The Muslim’s perspective on the months of the Year
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Allah, The Most High, said:
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّہُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثۡنَا عَشَرَ شَہۡرً۬ا فِى ڪِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوۡمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ
Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth. [at-Tawbah. 36]
Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
Meaning, well-known months decreed by Allah; [يَوۡمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ – on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth]- Meaning, He established the alternation of its nights and days, decreed their time periods and divided them into these twelve months. (1)
Allah, The Exalted, said: [يَسْأَلونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ – They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to determine fixed time periods for humankind and for the time of the Hajj]. [Al-Baqarah. 189]
Imam As-Sadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:
Allah – by His Mercy and kindness – placed it in this manner where it alternates. The crescent appears weak at the beginning of the month, gradually increases by the middle of the month and then it decreases until the end of the month. This is how it is in order that people would know the time periods of their acts of worship, such as fasting, the times for the payment of Zakat, and the time of Hajj. And when it is the case that Hajj takes place during specific months that are well known and takes a long time, Allah stated: [وَالْحَجِّ – and for time of Hajj].
Furthermore, based on the the phases of the moon people become acquainted with the times for the payment of unpaid debts, rental time periods, the time period of Iddah (i.e. the time period a woman has to wait before remarrying again after divorce or after the death of a husband), the time period of pregnancy and other matters that are related to people’s needs. Therefore, Allah has made it a means determining time periods that is known to everyone-young and old, knowledgeable and ignorant. If time periods were determined by way of the solar calendar, none would be acquainted with it except a very few amongst the people. (2)
Ibn Umar, Allah be pleased with him and his father] reported Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stated, “The month is thus and thus and thus (i. e. pointing with his fingers thrice), and he held back his thumb at the third time (in order to show that it can also consist of twenty-nine days)”. [Sahih Muslim 1080]
Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, was asked:
Some people say: “We do not use the Gregorian date before the Hijri date due to having loyalty (to other than Islam) and to aid (another religion), but rather the Gregorian date is more accurate than the Hijri calendar in terms of what they see”, and that “Most countries use this calendar.”
Response: Be patient, my brother! The crescent moon is the basis (for determining the monthly time periods) for all human beings. Read the statement of Allah, The Exalted:
[ يَسْأَلونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ – They ask you (O Muhammad) about the new moons. Say: These are signs to determine fixed time periods for humankind and for the time of the Hajj]- Meaning, for all people.
And read the statement of Allah, The Exalted:
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْراً فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌVerily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred…] [at-Tawbah. 36]
Therefore, it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred, (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). The months are determined by the crescent moon and this is why the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, explained that the four (sacred ones among the 12) are Rajab Dhul Qidah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram, and this is the basis of the matter. The months used by the people at present – months determined based on conjecture- are not established on a (sound) basis. If they were based on the sighting of the Buruj (a great number of distant big stars), their basis would have been based on the Buruj which is clear in the sky, well known and their times are known, however, they (i.e. the non-Islamic months)are based on conjecture and do not have a basis at all due to the fact that some are twenty-eight days and some of them thirty-one.
However, if we find ourselves in difficult circumstances and it becomes necessary to mention the Gregorian date, why do we have to alternate from the Arabic Hijri date – the one based on the Shariah – to this date that is based on conjecture and has no foundation?! We are very able to use the Arabic date and then say, “Corresponding to such and such date (i.e. in the Gregorian date)” given that when many Islamic countries were colonised by the unbelievers, they changed the date to their own- enslaving and humiliating the society. You understand, so we say, if we find ourselves in difficult circumstances and it becomes necessary to mention the Gregorian date, let it be first that the Arabic Hijri date – the one based on the Shariah – is mentioned, then we say, “Corresponding to such and such”. (3)
Origin of The New Years Events, Festivals, CelebrationsShaikh Abu Khadeejah, may Allah preserve him, stated:
The earliest known record of a New Year festival dates from about 2000 BCE in Mesopotamia, where in Babylonia the new year (Akitu) began with the new moon after the spring equinox (mid-March) and in Assyria with the new moon nearest the autumn equinox (mid-September). For the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Persians the year began with the autumn equinox (September 21), and for the early Greeks it began with the winter solstice (December 21). On the Roman republican calendar the year began on March 1, but after 153 BCE the official date was January 1, which was continued in the Julian calendar of 46 BCE. In early medieval times most of Christian Europe regarded March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, as the beginning of the new year, although New Year’s Day was observed on December 25 in Anglo-Saxon England. William the Conqueror decreed that the year begin on January 1, but England later joined the rest of Christendom and adopted March 25. The Gregorian calendar, adopted in 1582 by the Roman Catholic Church, restored January 1 as New Year’s Day, and most European countries gradually followed suit: Scotland, in 1660; Germany and Denmark, about 1700; England, in 1752; and Russia, in 1918. (4)
