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While the Western world celebrates the beginning of 1991 this January, the Islamic new year, marking the beginning of the Muslim era, is not observed until July 12, 1991. That, for Muslims, will be the first day of 1412 AH (After Hijra).
The Muslim era began with the hijra (migration) of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina to escape from persecution in the year 622 AD, or 1 AH. The migration is a seminal event for Muslims because it resulted in the first Islamic state and society.
Unlike the Gregorian calendar based on the solar year of 365 days, the Muslim calendar is lunar. Its months are calculated from the beginning of one lunar cycle to the beginning of the next.
Since the average interval between similar phases of the moon is 29 days, 12 hours and 44 minutes, the 12 months of the Islamic calendar alternate between 30 and 29 days in length. The total number of days in the hijra year is 353, 354 or 355.
The holiest month of the Muslim calendar is Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar year. Because the lunar calendar, based upon slightly shorter years, travels backward through the solar calendar, any given date falls 10-12 days earlier...