Chapter (14) Introducing the Muḥammadī Calendars

Share

Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān in Amman, Jordan (6 March 2015).

You have won in this great and blessed occasion [of the birthday of the Prophet (PBUH)]. Allah willing, it is the anniversary of the descent of the light from Allah (exalted and high is He) to our planet, to the earth. He gave us this gift so that we can be blessed by this scent, blessing, and grace from Allah (exalted and high is He) to this nation. This blessing and grace is not something anybody can get; it calls for thanking and praising. Allah has given us this blessed occasion, “Allah would not punish them while you [O Muḥammad!] are among them; and Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness” (al-Anfāl 8:33).

Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān (Sermon, 1 May 2018)

For Sufi Shaikhs, the birth of Muḥammad (PBUH) has a unique sacred status among Islamic events because he is the Prophet of Islam, the one to whom the Qur’an was revealed, and the means of guiding people. His birth represents the descent of Allah’s light among people, “There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book” (al-Māʾida 4:15). It also marks Allah’s sending of special mercy to people, “We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds” (al-Ᾱnbiyāʾ 2:107). Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad described the noble birthday as “the birth of the light on planet Earth, the birth of the light, the birth of the spirit, the birth of existence. Everything was created for his sake. Everything followed him. [He is] the beloved, the elect (PBUH)”.[1] He refers here to the fact that the light of the Prophet (PBUH) was the first thing that Allah created and that the rest of the creation was because of him. Many miracles accompanied this unique universal event, including the shaking of the mansion of the Persian emperor and the fall of fourteen of its terraces, the extinguishing of the temple fire that was worshipped in Persia, and the subsiding of the waters of the lake of Sāwa.[2]

Celebrating the Prophetic birth is one of the greatest religious practices in Ṭarīqa. The Prophet (PBUH) is the door to Allah; remembering and reading prayers on him are forms of remembering Allah, and loving him grows the love of Allah in the heart and makes Allah love the servant. Allah says that a Muslim must give precedence to the Messenger (PBUH) over everyone else and anything:

Say [O Muḥammad], “If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people”. (Al–Tawba 9:24)

A Muslim who does not celebrate the birth of the Messenger (PBUH) should not celebrate anyone or anything else. This celebration is an acknowledgement of Allah’s favour of sending His noble Prophet (PBUH) and is in obedience to His order. Shaikhs of Ṭarīqa and scholars have said much about the virtue of celebrating the noble Prophetic birth, such as Shaikh Ḥasan al-Baṣrī’s words, “I wish I had as much gold as Mount Uḥud so that I can spend it on reading [in praise of] the birth of the Messenger (PBUH)”.[3]

Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān in the central takya in Baghdad (1999).

14.1 The Muḥammadī Calendar

On the night of AH 12 Rabīʿ al-Awwal 1412, which corresponds to 19 September 1991 CE, our Shaikh put forward an initiative that represents a permanent celebration of the Prophetic birth and reveres and venerates the noble Messenger (PBUH). He proposed a new lunar calendar that dates events relative to the birth of the Prophet (PBUH). He led a research team of seekers of Ṭarīqa, of which I was honoured to be a member, to carry out this project.

This calendar dates Islamic history relative to its real beginning. It presents a practical solution to a specific difficulty in the study of early Islamic history. Historians usually indirectly divide Islamic history into three periods that are dated using three different reference years. The first period is from the birth of the Messenger (PBUH) to the beginning of the revelation of the glorious Qur’an. For instance, biographical works of the Messenger (PBUH) state that he married sayyida Khadīja when he was “twenty-five years old”[4] and that he was “thirty-five years old”[5] when he wisely advised the tribes of the Quraysh about how to place the Black Stone in the Kaʿba, sparing them a potential war among themselves. The reference year for this period is his birth year.

The second period extends from the first revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophetic migration, which is dated relative to the revelation year. For example, the first migration of a group of Muslims from Mecca, which was to Abyssinia, is said to have happened in “the month of Rajab of the fifth year after prophethood was conferred on the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)”[6] and that the Prophet travelled to Ṭāʾif “in the last few nights of the month Shawwāl of the eleventh year after prophethood was conferred on the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)”.[7]

The third period is the one that followed the migration of the Prophet (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina. Its reference year is the year of migration, which is the first year of the Hijrī calendar. Accordingly, early Islamic history has been dated using three different reference years, which is almost the equivalent of using three different calendars.

