Fatwa ID: 06857
Answered by: Maulana Sheik Abdel Ahad
Question:
Can you please tell me what was the Islamic year of the hijrah of the Prophet (pbuh)? I know that it took place on 12 Rabu’-ul-awwal but I do not find anywhere the year this happens. It is said that it was the year 622 according to the Gregorian calendar. But what according to the Prophetic calendar?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The most common opinion is that the beginning of the Islamic Calendar was decided during the time of ʿUmar (May Allah The Most High be pleased with him)[1]
Shāʿ’bi and Muḥammad ibn Sirīn (May Allah the Highest have mercy upon them) mention, on one occasion Abū Mūsā’ Al-ʿAsharī (May Allah The highest be pleased with him) wrote a letter to ʿUmar (May Allah The highest be pleased with him) when he was the Amīrul Mu’minīn – The Commander of the Faithful. In the letter, he mentioned that ʿUmar’s (May Allah The Most High be pleased with him) letters reached him, but there are no dates on the letters.
So in the 17th year of Hijrah, ʿUmar (May Allah The Most High be pleased with him) gathered the Ṣahābah (May Allah The Most High be pleased with them) to discuss how to set a date, in other words, how to fix the Islamic Calendar.
The first point of discussion was when should the Islamic Calendar start i.e. what should be the first year.
After the discussion, ʿUmar (May Allah The highest be pleased with him) decided that the start of the Islamic Calendar should be from the Hijrah – when Rasūlullāh (Peace be upon Him) migrated from Makkah to Madīnah. The reason behind this choice was that the Hijrah marked the time when the difference between falsehood and truth, Ḥaqq and Bāṭil became established and it was the beginning of the rise and honour of Islām. All of the Ṣahābah (May Allah The Most High be pleased with them) agreed with his opinion.
In the 13th year of Prophethood, the Ansār had taken the pledge of allegiance with Rasūlullāh (Peace be upon Him) on the 10th of Dhul Ḥijjah which is the day of ʿĪd. At the end of the month of Dhul Ḥijjah, the Anṣār returned to Madīnah after completing the Rituals of Ḥajj.
A few days after this, in the month of Muharram, Rasūlullāh (Peace be upon Him) made the intention to migrate to Madīnah and permitted the Ṣahābah (May Allah The most High be pleased with them) to also perform the Hijrah. Therefore, it was decided that the first month of the Islamic Calendar should be Muḥarram.
This was the opinion that both ʿUthmān and ʿAlī (May Allah The Most High be pleased with them) gave to ʿUmar (May Allah The Most High be pleased with him).[2]
If by the term “prophetic calendar,” you are referring to the Hijri calendar, it is essential to understand that its inception occurred during the era of Hazrat Umar (May Allah The Most High be pleased with him), indicating that it was not in use during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, if you are referring to the prophetic years, it’s worth noting that the beloved Prophet’s (peace be upon him) migration (Hijrah) took place after the 13th year of his prophethood.
«شرح الزرقاني على المواهب اللدنية بالمنح المحمدية» (2/ 102):
«-في المغازي- عن ابن إسحاق فقال: كان مخرجه من مكة بعد العقبة بشهرين وليال. وخرج لهلال ربيع الأول وقادم المدينة لاثنتي عشرة ليلة خلت من ربيع الأول»
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Sheik Abdel Ahad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] Sīrate Mustafā p228
[2] Islamic Academy Coventry “The Islamic Calendar” By Maulānā Ebrahim Noor
