By Ifham Nizam

The Islamic scholarly clergy group, the All Ceylon Jammiyathul Ulama yesterday said may Almighty Allah resolve the crisis situation in our country and restore peoples’ lives with normalcy, happiness and prosperity in this Islamic New Year of Hijri 1444.

Mufti M.I.M. Rizwe, President and ACJU General Secretary, Ash Shaikh M. Arkam Nooramith, said that the Islamic Hijri calendar, which is used for chronological purposes, is based on the Quran and Sunnah and plays an important role in the lives of Muslims. It is also necessary to perform annual acts of religious worship, such as Zakat, fasting, and Hajj.

The Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar. It consists of 12 lunar months and is determined by sighting of the crescent each month. These months are: Muharram (first month of the year), Safar, Rabeeunil Awwal, Rabeeunis Saani, Jumaadal Oola, Jumaadal Aakhirah, Rajab, Shabaan, Ramadhaan, Shawwaal, Dhul Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: ‘Surely, the number of months according to Allah is twelve (as written) in the Book of Allah on the day He created the heavens and the Earth, of which there are Four Sacred Months.’ (Surah Taubah Verse 36)

A month in the Islamic lunar calendar may consist of 29 days or 30 days. And a lunar year may have 354 or 355 days. The number of days in a year in the Islamic lunar calendar is 10 or 11 days less than the number of days in the Gregorian calendar. The Islamic calendar is not only a 12-month lunar calendar with four sanctified months, but also an identity of the Muslims.

The beginning of the new Hijri year reminds us of the Hijrah (migration) of Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam towards Madinah and it is also reminds us of the Madinah Charter, which was established as a model constitution for the world. Every aspect of this constitution embodies coexistence, well-being, justice, fairness, patriotism within us, while it presents significant features relevant to the current context not only to our Motherland but to the entire world.

“On the birth of this New Hijri Year, the ACJU prays that Almighty Allah blesses our country and the world with peace and unity, and resolves the crisis situation in our country,” they added.