Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a holiday on July 21 to mark the beginning of the New Islamic Year 1445 AH (Anno Hegirae in Latin or “in the year of the Hijra”) for public sector employees.
This came in a circular issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources on Wednesday.
According to Ibrahim Al Jarwan, president of the Emirates Astronomy Society (ESA), the new Hijri year—Muharram 1 is likely to fall on July 19.
Islamic calendar
The Islamic New Year, also known as the Hijri New Year, takes place during the first month of the Islamic calendar.
The Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, is a Muslim lunar calendar consisting of twelve months beginning with Muharram, and ending with Zul Hijjah. Each month starts with the sighting of the moon.
The calendar has been observed for more than 1,440 years and is used to date important Islamic events including the start of Ramzan, Eid-Al-Fitr, and the beginning of the Haj pilgrimage.
When did the calendar begin?
According to Islam, the new Hijri year begins with the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions from Makkah to Madinah in 622 AD after they were repeatedly persecuted and threatened.
The migration is considered one of the most important events in Islamic history and was chosen as the starting point for the calendar in 639 AD by Umar ibn al-Khattab.