Muslims in Türkiye celebrate Islamic Hijri New Year
Wednesday marks al-Hijra, journey of Prophet Muhammad and his companions from Mecca to Medina to avoid persecution by powerful tribes in 622 AD
ANKARA
Muslims in Türkiye on Wednesday celebrated the first day of the Islamic New Year, also known as the Hijri New Year.
The day marks the historic al-Hijra (migration), the journey of Prophet Muhammad and his companions from Mecca to the blessed city of Medina to escape persecution by powerful tribes in 622 AD.
The first day of Muharram, the initial month of the Islamic lunar calendar, welcomes the year 1445.
Its exact date on the Gregorian calendar varies every year, depending on the sighting of the new moon.
Muslims adopt the lunar calendar for religious purposes, utilizing it to determine significant events such as Ramadan fasting and other Islamic occasions.
In 638 AD, Islam’s second caliph, Omar bin al-Khattab, a close companion of the Prophet, unveiled the new Islamic calendar using the day of the Hijrah as its starting point.
Throughout the Islamic world, the celebration of the Hijri New Year may differ, influenced by diverse cultural traditions and customs. Yet, at its core, it is a time of profound spiritual reflection and renewal, a moment when Muslims start a new chapter in their lives.
During the month of Muharram, an essential event is observed on its tenth day known as Ashura.
This significant day encompasses crucial historical occurrences, including God's forgiveness to Prophet Adam, the peaceful landing of Prophet Noah's ark, and the miraculous splitting of the Red Sea for Prophet Moses, and his and his followers' rescue from the Pharaoh's oppression.
Shia Muslims mark Ashura every year by recalling the martyrdom of Imam al-Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammed, at the infamous Battle of Karbala in the year 680 AD.
The Islamic or Hijri calendar comprises 12 months and either 354 or 355 days, making it approximately 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar. Its structure is based on the moon's movements, with the beginning of each month determined by the sighting of the first crescent of the new moon.
The day of the Hijra is recognized as an official holiday in many Arab and Muslim countries, including Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, Egypt, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Palestine.
The Hijra-based calendar was officially used by the greatest Islamic caliphates, including those of the Abbasids, Umayyads and Ottomans.
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