What is the ruling on adhering to the Hijri calendar?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Regarding the calendar, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) [did so].
The Shaykh : Regarding what?
The questioner : The Hijri calendar.
The Shaykh : The Hijri calendar, yes.
The questioner : No, I have not finished answering this question.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Adhering to it, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) [did so].
The Shaykh : It is obligatory to adhere to it because, first, it is a sunnah (recommended practice) of one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and second, it is an Islamic symbol. Therefore, I am pleased with the occasion of the anniversary of Taki al-Din al-Hilali, who had established a good sunnah (recommended practice) among the Muslims. He would date things by the Christian calendar, saying "the Christian calendar," because they call it "Miladi" (Christian) to soften it. Milad of whom? The birth of Isa (Jesus). So, he called it the Christian calendar to express the reality. What is the Islamic calendar? It is the Hijri calendar. So, one should adhere to this, and we regret [the contrary].
The questioner : This is just as Europe is called by the names of France and Britain, and they use the term "Christian" for some of our brothers there. They say, for example, "Christian America," "Christian France." This is a Christian from France, this is a Christian from Britain, to clarify this. A Christian president, this is a Jewish president, not called an Israeli, as they say.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And this means something good.
The Shaykh : Regarding what?
The questioner : The Hijri calendar.
The Shaykh : The Hijri calendar, yes.
The questioner : No, I have not finished answering this question.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Adhering to it, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) [did so].
The Shaykh : It is obligatory to adhere to it because, first, it is a sunnah (recommended practice) of one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and second, it is an Islamic symbol. Therefore, I am pleased with the occasion of the anniversary of Taki al-Din al-Hilali, who had established a good sunnah (recommended practice) among the Muslims. He would date things by the Christian calendar, saying "the Christian calendar," because they call it "Miladi" (Christian) to soften it. Milad of whom? The birth of Isa (Jesus). So, he called it the Christian calendar to express the reality. What is the Islamic calendar? It is the Hijri calendar. So, one should adhere to this, and we regret [the contrary].
The questioner : This is just as Europe is called by the names of France and Britain, and they use the term "Christian" for some of our brothers there. They say, for example, "Christian America," "Christian France." This is a Christian from France, this is a Christian from Britain, to clarify this. A Christian president, this is a Jewish president, not called an Israeli, as they say.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And this means something good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.