1 Time is not a reality [hupostasis], but a concept [noêma] or a measure [metron]… Antiphon the Sophist (480BC-411BC)

2 Islamic (Hijra) Calendar

3 Calendars calendars are a system of measuring time based either on lunar cycles OR the Earth's orbit around the Sun o/faculty/ritter/geog101/ uwsp_lectures/lecture_e arth_sun_relations.html

4 The Islamic calendar is a religious calendar calculated using the cycle of the phases of the Moon

5 An Islamic month the length of each month lasts from the sighting of one crescent moon to the sighting of the next crescent moon

6 An Islamic month

7 The Islamic Months مُحَرَّم Muharram The Sacred Month صَفَر Safar The Void Month رَبِيع الأوَّل Rabi al-Awwal The First Month of Spring رَبِيع الثَّاني Rabi ath-Thani The Second Month of Spring جَمَاد الأوَّل Jumad al-Ula The First Dry Month جَمَاد الثَّاني Jumad ath-Thani The Second Dry Month رَجَب Rajab The Honoured Month شَعْبَان Sha'ban The Month of Separation رَمَضَان Ramadan The Month of Intense Heat شَوَّال Shawwal The Hunting Month ذُو الْقِعْدَة Dhul Qa'dah The Resting Month ذُو الْحِجَّة Dhul Hijjah The Month of Pilgrimage

8 an Islamic day begins at sunset and ends the following sunset

9 Islamic Days of the Week الأحَد Al-Ahad - Day One (Sunday) الإثْنَيْن Al-‘Ithnayn - Day Two (Monday) الثُّلاثَاء Ath-Thulatha - Day Three (Tuesday) الأرْبِعَاء Al-'Arba'aa - Day Four (Wednesday) الْخَمِيس Al-Khamees - Day Five (Thursday) الْجُمْعَة Al-Jum'ah - Day of Gathering (Friday) السَّبْت As-Sabt – Day of Rest (Saturday)

10 The use of an “H” following an Islamic year number signifies that the dating system begins from the Hijra i.e. the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. According to the Islamic calendar this year (2007) is 1428 H. What year is it now?

11 Some important dates in the Islamic calendar 1 Muharram (Islamic New Year) 1 Ramadan (first day of fasting) Last third of Ramadan which includes Laylat al-Qadr 1 Shawwal (Eid-Ul-Fitr) 8-10 Dhul Hijjah (the Hajj to Mecca) 10 Dhul Hijjah (Eid-Ul-Adha)

12 And their corresponding dates in the Gregorian calendar (this year)… Islamic CalendarGregorian Calendar 1428 H Muharram- 30 Dhul Hijjah20 January January Muharram (Islamic New Year) 20 January Ramadan (first day of fasting) 14 September Shawwal (Eid-Ul-Fitr)13 October Dhul Hijjah (the Hajj to Mecca) December Dhul Hijjah (Eid-Ul-Adha)20 December 2007

13 Some interesting trivia… every 32.5 years, the Islamic year retrogresses through the entire seasonal year therefore in 1495 H ( CE) these dates should fall on approximately the same dates as they have this year

14 Some more interesting trivia… An Islamic year will be entirely within a Gregorian year of the same number in the year

15 Some more interesting trivia… once every 33 or 34 Islamic years (32 or 33 Gregorian years) the Islamic calendar year occurs entirely within the Gregorian calendar year Islamic year within Gregorian year IslamicGregorianDifference

16 In summary…A quick comparison! Islamic CalendarGregorian Calendar lunarseasonal 12 months per year days per month28-31 days per month days per year days per year 7 days per week