Hijri Calendar: Difference between revisions

Prophet [[Muhammad|Muhammad's]] hijra ("flight" or "migration") from [[Mecca]] to [[Medina]] in 622 AD marks the beginning of the '''Islamic lunar calendar''' (also known as the '''Hijri''' or '''Arabic Calendar'''). Thus, the Islamic calendar dates have the suffix '''AH''' (After Hijra). The [[Islam|Islamic]] lunar year (354 or 355 days) is between 10 and 12 days shorter than the "Western" or "Christian" Gregorian solar year (365 or 366 days)<ref>Syed Khalid Shaukat - [http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/calendar.htm What is Islamic Calendar] - MissionIslam</ref>, and so cycles through the seasons.<ref>[http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/astronomical-information-center/calendars Introduction to Calendars]. United States Naval Observatory. Retrieved 15 January 2009.</ref><ref>[http://astro.nmsu.edu/~lhuber/leaphist.html Calendars] by L. E. Doggett. Section 2.</ref><ref>The international standard for the representation of dates and times, ISO 8601, uses the Gregorian calendar. Section 3.2.1.</ref> The Islamic calendar is used in conjunction with the Gregorian calendar in some parts of the Muslim world, and is almost always referenced in relation to Islamic rituals (like the [[Hajj]]) and festivals (like [[Eid al-Adha]]), as it is with the Islamic calendar that these event correlate.