The “Mīlādī Muḥammadī”, or “Muḥammadī” for short, calendar is not a replacement for the Hijrī calendar. In addition to its religious significance, it can have practical benefits because of its use of the year of noble Prophetic birth as a common reference year for all periods of Islamic history.

The Muḥammadī year consists of twelve months, each of which starts when its respective lunar crescent becomes visible, as is the case in the Hijrī calendar. As this calendar celebrates the birth of the Prophet (PBUH), its first month and year are the birth’s month and year, respectively. Therefore, the date of the noble birth according to the Muḥammadī calendar is 12/1/1, as he was born on day 12. The Muḥammadī year begins two months after the beginning of the Hijrī year because the Hijrī month of the noble birth, Rabīʿ al-Awwal, is the third month of the Hijrī year. The Hijrī year retains the order of months of the Arabic pre-Islamic calendar. Our Shaikh called the first year of the Muḥammadī calendar the “year of light”, instead of its common name in historical sources as the “year of the elephant”. The new name derives from Allah’s description of the Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) as “light” in this verse, “There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book” (al-Māʾida 4:15).

Intended to commemorate Islam’s main symbol, the Messenger Muḥammad (PBUH), and Islam in general, the Muḥammadī calendar’s months have been named after great Islamic characters, symbols, and events. For the month names to have historical significance, they were chosen to celebrate events that happened in their respective months. These are the names of the Muḥammadī months and why they have been chosen:

The month of Nūr of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

1) Al-Nūr (the light): This is the birth month of the Messenger (PBUH). In the same way that our Shaikh called the year of the noble birth the “year of light”, this month derived its name from the Qur’anic description of the Prophet (PBUH).

The month of Quds of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

2) Al-Quds (Jerusalem): This is one of Islam’s most sacred cities, embracing the Aqṣā Mosque to which the Messenger (PBUH) was first transported at night before being taken to the heavens. In this month, Saladin liberated Jerusalem in the famous Battle of Ḥiṭṭīn (M 637 / AH 583).

The month of Karrār of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

3) Al-Karrār (the attacker): In this month, the conquest of Khaybar took place (M 71 / AH 7). After a fifteen-day siege, the Muslim army attacked this fortified city for two days but without success. When the army came back on the second unsuccessful day, the Messenger made his well-known declaration, “By Allah, I will give the standard tomorrow to a man who loves Allah and who Allah and His Messenger love, who is an attacker (karrār), not one who flees, and who will conquer it by force”.[8] The next day, he called for Imam ʿAlī Ibn Abī Ṭālib and tasked him with conquering the fort, which he did.

The month of Zahrāʾ of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

4) Al-Zahrāʾ (the brilliant one): This is the title of sayyida Fāṭima, daughter of the Messenger (PBUH). She was born on day 20 of this month (M 38 / AH 17). The Prophet said about her virtues, “Fāṭīma is a part of me; anything that hurts her hurts me too”.[9]

The month of Isrāʾ of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

5) Al-Isrāʾ (the night journey): This is the month in which Allah (exalted and high is He) took the Messenger at night from the Ḥarām Mosque in Mecca to the Aqṣā Mosque in Jerusalem (M 52 / 3 BH), “Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from the Ḥarām Mosque to the Aqṣā Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing” (al-Isrāʾ 17:1).

The month of Qādisiyya of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

6) Al-Qādisiyya: This month witnessed the Battle of Qādisiyya (M 69 / AH 15) in which the Muslims defeated the army of the Persian Sasanian empire and that led to the conquest of Iraq.

The month of Ramadan of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

7) Ramadan: This is the name of this month in the glorious Qur’an, “The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion” (al-Baqara 2:185).

The month of Naṣr of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

8) Al-Nar (the victory): In this month, the Muslims defeated an alliance involving the tribe of Quraysh in the Battle of the Trench (M 59 / AH 5).

The month of Bayʿa of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

9) Al-Bayʿa (the pledge): This is the month of the pledge of Riḍwān (M 60 / AH 6), which the Qur’an mentions, “Certainly Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you [O Muḥammad] under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with an imminent conquest” (al-Fatḥ 48:18).

The month of Ḥajj of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

10) Al-Ḥajj (the pilgrimage): This is the month in which Muslims perform pilgrimage to the Ḥarām Mosque in Mecca.

