Dhu al-Hijjah
Encyclopedia
Dhu al-Ḥijjah is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...

.

This is a very sacred month in the Islamic calendar, marking the end of the year. It is in this month in which the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...

(pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...

) takes place.

"Dhu al-Hijjah" literally means "Possessor of the Pilgrimage." It is during this month that pilgrims from all around the world congregate at Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...

 to visit the Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur'an states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham, or Ibraheem, in Arabic, and his son Ishmael, or Ismaeel, as said in Arabic, after he had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque...

. The Hajj is performed on the eighth, ninth and the tenth of this month. Day of Arafa takes place on the ninth of the month. Eid al-Adha, the "Festival of the Sacrifice", begins on the tenth day and ends on the thirteenth.

Timing

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...

, and months begin when new moon
New moon
In astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth...

 is sighted. Since the Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

ic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year
Tropical year
A tropical year , for general purposes, is the length of time that the Sun takes to return to the same position in the cycle of seasons, as seen from Earth; for example, the time from vernal equinox to vernal equinox, or from summer solstice to summer solstice...

, Dhu al-Hijjah migrates throughout the seasons. Since the month must begin and end when the moon is sighted, the estimated start and end dates for Dhu al-Hijjah are as follows:
  • 1427 AH – First day: December 22, 2006; last day: January 19, 2007. Due to sightings in Saudi Arabia
    Saudi Arabia
    The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

    , Dhu al-Hijjah officially started on December 21, 2006 in Saudi Arabia. Several countries follow Saudi Arabia regarding the implementation of the Islamic Calendar.
  • 1428 AH – First day: December 11, 2007; last day: January 9, 2008. Due to sightings in Saudi Arabia, Dhu al-Hijjah officially started on December 10, 2007 in Saudi Arabia. Several countries follow Saudi Arabia regarding the implementation of the Islamic calendar.
  • 1429 AH – First day: November 30, 2008; last day: December 28, 2008
  • 1430 AH - First day: November 19, 2009; last day: December 17, 2009
  • 1431 AH - First day: November 7, 2010; last day: December 6, 2010

General Islamic Events

  • 09 Dhu al-Hijjah, Day of Arafa
  • 10-13 Dhu al-Hijjah, Eid al-Adha is observed by Muslims on the hajj and around the world in commemoration of Ibrahim's (Abraham
    Abraham
    Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...

    ) willingness to sacrifice his son for God
    God in Islam
    In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...

    .
  • 26 Dhu al-Hijjah, death of Caliph
    Caliph
    The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word   which means "successor" or "representative"...

     Umar
    Umar
    `Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....


Islamic Events For Shi'ah

  • 01 Dhu al-Hijjah, Nikah
    Nikah
    Marriage in Islam is an Islamic prenuptial contract between a man and woman to live as husband and wife. It is a formal, binding contract considered integral to a religiously valid Islamic marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom and bride involved in marriage proceedings...

    (marriage
    Islamic marital jurisprudence
    In Islamic law , marriage is a legal bond and social contract between a man and a woman. Islam commends marriage, with the age of marriage being whenever the individuals feel ready, financially and emotionally...

    ) of Ali
    Ali
    ' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...

     and Fatimah
    Fatimah
    Fatimah was a daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad from his first wife Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. She is regarded by Muslims as an exemplar for men and women. She remained at her father's side through the difficulties suffered by him at the hands of the Quraysh of Mecca...

     took place. – (2 years before Hijra)
  • 07 Dhu al-Hijjah, death of Shī‘ah Imām
    Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)
    Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...

    , Muhammad al-Bāqir
    Muhammad al-Baqir
    Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī al-Bāqir was the Fifth Imām to the Twelver Shi‘a and Fourth Imām to the Ismā‘īlī Shī‘a. His father was the previous Imām, ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn, and his mother was Fatimah bint al-Hasan...

