Happy New Islamic Year

Since Prophet Mohammad started receiving revelations of the Quran in 609, he started forming a community of believers around him in Makkah, his birth city. However, the tribe of Quraysh in Makkah would not easily give up on the idol beliefs of their ancestors, hence, they opposed Mohammad and the believers in every possible way. After enduring 13 years of oppression and prejudice, Mohammad and the believers migrated in 622 to a nearby city, Madina, where they established the first official Muslim statehood. Madinians welcomed the Muslims into their homes, and their children went out chanting to Mohammad "the full moon has risen over us." Thus began the Muslim calendar with the commemoration of the Great Migration.

The calendar follows the lunar cycle, and therefore is ten days shorter than the Western Gregorian calendar. Today, for example, is December 15, 2009, which coincides on the Islamic calendar with the 28th day of the month of Thull-Hijja, the last year of the 1430 Hijri. The last few days of the year 1429 Hijri also fell in the year of 2009 A.D. (last January,) and the first day of the year of 1431 Hijri will still be in the year of 2009 A.D. (December 18.) The year 2009 is the only year that will witness three consecutive Hijri years in many years to come.

So how do Muslims celebrate their New Year? Or do they celebrate it in the first place? Do they celebrate the Western New Year at all? Diversity is the main characteristic of the 1.5 billion Muslims living today. Islamic tradition does not commercialize religious days; hence we don't get a big sort of New Year's Eve party at the turn of our Islamic year. It is enough to exchange wishful thoughts amongst us and tell our children the story of their prophet and his migration. From country to country, traditions are so diverse that some may show different kinds of celebration with special desserts, candy, or the like. But the Prophet and his followers or companions did not make of the Islamic year a major celebration, for they only celebrated the two feasts of Eid ul Fitr (right after Ramadan,) and Eid ul Adha (during the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca.)