The month of Hijra of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

11) Al-Hijra (the migration): The first month of the Hijrī year. The actual migration of the Prophet (PBUH) from Mecca is reported to have begun at the end of the second month and his arrival in Medina was in the following month.

The month of Futūḥ of the year 1466 Muḥammadī, which corresponds to the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal in the year 1412 Hijri. Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān introduced the Muḥammadī calendar and published it in 1991 CE.

12) Al-Futūḥ (the conquests): In this month, the conquest of Nahāwand (M 74 / AH 21) took place. This is also known as the “conquest of conquests” because it was a decisive battle in the eventual Muslim conquest of the Persian empire. There were also other important battles in this month, such as the raid of Abwāʾ or Waddān (M 55 / AH 2), the first Muslim raid, and the conquest of Ctesiphon (M 69 / AH 16), the capital of the Sassanid empire.

Table 14.1: The Muḥammadī Months and Their Hijrī Equivalents

Muḥammadī Hijrī
No. Month No. Month
1 Al-Nūr 3 Rabīʿ al-Awwal
2 Al-Quds 4 Rabīʿ al-Thānī
3 Al-Karrār 5 Jamādā al-Uwlā
4 Al-Zahrāʾ 6 Jamādā al-Ᾱkhira
5 Al-Isrāʾ 7 Rajab
6 Al-Qādisiyya 8 Shaʿbān
7 Ramadan 9 Ramadan
8 Al-Naṣr 10 Shawwāl
9 Al-Bayʿa 11 Dhū al-Qiʿda
10 Al-Ḥajj 12 Dhū al-Ḥijja
11 Al-Hijra 1 Muḥarram
12 Al-Futūḥ 2 Ṣafar

The Muḥammadī calendar is fifty-three years and ten months ahead of the Hijrī calendar. This is the period between the start of the first Muḥammadī year, that is, the “year of the light”, and the start of the first Hijrī year. The days of the months in both calendars are the same because both follow the lunar month, which starts with the first visibility of the lunar crescent. But the months and years differ. We will now discuss the conversion between Hijrī and Muḥammadī dates.

14.1.1 Converting Hijrī into Muḥammadī Dates

The general formula for converting a Hirjī date into its Muḥammadī equivalent is as follows:

Muḥammadī date = Hijrī date + 53 years + 10 months          (1)

14.1.1.1 Calculating the Month

A Hijrī month is converted into its Muḥammadi equivalent as follows:

For Hijrī months 1-2:

Muḥammadī month = Hijrī month + 10          (1.1)

For Hijrī months 3-12:

Muḥammadī month = Hijrī month – 2          (1.2)

One of these two formulas is used regardless of the year.

14.1.1.2 Calculating the Year

Calendars do not use year zero. The first Hijrī year, that is, AH 1, is preceded by year 1 before Hijra (BH), which may be numerically represented as -1. Similarly, the first Muḥammadī calendar is preceded by year M -1. Accordingly, there are two different pairs of formulas for converting Hijrī years into Muḥammadī years, depending on the Hijrī date.

These two formulas are used for calculating the year for any date except for the period BH 2/54 – BH 12/1:

For Hijrī months 1-2:

Muḥammadī year = Hijrī year + 53          (1.3)

For Hijrī months 3-12:

Muḥammadī year = Hijrī year + 54          (1.4)

Example: Muslims conquered Mecca peacefully on 20 Ramadan in the eighth Hirjī year, i.e. AH 20/9/8. The equivalent Muḥammadī date is calculated as follows:

  • The day is the same in the two calendars, so the Muḥammadī day is 20.

Given that the Hijrī month is number 9, formulas 1.2 and 1.4 are used:

  • Muḥammadī month = 9 – 2 = 7
  • Muḥammadī year = 8 + 54 = 62

The date of the conquest of Mecca according to the Muḥammadī calendar is 20/7/62, that is, 20 Ramadan 62.

If the Hijrī date is between month 2 of year BH 54 and month 12 of year BH 1, then formulas 1.3 and 1.4 are replaced with the following two formulas for calculating the Muḥammadī year:

For Hijrī months 1-2:

Muḥammadī year = Hijrī year + 54          (1.5) instead of (1.3)

For Hijrī months 3-12:

Muḥammadī year = Hijrī year + 55          (1.6) instead of (1.4)

Example: The night journey of the Prophet (PBUH) from the Ḥarām Mosque to the Aqṣā Mosque happened on 27 Rajab of year three before Hijra. This is how to convert it to the corresponding Muḥammadī date:

  • The day is the same in the two calendars, so the Muḥammadī day is 27.

