COUNTING THE PASSING OF TIME

Allah says in His Book: 'It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out for it stages that you might know the number of years and the reckoning.' (s. 10, v. 5)

We see by this that the moon was created for the purpose that we may count the number of years, that we may determine when one year has passed, and the next is beginning.

But why should we count the years? Why should we count the passing of time?

Before the revelation of this verse, the years were not yet counted necessarily in the numerical fashion that we are accustomed to today. At least not yet on the basis of the changing stages of the moon. The Gregorian calendar, as we know it in the Christian and western world, is not based upon the changing stages of the moon. It is based upon the assumption that there are 356 days to the year, excepting leap year, when there will be an extra day.

The Lunar calendar was instilled into the Islamic calculations, because it is based upon the stages of the moon to account for the coming of a new month, and therefore the passing of a year.

For many years, it has been a tradition in the non-muslim world to celebrate the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new year. It has become such an established tradition as to surpass all religious celebration-almost a religious celebration in and of itself. But there are no religious ties to this date whatsoever. It is merely the attraction of the celebratory nature of this date that entices so many people worldwide to its notification and celebration. It has raised to such a status that almost all business and commerce comes to a halt worldwide for the day and perhaps continues on into the day following, such as to allow for recuperation from the parties of the previous night.

It has now come to a sad state that many Muslims worldwide are not only recognizing the passing of the new year (both in the Gregorian as well as the Hijjri calendars), but they have taken one step further to celebrating it, even if only in the sense that they exchange sentiments of congradulations and remembrances on the date of the first day of the first month of the new year.

By sheer coincidence of the closeness of the dates of the two calendar systems this year (the Gregorian and Hijjri), the passing of the old year into the next are very close together this year. And so it become even more confusing to many Muslims, in that they tend to opt to exchange sentiments of congradulations and remembrance at this time.

My dear brethren, many reputed scholars worldwide have announced and recognized this mistake that Muslims are falling into, issuing religious rulings (fatawa) to the effect to remind us that there is no evidence whatsoever that this occasion (the passing of the previous year and the beginning of the new) was something recognized and so celebrated by the prophet(SAAW) or his companions(ARA). In fact, all evidence points away from this, and suggests that it is not something acceptable to celebrate this marking of time. Allah Himself has told us in His Book that He has set up the moon and appointed it in stages in order that we may count and mark the passage of time- the passing of the years, one into the next.

Another grave mistake that many Muslims are entering into by their practice of recognition and celebration of this passage of an old year into the new by exchanging congradulations and remembrances is that they mention, in their greetings to one another, the mention of the assumption (presented in a format such as the one exchanging the greetings has firm knowledge of this statement) that the record that had been going on for the previous year is now being rolled up and sealed, only to be released later on the day of judgement.

This in and of itself is a great danger that the Muslim engages in, by appearing or assuming to know something of the unknown, which Allah Himself has already claimed as His reign alone. There is no evidence whatsoever in any Islamic literature that the record is rolled up and sealed at the completion of a year, and a new record begins with the new year. This claim gives impression that once that record is rolled up and sealed, there is no chance for redemption by seeking forgiveness for sins made during that time of which the record represents. This goes strongly and completely against the teachings of Islam. As long as this world is in existence, and as long as the person has life, then his/her record is still open and in the process of being recorded. Hence there is still chance of the person to do something right to offset the wrongs he has done any time in his/her past.

For us as Muslims, and in following the Hijjri calendar, we have a more important date to recognize with the passing of the new year. The first month of the Hijjri calendar is the month of Muharram. It is the month in which the first generation of Muslims, at the direction of their beloved prophet(SAAW), made their immigration from Makkah, where they were persecuted, to Madinah, where they found solace and recluse and protection and brotherhood. It is also the month in which the 'ashura' (the tenth) occurs. And yet, the prophet(SAAW) never did once celebrate the passing of the old year into the new by the coming of Muharram, nor did he advise his companions to do so either. He merely recognized the passing of time by the changing of the moons, and so noticed when one month changed into the next, and therefore continued on in his life and leading and teaching the new Muslims their religion.

As for Muharram itself, I have already mentioned that it is the marking of time when the Muslims first migrated to Madinah in bulk. And it is also the month during which we witness the 'ashura' (the tenth). This is an important date as well, perhaps at least as important as, if not more than, the coming of a new year.

It is reported that when the prophet(SAAW) migrated to Madinah, he came upon a community of Jews fasting on this occasion. Upon asking about the reason for their
fast, he was told that this was the date on which Moses(AS) led his people out from under the tyranny of slavery under Pharoh, and into freedom. Upon hearing this, Mohammed(SAAW) replied that they (i.e. the Muslims) were more of right and deserving to follow the ways of Moses(AS), and so he began to observe the fast of ashura (the tenth of Muharram), and directed his companions(ARA) to do so as well. At this time, the divine command for the fast of the month of Ramadhan had not yet been revealed, and so this was basically the only fast yet observed by the Muslims. And at this period of time, it was a mandatory fast that Mohammed(SAAW) directed his companions to observe. In order to differentiate themselves from the Jews, the prophet(SAAW) made order that they combine with the tenth either the day preceding (i.e. 9th) or the day following (i.e. the 11th). In other words, the fast of ashura then developed into a two-day fast, not simply one day of the tenth. Then, when the divine revelation later gave directive to the Muslims to fast the obligatory fast of the month of Ramadhan each year, the status of the fast of ashura was released from obligatory to a thing of voluntary nature, of which it remains to this date. Hence, the fast of the month of Ramadhan is an obligation each Muslim owes to Allah yearly, while the fast of ashura is a voluntary form of worship that renders great reward to those who practice it, yet no harm or punishment to those who do not practice it.

It is in this vein that I extend my greeting to all in remembrance of these important dates in our Muslim Hijjri calendar-the passage of the Eid Al-Adha, the coming of the new year by the end of the month of Dhul-Hijja and the beginning of Muharram, the month in which our pious predecessors migrated from their lives of religious persecution, and the recognition and remembrance of the first fast of the very first Muslims-the fast of ashura.

I heartily congradulate those who attended and completed their haj-may Allah mercifully accept from you and forgive you and me our sins. I congradulate all of my Muslim brethren on the passing of the occasion of Eid-Al-Adha, even though belated it may be. And I beckon to all to remember this important month in our Hijjri calendar-the advent of the month of Muharram-the occasion in which the first Muslims migrated from the state of religious persecution and humiliation to a state of religious freedom and expression.

Let's all remember this time not by greetings of a happy new year, but by worshipping Allah as He deserves and as our beloved prophet(SAAW) himself did, by observing the fast of ashura, praising Allah, giving thanks to Him, and humbling ourselves in hopes of attaining piety through the fast and remembrance of Him.