Abstract
The Islamic (Hijrī) calendar is the standard measure of time in the Qur’an and Sunnah,1 and plays an integral role in the lives of Muslims. It is used for annual ritual worship such as paying the alms-tax (zakāh), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and performing the pilgrimage (ḥajj). While the Islamic calendar is actively used for religious purposes, its role as one of the cornerstones of Islamic identity has waned over time to the point that many Muslims are unaware of the current month, day, and year under the Hijrī system of dating. This paper aims to understand the historical development of the Hijrī calendar and to identify the factors that caused it to decline. The goals are to encourage reflection on the current state of the Muslim community (ummah), and to encourage the revival of the Hijrī calendar.
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