How did the Hijri calendar begin?

Many of my students initially believe that the Hijri calendar is a religious obligation and that it began automatically as soon as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) arrived at the oasis of Quba, south of Yathrib, on Monday, September 23, 622 CE (8th Rabi’ al-Awwal of the first Hijri year). They find it difficult to accept when I tell them that this calendar was actually a human endeavor and that it only started in the sixteenth year of Hijra, during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah raise his rank).

Simply put, Umar ibn al-Khattab noticed that the Islamic state had expanded and had numerous provinces, leading to significant administrative challenges due to the lack of a calendar system like those of previous or neighboring civilizations. There are several accounts of these administrative needs, and those interested can refer to them in detail in “The History of Damascus” by Ibn Asakir, under the section “The Difference Among the Companions on the Calendar.”

It is most likely that the idea of establishing a calendar emerged after several suggestions, perhaps first proposed by Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah raise his rank), who once wrote to Umar saying: “We receive letters from you without any date, so please establish a calendar.”

There was also a suggestion from Ya’la ibn Umayyah (may Allah raise his rank) to Umar ibn al-Khattab to adopt a calendar and record official documents as the Persians and Romans did. Another account from Amr ibn Dinar mentions that “the first to date documents was Ya’la ibn Umayyah when he was in Yemen,” possibly preceding Abu Musa al-Ash’ari in this matter. It is likely that Ya’la is also referred to in another narration, which says: “A man from Yemen came to Umar and said: ‘Why do you not establish a calendar?’ Umar replied: ‘How should it be done?’ The man said: ‘Write the month and the year.’”

Here, we should mention Umar’s own experience of feeling the need for a calendar. According to Maymun ibn Mahran, “A document dated in Sha’ban was brought to Umar, who asked: ‘Which Sha’ban is it? The one we are in, the one that has passed, or the one to come?’”

Of course, when it comes to financial matters, the need for a calendar becomes urgent. Thus, Umar decided to heed the suggestions and establish a calendar, gathering the senior Companions as usual and instructing them: “Set up a calendar for the people so that they may know the dates.”

A lengthy discussion ensued, as reflected in many accounts which I will try to organize here. Initially, one Companion suggested: “Use the Roman calendar.” However, this suggestion was rejected, with the reason being that the Romans counted from the time of Alexander, which was too long ago.

Another suggestion was to use the Persian calendar, but this was also rejected because “the Persians reset their calendar with each new king,” indicating a lack of continuity.

The Companions then agreed not to imitate the Persians or Romans and decided that the starting point should be an event significant to Islam. They considered four major events in the Prophet’s life: his birth, his prophethood, his migration, and his death.

According to a narration by Maymun ibn Mahran, who seemed well-versed on the topic: “The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) deliberated on when to start the calendar. Some suggested starting from the month of the Prophet’s birth. Others suggested starting from the time of his prophethood. Some said to start from the death of the Prophet, and others suggested starting from the migration, when he moved from the land of polytheism to the land of Islam.”

A narration from Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib indicates that Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah raise his rank) proposed the last suggestion, which was accepted. They decided to start the calendar from the Prophet’s migration to Medina.

Umar supported this decision, explaining: “The migration marked the distinction between truth and falsehood.” He then asked: “Which month should be the start of the year?”

Suggestions varied once again. Some proposed Rajab, as it was revered by pre-Islamic Arabs. Another suggested Ramadan, without further explanation as the significance was understood. Some proposed Dhu al-Hijjah, the month of pilgrimage, while others suggested Safar, the month the Prophet left Mecca. Some recommended Rabi’ al-Awwal, the month he arrived in Medina.

Unfortunately, we do not know who made these suggestions, except for a narration from Ibn Sirin mentioning that Uthman said: “Make Muharram the first month of the year. It is a sacred month, the first in the reckoning, and it follows the end of the pilgrimage.” He seemed to intend for the pilgrimage to be the culmination of the Hijri year, leading into the renewal of the Islamic calendar with Muharram.

This proposal was accepted, making Muharram the first month of the Hijri year, despite the migration occurring neither in Muharram. The Prophet left Mecca on the 27th of Safar and arrived in Medina on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal. It would have been more logical to start the year with one of these months, but Uthman successfully argued for Muharram, convincing everyone.

It is worth noting that this consultation took place in Rabi’ al-Awwal of what would become the sixteenth year of Hijra. According to a narration from Abu Ja’far as recorded by Ibn Asakir, the Companions retrospectively dated events from the Prophet’s migration, effectively recalibrating the timeline of events from the migration until the establishment of the calendar. It would have been beneficial had they also dated events prior to the migration.

Despite this consultative effort, some Companions were not satisfied. Sahl ibn Sa’d al-Ansari (may Allah raise his rank) later remarked: “The people made an error in the count. They should have started from the Prophet’s mission or his death. Instead, they counted from his arrival in Medina.” He preferred starting from the Prophet’s mission or death.

In my opinion, they were choosing between correct and more correct options. By starting with the migration, they indeed chose the most appropriate and accurate of the four options. Dating from the Prophet’s birth would have made the new calendar resemble the Christian one, which they avoided, as did Sahl ibn Sa’d.

Dating from the Prophet’s death, while not incorrect, was not the best choice, as his death was a sorrowful event for Muslims. It was not suitable to begin the history of the new state with the death of its founder. Dating from the start of the mission or the revelation was significant and almost as valid as the migration, but the Companions preferred the migration as it led directly and tangibly to the establishment of the Prophet’s state on the ground.

The migration set a clear geographic boundary between the realm of Islam and the realm of polytheism, as Ali (may Allah raise his rank) explained when justifying the choice. Umar (may Allah raise his rank) supported this by stating that the migration distinguished truth from falsehood. While the mission initiated a conceptual change, the migration translated this into a practical reality within a defined and controlled geographic scope.

If you reflect on the Prophet’s biography, you will see that he emphasized establishing his state from the moment he arrived at the oasis of Quba. He began with specific steps, four of which I will briefly mention.

The first step was identifying the center of the new state by building the mosque in the middle of the city, from which he could “control” the flow of events in and around Medina.

The second step was delineating the city’s boundaries with clear markers and declaring: “Every prophet has a sanctuary, and my sanctuary is Medina.”

The third step was forming his administration by appointing scribes. One of his early directives to them was to count the Muslims. In “The Major Classes” by Ibn Sa’d, there is a narration from Hudhayfah (may Allah raise his rank) that the Prophet instructed: “Record for me those who have embraced Islam.” Hudhayfah reported that they recorded 1,500 names, and the Companions were astonished by the large number, asking in amazement: “Are we afraid when we are 1,500?”

The fourth and final step here was the Prophet (peace be upon him) drafting the first constitution for his state, known as the “Constitution of Medina.” Interestingly, this document is sometimes called “The Charter of Accord Between the Emigrants, the Ansar, and the Jews,” indicating that he included the Jews within the framework of his new state from the outset.