Given that the Hijrī month is number 7 and the date is in the period BH 2/54 – BH 12/1, formulas 1.2 and 1.6 are used:

  • Muḥammadī month = 7 – 2 = 5
  • Muḥammadī year = -3 + 55 = 52

The Muḥammadī date of the night journey is 27/5/52, that is, 27 al-Isrāʾ 52.

14.1.2 Converting Muḥammadī into Hijrī Dates

The general formula for converting Muḥammadī dates into Hirjī dates is as follows:

Hijrī date = Muḥammadī date – 53 years – 10 months          (2)

14.1.2.1 Calculating the Month

A Muḥammadi month is converted into the corresponding Hijrī date as follows:

For Muḥammadi months 11-12:

Hijrī month = Muḥammadi month + 10          (2.1)

For Muḥammadi months 1-10:

Hijrī month = Muḥammadi month + 2          (2.2)

14.1.2.2 Calculating the Year

The following two formulas are used for calculating the year for any date except the period M 1/1 – M 10/5:

For Muḥammadi months 11-12:

Hijrī year = Muḥammadī year – 53          (2.3)

For Muḥammadi months 1-10:

Hijrī year = Muḥammadī year – 54          (2.4)

Example: The Muslims conquered Mecca on M 20 Ramadan 62. This date can be converted into its Hijrī equivalent as follows:

  • The day is the same in the two calendars, so the Hijrī day is 20.

Given that the Muḥammadī month is 7, formulas 2.2 and 2.4 are used:

  • Hijrī month = 7 + 2 = 9
  • Hijrī year = 62 – 54 = 8

The date of the conquest of Mecca according to the Hijrī calendar is 20 Ramadan 8.

If the Muḥammadī date is between month 1 of year 1 and month 10 of year 54, which is before the first Hijrī year, then formulas 2.3 and 2.4 are replaced with the following formulas to calculate the Hijrī year:

For Muḥammadī months 11-12:

Hijrī year = Muḥammadī year – 54          (2.5) instead of (2.3)

For Muḥammadī months 3-12:

Muḥammadī year = Hijrī year – 55          (2.6) instead of (2.4)

Example: The Prophet (PBUH) was born on 12 of the first month, al-Nūr, of the first Muḥammadī year, i.e. M 12/1/1. The equivalent Hijrī date is calculated as follows:

  • The day is the same in the two calendars, so the Hijrī day is 12.

Given that the Muḥammadī month is 1, formula 2.2 is used to calculate the Hijrī month:

  • Hijrī month = 1 + 2 = 3

As the Muḥammadī month is 1 and the date is in the period 1/1-10/54, formula 2.6 is used to find the Hijrī year:

  • Hijrī year = 1 – 55 = -54

The date of the noble Prophetic birth according to the Hijrī calendar is BH 12/3/-54, i.e. BH 12 Rabīʿ al-Awwal 54.[10]

14.2 The Solar Date of the Birth of the Prophet (PBUH)

The Shaikh’s introduction of the Muḥammadī calendar was accompanied by another initiative to calculate the date of the birth of the Messenger (PBUH) according to the Gregorian calendar, the ubiquitous Western calendar.

There is a consensus that the Hijrī day and month of the Prophetic birth are known to be 12 Rabīʿ al-Awwal, which corresponds to 12 al-Nūr in the Muḥammadī calendar, and the year of birth is the “year of the elephant”, which corresponds to 570 CE. This makes it possible to calculate the Gregorian date of the birth of the Prophet (PBUH). This date was found to be Friday 2 May 570. Our Master used to celebrate this date every year in the same way he commemorated its Hijrī equivalent.

