The Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, is used by Muslims worldwide to mark important religious events. The spelling of the word "Islamic" is pronounced /ɪsˈlæmɪk/ in IPA phonetic transcription, with the stress on the second syllable. The letter "s" is pronounced as a voiceless alveolar fricative, while the "a" is pronounced as a short vowel. The second syllable "lam" is pronounced as a voiced velar consonant followed by the schwa sound, and the last syllable "ic" is pronounced as a stressed "ik" with a short "i" sound.
The Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, is a lunar-based calendar widely used by Muslim communities around the world. It is based on the lunar cycle, which consists of 12 months of either 29 or 30 days, amounting to a total of approximately 354 or 355 days in a year. This differs from the Gregorian calendar, which is a solar-based calendar commonly used in most parts of the world.
The Islamic calendar begins with the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, known as the Hijra, which occurred in 622 CE. Thus, the year 1 of the Islamic calendar corresponds to the year of the Hijra. The months of the Islamic calendar include Muharram, Safar, Rabi' al-Awwal, Rabi' al-Thani, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada al-Thani, Rajab, Sha'ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa'dah, and Dhu al-Hijjah.
The Islamic calendar has religious significance for Muslims, as it is used to determine important dates and events within Islamic tradition. For instance, the beginning and end of the holy month of Ramadan, the month of fasting, is determined by the sighting of the new moon. Similarly, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj, takes place during specific days of the Islamic calendar.
While the Gregorian calendar is widely used for day-to-day activities and official purposes, the Islamic calendar remains important for Islamic rituals, festivals, and religious observances. It serves as a reminder of historical events and allows Muslims to track religious events according to the lunar cycle.
The word "Islamic" refers to something related to Islam, the religion followed by Muslims, and "calendar" refers to a system of organizing and measuring time. The etymology of the word "Islamic calendar" can be broken down as follows:
1. Islamic: The term "Islamic" comes from the Arabic word "Islām" (إسلام), which means "submission" or "surrender". It is derived from the root word "aslama" (أَسْلَمَ), meaning "to surrender oneself to God" or "to submit to God's will". In the context of religion, it specifically refers to the submission to the will of God as expressed in the teachings of the prophet Muhammad.
2. Calendar: The word "calendar" has its roots in the Latin word "calendae", which referred to the first day of each month in the ancient Roman calendar.