History of Months II: Islamic/Arabic Months

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Author, Physician, Philosopher, Polyhistor

2 years ago

In community: History, Myths, Legends & Mysteries(be45)

Topics: Calendar, Months, Islam, History

This is the second part of “History of Months”, in which I discuss the Islamic year and its months. The first part was History of Months I: Julian - Gregorian - Christian Months.

The Qur'an (9:36) states:

"Surely the number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve, in accordance with His decree from the day He created the heavens and the earth, out of which four are sacred." They would be Zu al-Qi'dah, Zu al-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab.

Perhaps Ramadan is more sanctified amongst Muslims (only Muharram could rival that) but the special status of the four others originates from pre-Islamic Arabia. During these months fighting was forbidden in Arabian tribal society.

Islamic years are counted from AH, which means "anno Hegirae" - the year of the Hijrah. This refers to the prophet Mohammed’s emigration to Medina, which occurred in 622 AD. The oldest written evidence of this calendar is from an Egyptian papyrus 22AH, which is also the oldest preserved Arabic text during Islamic times.

1. Muharram: from "haram", "forbidden", referring to a ban of fighting. For Muslims it has religious significance in various ways, differing between Sunni and Shia.

Ashura, the tenth of Muharram is very special. For the Sunni, it is a commemoration of when Musa (Moses) overcame the Egyptians by crossing the Red Sea, an originally Jewish celebration which, according to Hadith, the prophet Mohammed himself liked. A fast is recommended.

There is a statement by the prophet, according to Al-Bukhari, Hadith 1865, where he says [to the Jews]: "We have more claim to Musa than you." This is a puzzling statement to which I have not been able to find an explanation.

For Shia, this is the day of Husain ibn Ali's martyrdom. Husain was the son of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed. He fell at the battle of Karbala this day in the year 61 AH, which corresponds to 22 October 680 AD. This day, the tenth of Muharram, is sometimes called only Muharram, and it is a national holiday in several countries, mainly those having a large Shia population. In this case, this day is one of mourning, indeed, even self-flagellation and cutting oneself with a knife or a razor are reported, although this is not accepted by religious authorities.

There are many traditionally held popular beliefs about the day of Ashura, that it was the day of Adam's creation, etc. They can neither be verified nor refuted and most religious authorities reject them.

2. Safar: "whistling of the wind", "empty", because people left their homes to continue their wars after three months of interruption, and the wind whistles in them. It could also mean "yellow", which means it can have been autumn with yellow leaves when the month got its name.

3. Rabi’ al-awwal: "the first", "beginning of spring".

4. Rabi’ al-thani, or Rabi' al-akher: "the second month of spring" or "the last month of spring".

5. Jumadah al-awwal: "dry", "first month of summer"; from "jumda", "land devoid of rain". Another explanation: "jumad" means "freezing". When this month got its name, it must have been freezing season. Or, a third one, suggested by a friend of mine: Jumad is also a name for a "non-living thing" so when it is very hot, the living plants would be dead and so it becomes "jamad" or "jumad". In this month Mawlid is celebrated. That is the birth of the prophet Mohammed. According to most Sunni Muslims it was on the twelfth, according to Shia the seventeenth.

6. Jumadah al-thani, or Jumadah al-akher: "second month of summer" or "the last month of summer".

7. Rajab: from "rajaba", "to respect". This was one of the months when fighting was forbidden amongst pre-Islamic Arabs.

8. Shaaban: from "shu'ba", "branch". It has to do with that pre-Islamic Arabs spread out (branched) over the land in search of water.

9. Ramadan: from "ramadha", intense heat, or "al-ramz", "to burn". Why this month is named after heat is a matter of some dispute, but the most likely is that the weather was hot when the month was given its name.

Ramadan is the month when the Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Mohammed, and fasting is obligatory for Muslim believers.

10. Shawwal: "lift" or "carry". from "shala" which means "when the female camel gets pregnant". Also suggested "winds carrying the pollen" as basis for "carry". The first day of this month it is Eid ul-Fitr, the first day after the fasting of Ramadan.

11. Zu al-Qi'dah: "possessor of truce". From "qa'ada", "to sit" or "to rest".

12. Zu al-Hijjah, or Zu Alhegah: "possessor of the pilgrimage". The month of Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca. It takes place on the 8th-13th. From the 10th to the 13th it is Eid-ul-Adha, commemorating Ibrahim's (Abraham's) readiness to sacrifice his son to God

Arabic names of the Gregorian months, which are used for civic purposes in almost all Arabic-speaking countries, are derived directly from the Gregorian names [even if they differ slightly from country to country], or - in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine - from Babylonian names of months. This can be puzzling because the Babylonian year is lunisolar, and its months are not synchronised with the Gregorian, but they have chosen to use the Babylonian month most closely corresponding to the Gregorian. [As for Babylonian months, see below.] Kurds also use Babylonian-style names of Gregorian months, while Berbers use Gregorian-style names. (The Babylonian calendar will be discussed in part three of this series.)

Since 1969, Libya has its own names of Gregorian months, names from different sources.

To be continued...