14.3 The Muḥammadī Shamsī Calendar

The solar calendar is no less important than the lunar one in the Islamic world. The official calendar in many Islamic countries is the Gregorian one, which is a solar calendar that reckons time from the hypothetical date of the birth of Jesus (PBUH). The Qur’an points out the benefits of using the sun and the moon in the reckoning of time:

[He is] the cleaver of daybreak and has made the night for rest and the sun and moon for calculation. That is the determination of the Impregnable, the Knowing. (Al–Ānʿām 6:96)

It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases that you may know the number of years and account [of time]. Allah has not created this except in truth. He details the signs for a people who know. (Yūnus 10:5)

Less than three years after introducing the Muḥammadī calendar, Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad initiated another project to celebrate the birth of the Prophet (PBUH). On the anniversary of the noble birth according to the Gregorian calendar, on 2 May 1994, he proposed a new solar calendar that reckons time from the month of the noble birth. To distinguish it from the lunar “Muḥammadī” calendar, this calendar was called “Muḥammadī Shamsī”, where “Shamsī” means “solar”. The first Muḥammadī Shamsī month, which is the birth month, corresponds to the fifth month in the Gregorian calendar. Accordingly, the Muḥammadī Shamsī calendar starts four months after the start of the Gregorian year. In other words, the Gregorian date of the noble birth on 2/5/570 CE converts to 2/1/1 in the Muḥammadī Shamsī calendar.

Most of the months of this calendar have been named after weather and seasonal changes that happen in those months in the Arabian peninsula where Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) was born and from where Islam spread. These are the names of the months:

1) Al-Raḥma (the mercy): This is the month of the birth of the Messenger whom the Qur’an described with this word, “We have not sent you [O Muḥammad] except as a mercy to the worlds” (al-Ᾱnbiyāʾ 21:107).

2) Al-Firdaws (paradise): Fields are full of fruits, vegetables, and seeds in this month, which evokes the concept of Paradise.

3) Al-Shams (the sun): This is the first month of the hot summer.

4) Al-Ruṭab (dates): In this month, dates ripen. The date palm is considered to be a blessed tree in Islam.

5) Al-Riḥla (the journey): The migration of the Messenger (PBUH) took place in this month. He left Mecca on day 8 and arrived in Medina two weeks later, on day 22.

6) Al-Ghayth (rain): Rain starts falling in this month.

7) Al-Bard (cold): This is the first month of winter.

8) Al-Thalj (snow): Snow starts falling in this month.

9) Al-Rīḥ (wind): This month usually has strong winds.

10) Al-Zarʿ (planting): The first month of planting the summer plants.

11) Al-Burāq (the Burāq): The Messenger’s (PBUH) ascension to the heavens was in this month. Burāq is the name of the means that he used in his journey.

12) Al-Rabīʿ (spring): The first month after the vernal equinox.

Table 14.2: The Muḥammadī Shamsī Months and Their Gregorian Equivalents

Muḥammadī Shamsī Gregorian
No. Month No. Month
1 Al-Raḥma 5 May
2 Al-Firdaws 6 June
3 Al-Shams 7 July
4 Al-Ruṭab 8 August
5 Al-Riḥla 9 September
6 Al-Ghayth 10 October
7 Al-Bard 11 November
8 Al-Thalj 12 December
9 Al-Rīḥ 1 January
10 Al-Zarʿ 2 February
11 Al-Burāq 3 March
12 Al-Rabīʿ 4 April

The Muḥammadī Shamsī calendar lags 569 years and 4 months behind the Gregorian calendar. This is the time between the beginning of the first Gregorian year, which is the hypothetical year of the birth of Jesus (PBUH), and the beginning of the first Muḥammadī Shamsī year, which is the year of the birth of the Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH). The days in both calendars are the same, as they both follow the solar month, but the months and years differ. We will see now how to convert dates between the Muḥammadī Shamsī and Gregorian calendars.

14.3.1 Converting Gregorian into Muḥammadī Shamsī Dates

The general formula for converting Gregorian dates into Muḥammadī Shamsī dates is as follows:

Muḥammadī Shamsī date = Gregorian date – 569 years – 4 months   (3)

14.3.1.1 Calculating the Month

A Gregorian month is converted into its Muḥammadi Shamsī equivalent as follows:

For Gregorian months 5-12:

Muḥammadī Shamsī month = Gregorian month – 4          (3.1)

For Gregorian months 1-4:

Muḥammadī Shamsī month = Gregorian month + 8          (3.2)

14.3.1.2 Calculating the Year

The following formulas are used for converting Gregorian years into Muḥammadī Shamsī years, except for dates in the period 1/1-4/570 CE:

For Gregorian months 5-12:

Muḥammadī Shamsī year = Gregorian year – 569          (3.3)

For Gregorian months 1-4:

Muḥammadī Shamsī year = Gregorian year – 570          (3.4)

Example: The night journey of the Messenger (PBUH) was on 6 March 620 CE. The corresponding Muḥammadī Shamsī date is as follows:

  • The day is the same in the two calendars, so the Muḥammadī Shamsī day is 6.

