islamic day count is probably come across Venice in the European culture ). The Arabic names of the days of the week Sunday to Thursday derived from the Arabic numerals from one to five.

• Sunday: Yaum al - Ahad يوم الأحد " First Day "
• Monday: Yaum al - iṯnīn يوم الإثنين " Second Day "
• Tuesday: Yaum at- Talata ʾ يوم الثلاثاء " Third Day "
• Wednesday: Yaum al - arba ʿ ā ʾ يوم الأربعاء " Fourth Day "
• Thursday: Yaum al - HAMIS يوم الخميس " Fifth Day "
• Friday: Yaum al - ʿ ǧum a يوم الجمعة " day of the meeting "
• Saturday: Yaum as- sabt يوم السبت " Sabbath "