New Year in Islamic History and Culture Introduction: Two Calendars and Two New Years The concept of "New Year" in Islamic culture is complex and multifaceted, as it coexists with two main calendar cycles: the lunar Hijri (religious) and the solar (specifically, the Persian solar Hijri calendar and other local systems). It is important to note that neither of them is associated with a festive tradition similar to the secular New Year on January 1st or Nowruz, which has pre-Islamic origins. The religious New Year according to the lunar calendar (1 Muharram) is an important historical date, but not a religious holiday in the Sharia sense. Its significance has formed historically and is interpreted ambiguously in different Islamic currents. Lunar Calendar and the Day of Hijra: Memory, Not Celebration The Islamic calendar counts from the Hijra — the migration of Prophet Muhammad and the first Muslims from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD. The beginning of the year is the 1st day of the month of Muharram. This day (Arabic: "Ras as-Sana" — "Head of the Year") is not prescribed for any special ritual actions, prayers, or festive banquets according to canonical Sunni schools. Its status is primarily a day of historical memory and pious contemplation. On this day, Muslims may remember the great event of the Hijra, which laid the foundation for the Islamic community (umma), and spend time in piety. However, it is not considered a religious holiday (id) like the only two accepted ones: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. An interesting fact: the calendar was introduced by Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab (634-644 AD) as an administrative reform for the unification of dating in the rapidly expanding empire. The choice of Hijra as the starting point emphasized its key significance as the moment when Islam transformed from a persecuted group into a separate political entity. The Motif of Sorrow: Ashura for Shiites For Shiites, the first ten days of Muharram, and especially the 10th d ... Read more