The aims of this section are two fold. The first aim is to demonstrate the validity of the lunar calendar. And the second but incidentally the very important aim is to find out the right dates for various events in the life of the Holy Prophet (sal).
The Holy Prophet (sal) was born on Monday, 14-03-53BH. Conventionally it is believed that the Prophet (sal) was born on 12th Rabiul avval (12-03-53). There is no controversy over the day Monday. When we check up the equivalent date in the solar calendar it is 05-05-570, a Monday. As 12-03-53 was a Saturday he could not have been born on 12-03-53. On the strength of the historical evidence pointed out earlier and from what the calendar shows it becomes clear that the Holy Prophet (sal) was born on 14-03-53BH a Monday. Of the thirteen important events quoted here for date fixation, nine of them took place on a Monday. Further the confirmed and accepted date of the demise of the Holy Prophet (sal) is 14-03-11AH, a Monday. The Holy Prophet (sal) was born and died on the same day: 14-03 a Monday. He was born and died on full Moon day of Rabiul Avval.
With 14-03-53AH = 05-05-570AD, Monday as the point of reference we can count the number of days the Holy Prophet (sal) lived in this world, pausing at eleven events in between his birth and death. This account should tell us how long he lived.
He received the first revelation Wahi on 27-09-13BH = 01-09-609, Monday. This historical event took place exactly 14365 days after the birth of the Holy Prophet (sal). The Prophet (sal) was 40 years and 190 days old according to the Lunar calendar and 39 years and 125 days old according the Solar calendar. A Lunar year is 354.3671 days long and a solar year is 365.2422 days long. The general statement that the Holy Prophet (sal) received Prophet hood at forty should not be taken literally. The first Wahi being in the eighth month of Ramadan, the Holy Prophet (sal) who was born in the third month of Rabiul Avval could not have been exactly forty during his first Wahi. The two dates of the two calendars given can be verified by dividing the days by the length of the year:
14365 / 354.3671 = Lunar years
14365 / 365.2422 = Solar years
The readers may convert the days into the Lunar and solar months through the above simple method and count the years from birth to death.
The third important event in the life of the Holy Prophet (sal) was his departure from home on
27-02-00BH = 18-09-621AD, a Friday
The time gap between the first Wahi and this event was 4400 days. The general belief is that the Prophet (sal) preached in Makkah for 13 years. As the objective of this book is to make the world Muslim community time conscious, it is but proper to know the exact time gap between the events. The prophet (sal) preached in Makkah for 12 years and 147 days according to the lunar calendar and 12 years and 17 days according to the solar calendar. One can calculate with his calculator to find this out. This is not to call the earlier historian wrong. Usually fractions are rounded off to the nearest zero for convenience of speech. Thus roughly speaking it is 13 years. However, as this section attempts at date fixation even a day counts.
The Holy Prophet (sal) proceeded to the Thour cave and hid there for 3 days. Then he proceeded to Quba on 01-03-00BH = 21-09-621AD Monday. That month of Safar had 29 days.
27-02-00, Friday 28 Saturday.
29 Sunday and 01-03-00BH Monday.
He traveled for 8 days (Monday to Monday) and reached Quba on 08-03-00BH = 28-09-621AD Monday. He stayed a week in Quba and reached Medina on 15-03-00BH = 05-10-
621AD Monday. Although Hijrath started the moment the Holy Prophet (sal) left his home 01-01-01AH was exactly 300 days after. Much took place during the 0 year. If we could calculate the progress of time in terms of days there will be no confusion. The Prophet (sal) lived in Medina from 15-03-00BH. However, as the month was Rabiul Avval, there were nine more months for the New Year. A calendar is a continuum. It is man who has to describe his activities with reference to time that is always on the move. There is a general misconception that the Islamic Lunar calendar started with the Hijrath of the Holy Prophet (sal). An artificial lunar calendar was in vogue during the pre-Islamic period. The number of days in a month was fixed and the difference that arose at the end of a year was adjusted by the introduction of a leap year. It had twelve months. Muharram was the first month and Dul Hajj was the last. When the Holy Prophet (sal) reached Medina he did not change the calendar. He did not call the 1st day in Medina 01-01-01 AH. He accepted the sanctity of the order of the month as man followed this Allah given order right from the start. So the first of the first month of Muharram of the first year was 01-01-01AH.
The Holy Prophet (sal) waited for the year to finish and the count of years started from one when the New Year was born. As Islam saw rapid growth only after the Hijrath it is but natural to begin the count of the year afresh.
However, historians should not forget to add the 300 days while calculating the life span of the Holy Prophet (sal). And they will have to understand the reason for the delay of nine months before the new Islamic Lunar calendar came into vogue. 01-01-01AH = 15-07-622AD was a Thursday. 193 days later during an Asar prayed the order for the change of Kiblah was given on 17-07-012AH = 24-01-622 AD, a Monday.
The order to fast was sent 27 days later on 15-08-01AH = 21-02-623AD, a Monday. The historical battle of Badre was fought 32 days after on 17-09-01 AH = 25-03-623 AD a Friday. 9 years and 42 days later the baby boy of the Holy Prophet (sal) Ibrahim (R) expired on 30-10-10AH = 27-01-632 AD, a Monday. The well-known Hajjathul wida took place 38 days later on 09-12-10 AH = 06-03-632AD, a Friday. Finally the Holy Prophet (sal) died 93 days after on 14-03-11AH = 08-06-632AD a Monday.
Of the thirteen events listed nine of them took place on a Monday. The first day of the first month of the first year was a Thursday. His departure from home, the battle of Badre and the Hajjathul Wida fell on a Friday.
The Holy Prophet (sal) lived from 14-03-53BH = 05-05-570AD, a Monday to 14- 03-11AH = 08-06-632 AD, a Monday. He lived for 22680 days and a few hours in all. When we calculate the days in terms of Lunar years we get:
22680 /365.2422 = 62 years and 35 days
One has to be careful when telling how long the Holy Prophet (sal) lived. If you follow the Lunar year you have to say 64 years. If you follow the Solar year you have to say 62 years. If you say 63 years, then you are falling in line with the historians who have missed the 300 days from the lunar calendar. It is high time we set right our dates too.