     ‐ (114 A.H.)
  • 08 Dhu al-Hijjah, Husayn ibn ‘Alī started his journey to Karbalā
    Battle of Karbala
    The Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...

     from Mecca
  • 09 Dhu al-Hijjah, martyrdom of Muslim ibn ‘Aqīl
    Muslim ibn Aqeel
    Muslim ibn Aqeel, or Muslim ibn Aqil, was the cousin of Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali, and the son of Aqeel ibn Abu Talib. Muslim ibn Aqeel was sent ahead as an envoy to Kufa to see if the people could be trusted to be loyal to the Imam Husayn. He sent word back saying that the people of Kufa...

     and Hani ibn Urwah in Kufa
    Kufa
    Kufa is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000....

    . It is also a day of supererogatory
    Supererogation
    Supererogation is the performance of more than is asked for, the action of doing more than duty requires. Supererogatory, in ethics, indicates an act that is good but not morally required to be done...

     fasting
    Fasting
    Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...

    . – (60 A.H.)
  • 15 Dhu al-Hijjah, birth of Twelver Imām, ‘Alī al-Naqī
    Ali al-Hadi
    ‘Alī al-Hādī , also known as ‘Alī an-Naqī was the tenth of the Twelve Imams. His full name is ‘Alī ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Alī. The exact date of his birth and death are unknown, but it is generally accepted that he was born between 827–830 CE and he died in 868 CE.- Early years :‘Alī al-Hādī was born...

     - (214 A.H.) [Disputed date]
  • 18 Dhu al-Hijjah, Shī‘ah Muslims celebrate the event of Ghadir Khumm
  • 19 Dhu al-Hijjah, Fatimah went to Ali's house after their marriage
  • 23 Dhu al-Hijjah, martyrdom of Meesam Tammar
    Meesam Tammar
    Maytham ibn Yahyā at-Tammār was a slave belonging to a woman of Banu Asad. Ali ibn Abi Talib purchased this slave from the woman and set him free in the way of Allah...

     – friend of Ali – (60 A.H.)
  • 23 Dhu al-Hijjah, martyrdom of two sons of Muslim ibn ‘Aqīl in Kufa. (60 A.H.)
  • 24 Dhu al-Hijjah, event of al-Mubahalah
    Mubahala
    Mubahala literally meaning 'mutual prayer' or Li’an but in Islamic tradition it refers to a form of resolving religious disputes. When the argumentations from both sides fail to resolve a religious issue, the parties jointly pray Allah to cast His curse on whichever of the two parties is false...

     took place. (Eid al-Mubahila
    Eid al-Mubahila
    Eid al-Mubahila is annual commemoration of the event of Mubahila occurred on 24th of Dhul-Hijja 9 Hijri corresponding to Wednesday, 6 April 631 CE., On this day when Muhammad and the Christians of Najran gathered to debate - and imprecate - each other....

    )
  • 24 Dhu al-Hijjah, some historians mention that the Hadith
    Hadith
    The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....

    , Ahl al-Kisa
    Ahl al-Kisa
    Ahl al-Kisā refers to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatimah, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and his two grandsons Hasan and Husayn. They are also referred to as Āl al-‘Abā or Panj-tan-e Āl-e Abā or simply Panj tan...

    , event was also on the same day prior to Muhammad setting out for Mubahila
  • 24 Dhu al-Hijjah, supplication day and giving of alms with the ring by Ali, In reply verse, "Verily your Walee is Allah; and His Messenger and those who establish Salaat, and pay Zakaat
    Zakat
    Zakāt , one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is the giving of a fixed portion of one's wealth to charity, generally to the poor and needy.-History:Zakat, a practice initiated by Muhammed himself, has played an important role throughout Islamic history...

    while they be in Rukoo. (Maa-Idah: 55)" was revealed
  • 25 Dhu al-Hijjah, sura
    Sura
    A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...

     Al-Insan
    Al-Insan
    Sūrat al-Insān or Sūrat al-Dahr is the 76th sura of the Qur'an with 31 ayat . The name means soul or human.76:01 Has there not been a period in Time, when the Man was not even that thing worthy of remembering/mention? [76:01]...

    or Hal Ata, or Dahar, which records the giving of alms to orphan's, the destitute and travellers by Fatima Hassan and Hussain was revealed.
  • 25 Dhu al-Hijjah, Ali becomes the Caliph of Islam – (35 A.H.)

External links

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