Congratulations During The New Year
When we enquired about some proof regarding the new year few years ago, Shaikh Abu Khadeejah, may Allah preserve him, forwarded us a Fatwa of Imam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, as follows: Shaikh Ibn Uthaimīn was asked, “What is the ruling on congratulating non-Muslims during their Christmas celebrations? How are we to respond to them if they congratulate us with Merry Christmas?” So he answered, “Congratulating the non-Muslims during their Christmas celebrations or other religious celebrations is forbidden by a consensus cited by Ibn Al-Qayyim in his book, Ahkām Ahlidh-Dhimmah…* If they congratulate us during their celebrations, we do not respond to that, because it is not our celebration and it is a celebration that Allah is not pleased with. That is because either it is a celebration that they have innovated into their religion or it is one that is legislated in their religion but was abrogated with the advent of the religion of Islam which the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was sent with to the whole of mankind. It was regarding this that Allah said, “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers.” (Āli ‘Imrān 3:85) Therefore, to accept an invitation from them at Christmas is forbidden because to participate with them (in a Christmas meal) is even more severe than congratulating them.” (Majmū’ Fatāwā 3/45-46, abridged)
The Majority Are Not a Proof of Right or Wrong, So Do Not Blindly Those Who Celebrate or Offer Congratulations That Are Not Allowed In The Shariah – Whether In a Muslim Country or Non-Muslim Country
Imam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
Let every Muslim be careful of being deceived by the great numbers [of people upon such and such idea, view, belief, way of life etc], whilst saying: ‘’Indeed, the people have become such and such, and have become accustomed to such and such, so I am with them’’. This is a great calamity, for indeed many people of the past were destroyed due to this [i.e. blindly following the majority]. Therefore, O sensible one! It is obligated on you to examine yourself; take account of yourself and adhere to the truth, even if the people abandon it. Beware of what Allah has forbidden, even if the people do it, for indeed the truth is more worthy of being followed, just as Allah [The Most High] said: [وَإِنْ تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّه ِ -And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s Path. [Surah Al An’am Ayah 116]
And Allah [The Most High] said: [ وَمَآ أَڪۡثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَوۡ حَرَصۡتَ بِمُؤۡمِنِينَ-And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly] [Surah Yusuf Ayah 103]. (5)
Al-Allaamah Muqbil Bin Hadi Al-Wadi’ee may Allah have mercy upon him] said:
If numbers is the scale by way of which you judge, then the majority are mostly blameworthy; and if persuasive speech and eloquence is the scale by way of which you judge, then indeed Allah described the Munaafiqoon that they have tongues that utter beautiful speech. Allaah said: [وَإِن يَقُولُواْ تَسۡمَعۡ لِقَوۡلِهِمۡ – And when they speak, you listen to their words]. [Surah Al-Munaafiqoon. Aayah 4]
Therefore, what is given consideration is that one knows the people of truth by their characteristics – that they call to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, his family and companions], and they neither desire reward from the people nor seeking to be thanked. (6)
All praise and thanks be to Allah, all the above does not negate peaceful coexistence with non-Muslims. Must read articles below:
The Islamic Shariah on the Foundation of Muslim Relations With Non-Muslims Who Do Not Show Aggression and Hostility
http://www.shariah.ws/articles/szsumlh-the-foundation-of-muslim-relations-with-non-muslims-who-do-not-show-aggression-and-hostility.cfm
http://www.shariah.ws/articles/nmsdfkp-islam-and-the-muslims-are-free-and-innocent-of-the-kharijite-extremists.cfm
Living With non-Muslims in the West with fine conduct
https://abukhadeejah.com/living-with-non-muslims-in-the-west-with-fine-conduct/
Informing The Authorities of Terrorist Plots – By Shaikh Abu Khadeejah [may Allaah preserve him]:
https://masjidfurqan.co.uk/2014/07/03/informing-the-authorities-of-terrorist-plots-by-ustaadh-abu-khadeejah-may-allaah-preserve-him/
Al-Allaamah Salih Aal Ash-Shaikh: Shariah Calls for Protection of Life and Property: http://www.shariah.ws/articles/csuslgk-shaikh-salih-aal-ash-shaikh-shariah-calls-for-protection-of-life-and-property.cfm
Al-Allaamah Salih Al-Fawzan: The Islamic Shariah Provides Security for Muslims and Non-Muslims and Those Who Violate It Are Kharijites Who Are to Be Fought and Severely Punished
http://www.shariah.ws/articles/duviqgl-shaykh-salih-al-fawzan-the-islamic-shariah-provides-security–for-muslims-and-non-muslims-and-those-who-violate-it-are-kh257rijites-who-are-to-be-fought-and-severely-punished.cfm
The Prophet of Islam would not kill diplomats, ambassadors, emissaries or foreign delegations even if they were sent by the worst of his enemies
https://abukhadeejah.com/the-prophet-of-islam-would-not-kill-diplomats-ambassadors-emissaries-or-foreign-delegations-even-if-they-were-sent-by-the-worst-of-his-enemies/
[1] An Excerpt from “Tafseer As-Sadi]
[2] An Excerpt from “Tafseer as-Sadi]
[3] https://www.alathar.net/home/esound/index.php?op=codevi&coid=64945. paraphrased]
[4] https://abukhadeejah.com/ibn-taymiyyah-on-participating-in-the-annual-celebrations-of-the-unbelievers/ ]
[5] An Excerpt from ‘Majmoo Al-Fataawaa 12/ 412-416. slightly paraphrased]
[6] قم المعاند – 2/547]