Given that the Gregorian month is number 3, formulas 3.2 and 3.4 are used:

  • Muḥammadī Shamsī month = 3 + 8 = 11
  • Muḥammadī Shamsī year = 620 – 570 = 50

The Muḥammadī Shamsī date of the night journey is 6/11/50, which is 6 al-Burāq 50.

If the Gregorian date is between month 1 of year 1 CE and month 4 of year 570 CE, then formulas 3.3 and 3.4 are replaced with the following two formulas to calculate the Muḥammadī Shamsī year:

For Gregorian months 5-12:

Muḥammadī Shamsī year = Gregorian year – 570   (3.5) instead of (3.3)

For Gregorian months 1-4:

Muḥammadī Shamsī year = Gregorian year – 571   (3.6) instead of (3.4)

14.3.2 Converting Muḥammadī Shamsī into Gregorian Dates

The general formula for converting Muḥammadī Shamsī dates into Gregorian dates is as follows:

Gregorian date = Muḥammadī Shamsī date + 569 years + 4 months   (4)

14.3.2.1 Calculating the Month

A Muḥammadī Shamsī month is converted into its Gregorian equivalent as follows:

For Muḥammadī Shamsī months 1-8:

Gregorian month = Muḥammadī Shamsī month + 4          (4.1)

For Gregorian months 9-12:

Gregorian month = Muḥammadī Shamsī month – 8          (4.2)

14.3.2.2 Calculating the Year

The following formulas are used for converting Muḥammadī Shamsī years into Gregorian years, except for dates in the period 9/570-1/12 before Muḥammadī Shamsī (BMS):

For Muḥammadī Shamsī months 1-8:

Gregorian year = Muḥammadī Shamsī year + 569          (4.3)

For Muḥammadī Shamsī months 9-12:

Gregorian year = Muḥammadī Shamsī year + 570          (4.4)

Example: The Prophet (PBUH) arrived in Medina having migrated from Mecca on 22 May 53 MS. The Gregorian date is calculated as follows:

  • The day is the same in the two calendars, so the Gregorian day is 22.

Given that the Gregorian month is number 5, formulas 4.1 and 4.3 are used to calculate the Gregorian year:

  • Gregorian month = 4 + 5 = 9
  • Gregorian year = 569 + 53 = 622

The Gregorian date of the arrival of the Messenger (PBUH) to Medina is 22 September 622.

If the Muḥammadī Shamsī date is between month 9 of year 570 BMS and month 12 of year 1 BMS, then formulas 4.3 and 4.4 are replaced with the following formulas for calculating the Gregorian year:

For Muḥammadī Shamsī months 1-8:

Gregorian year = Muḥammadī Shamsī year + 570   (4.5) instead of (4.3)

For Gregorian months 9-12:

Gregorian year = Muḥammadī Shamsī year + 571   (4.6) instead of (4.4)

Both Muḥammadī calendars, lunar and solar, are products of the love of our Shaikh for the Prophet (PBUH). They are one form of his creativity in honouring and venerating the Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) and celebrating his noble birth.

[1] Shaikh Muḥammad al-Muḥammad al-Kasnazān, sermon, 19 November 2018.

[2] Al-Ᾱṣbahānī, Dalāʾil al-nubuwwa, 139.

[3] Al-Bakrī, Iʿānat al-ṭālibīn, III, p. 364.

[4] Ibn Hishām, Sīrat al-nabī, I, p. 242.

[5] Ibid., I, p. 248.

[6] Ibn Saʿad, Kitāb al-ṭabaqāt al-kabīr, I, p. 173.

[7] Ibid., I, p. 180.

[8] Abū al-Fidāʾ, Al-Mukhtaṣar, I, p. 140.

[9] Muslim, Ṣaḥīḥ, IV, no. 2449, p. 1903.

[10] Al-Kasnazān et al., “Nahjun jadīdun”.

.Louay Fatoohi 2004-2024. All rights reserved
 http://www.facebook.com/LouayFatoohiAuthor
 http://twitter.com/louayfatoohi
 http://www.instagram.com/Louayfatoohi

Share