Tuesday, August 10 2021, marked the Muslim New Year in Nigeria; the beginning of year 1443 after Hijrah (AH).
The President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, after considering the report of the National Moon Sighting Committee, declared today Tuesday, August 10, 2021, as the first day of the Muslim New Year. In a statement signed by the NSCIA’s Director of Administration, Arc. Zubairu Haruna Usman-Ugwu, the Sultan wished all Muslims a happy new year..
Happy New Hijrah Year to all Muslim faithful!
The day marks 1,443 years after the historic migration of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH) from Makkah, his birthplace, to Madinah, the second holiest city of Islam. That historic relocation, which took place in the 622 Christian Era (CE) is referred to as Hijrah. The Islamic calendar, which is purely based on lunar cycles, was introduced in 638CE by Umar bn Al-Khattab (AS), the second Caliph of Islam and a close companion of the Prophet (PBUH).
After due consultations between Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and his advisers, it was agreed that the most appropriate starting point for the Islamic calendar was the year in which the Hijrah took place, 622CE.
The Islamic calendar is usually abbreviated as ‘AH’, meaning ‘After Hijrah’. The Hijrah is the central historical event of early Islam which led to the foundation of the first Muslim city-state and a turning point in Islamic and world history.
Muslims are encouraged to take advantage of this sacred season to renew their covenant with their creator by sincerely resolving to abandon everything evil so that virtue, not a vice, becomes the only source from which their words and deeds emerge.
