Reply to "The Muharram Dilemma" by Marina Mahathir

This posting is in deed my reply to an article by Marina Mahathir entitled "The Muharram Dilemma". "The Muharram Dilemma" can be read by clicking on the address below.

http://www.thenutgraph.com/the-muharram-dilemma

This is my reply to Marina...

Assalamualaikum Marina,

First of all, allow me to clarify that there is no such thing as Arabic Calendar as mentioned by you in your article. However, if in deed there exist Arabic Calendar (perhaps I am not aware of), the Arabic Calendar referred to in your article is actually Islamic Calendar or also known as Hijrah Calendar. That is why Awwal Muharram (which means “the first day in the month of Muharram”) is alsk knows as “Ma’al Hijrah”. Ma’al Hijrah means “moving together”, which is in conjunction with the historic journey of the great Prophet Muhammad pbuh with his followers from the city of Mecca to the city of Medina 1430 years ago.

It is too much for you to say that Hijrah Calendar is “not very useful” especially when it comes from a Muslim because Hijrah Calendar is very important in our life as a Muslim. Our life is based on the circle of Hijrah Calendar. As Muslims, we fast, pray perform pilgrimage, etc and all these are based on Hijrah Calendar. So, the fact that Gregorian Calendar is being used in the world does not make the Hijrah Calendar less important and “not very useful”.

It does happen where Eidul Fitri is celebrated on different days in different countries in the world. However, please bear in mind that among the factors that cause such thing to happen are the earth movement and that the Hijrah Calendar is based on the movement of the moon and by falak. So, if the crescent (for Syawal) is not seen in Malaysia but can be seen in other countries, then other countries will celebrate Eidul Fitri one day earlier than Malaysia and vice versa. It is as simple as that.

You also mentioned that until it is actually upon us, you can’t tell when Awwal Muharram is. The same goes for the Prophet’s birthday and because of that, you deem the Hijrah Calendar as impractical, which makes these events less important. Once again, I would like to mention here that it is too much for you to make such an unwarranted statement, more so it comes from a Muslim. Have not you thought what will happen to the Gregorian Calendar new year and Christmas if the people in the world are using the Hijrah Calendar instead of Gregorian Calendar? Do not you think that the Christmas and the new year are moving every year and not static? Are you then going to say that the Gregorian Calendar is not relevant?

In Islam, there are only 2 festivals i.e. Eidul Fitri and Eidul Adha. The other celebrations such as Ma’al Hijrah, Maulud Nabi (birthday of the Prophet) etc are just a celebration in remembrance of the event that took place on that particular days many years ago and it is not stated in the Qur’an. As such, it is only the Muslims own initiative to celebrate the events as a symbol of respect for the events. Thus, the fact that the celebnration for these occasions are not as merrier as the 2 festivals have got nothing to do with Hijrah Calendar.

Your statement at the end of your article is uncalled for, embarrassing and very mush regretted when you are happily said that we as Mulims should not feel too bad not knowing when is Awwal Muharram, as the Orthodox Church are in disagreement on the Christ birthday. Why and why we as Muslims need to use other religion as a benchmark and compare it with our religion? The movement of the Hijrah Calendar and the indecisiveness of the birthday of Christ are not interrelated in any manner whatsoever and it is indeed an insult to Islam. Are you then suggesting that we, as Muslim should feel bad about Hijrah Calendar if the Cristians are in agreement on Christ birthday? I feel sorry for you.

By the way, I wonder what do you mean when you said that “we shouldn't feel too bad about not knowing when Awal Muharram is”? Because I believe the majority of Muslims in the world know that Awwal Muhraam falls on every first day of the month of Muharram.

Please remember this, the Prophet pbuh said in his hadith, “Al-Islammu ya’lu wala yu’la ‘alaihi” which means, “Islam is high and nothing is higher than it (Islam)”.