Hijri New Year 1440: The need to imbue, imbibe Islamic calendar

Introduction

Ours, Islamically, is a lunar calendar but we are more often than not abreast with the Gregorian calendar for obvious reasons.

Our daily lives albeit governed by Islam is calculated on a system other than the Islamic. The secular nature of our affairs makes it worse because we initiate and make most projections based on the Gregorian calendar.

So as a Nigerian Imam once remarked wryly, “you (a Muslim) do not know of Muharram or Rajab let alone Zul Qa’dah but we know of August, April and September, all for the sake of monthly salary.”

The Qur'an informs us about the months, that they are twelve. The same Qur’an directs that we calculate our seasons based on the moon. Yet here we are grappling with keeping track of these months. Sha’baan, Ramadaan and Zul Hijjah are very well known.

Sha'baan because it precedes Ramadan and Ramadan for all it is worth is a month that even non-Muslims can easily acknowledge. Zul Hijjah because the Hajj pilgrimage is predominantly exercised in it.

Justified Oblivion by Muslims?

Zul Hijjah is the equivalent of December [i.e. the last month]. Once it runs out, in comes the entry of a New Year, Muharram (i.e. the Islamic January.)

Yet only a few Muslims keep track of the Muharram as they do January, a clear case of self-imposed oblivion if you ask me. But why should that be?

The twin reasons that I deduce are; the social milieu within which we find ourselves as above stated and our own lack of initiative and drive to apply the Islamic dates even if alongside the Gregorian.

But these two reasons are certainly not enough for us to discard the Islamic dates and thus there is the need for a conscientious effort to sow the seeds of ‘hijri’ calculations across the religious and social structure of our lives as Muslims.

The Way Forward

My proposals of a solution to this indictment and grave ‘oversight’ on the Muslim Ummah [Community] lies in two words: Conscientization and continued use of the date, especially at ALL Muslim gatherings.

The first point of call shall be with Muslim leaders irrespective of which part of the religious banner they hold, to make it a point to at all events be it at naming, marriage or funeral ceremonies to remind all gathered of the Islamic date.

Another very potent platform on which to best drum home the date to Muslims is on Jum’ah – the Friday Congregational Prayer pulpits. Nigerian clerics have the apt habit of dating – verbally – their lectures across the board – Islamic and Gregorian dates for that matter.

A largely marginalized group cannot here be kept out, Islamic school teachers, on them, should be the most important and long-term role of pushing down the concept of the Hijriyyah date into the minds of young Muslims they teach.

I hail my Islamic school teachers at Hamdaniyya Islamic School, Accra New Town, they had the habit of writing both dates on the top corner of the board. A habit that I stuck to when it was my turn to impart that which they taught me as a class two teacher.

Muslim show hosts should be tasked with reminding their audiences about the Islamic dates before and after each program. Muslim writers should also sign off with the Islamic date.

With respect to the use of traditional media, I ask; what stops well-to-do Muslims from paying to publish each month of the Islamic calendar in a number of daily newspapers? I wonder. Our dates should be awash over social media too.

Conclusion 

The Hijri Calendar is the official calendar in many predominantly Muslim countries. In Ghana and other countries, Muslims refer to the Gregorian calendar for most dates and consult the Hijri Calendar only for religious purposes.

The time is now to turn back and start afresh relative to the Islamic dates. From our Imams, through to Muslims in the media, Islamic school teachers and all Muslims living any and everywhere, ours is the onerous duty to make do with what is ours from the Almighty Allah.

The original piece was authored this day 1st Jumad Al Uulaa 1436 = 20th February 2015

The remix is here today published: Tuesday 1^st Muharram 1440 = 11^th September 2018.

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

Teacher, Hamdaniyya Islamic School – Accra New Town

Journalist, Africanews – Republic of Congo