يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَنْ تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ ظُهُورِهَا وَلَكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَى وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ [البقرة: 189
They ask you about the phases of the moon. Say, “These are signs for the people to reckon dates and fix the periods for hajj.” Also tell them, “It is no virtue to enter your houses from their backs; real virtue is that one should refrain from incurring the displeasure of Allah; so enter your houses by their proper doors. And fear Allah so that you may gain (true) success. (Al Quran, Chapter 2, Verse189)
What is the meaning of the word “Ahillah”
in the above verse and how is it important for the dates (“Mawaakeeethu linnaasi wal hajj”)?
The different translations of the Qur’an render “Ahillah” to mean as “new moons” and by this, they refer to the first visible crescent in the beginning of every month. We have examined Quran translations in eight languages. All give the same meaning. In fact, Ahillah does not mean ‘new moons’. Tafseers Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Kurtubi etc give clear explanation.
The word ‘Ahillah’ is used in Quran only once in 2:189. It is not used again anywhere else in Quran. Even though Ahillah is plural of Hilaal, the Quran does not use Hilaal anywhere in the Quran. If the purpose was to identify a particular crescent that appears initially every month, it was only required to mention “Al Hilal” (i.e., a phrase like, ‘they ask you about Al hilal), because by using the word “The Hilal” alone it could refer to a particular Hilal repeating in all 12 months. In reality there is only one moon exists and therefore the word Ahilla can only mean different shapes of the moon seen to us in different stages of its travel. We call them ‘phases’ in English (refer to verses 10:15, 36:39)
People wanted to know the significance of different shapes of the moon and they asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about it. They were not asking about the first crescent which appears on the sky every month. Allah ordered the Prophet (ﷺ) to tell them the purpose behind it. So he tells them they are dates for people and Hajj. People need dates to record and plan their activities of daily life. They were not a community like us using paper and pen. Very few of them knew that art. So their dates were not in calendars as we have today. They looked at the moon for their date. Their true calendar was hung in the sky
What is “Mawaaqeeth” ?
‘Mawaaqeeth’ is plural of ‘meeqath’ which is found in many places in Noble Qur’an. It means date. “Inna youmal fasli kaana meekathan” (78:17) (“the day of decision is a fixed date“). Therefore, the reference here clearly denotes to a ‘fixed’ and ‘determined’ date. So, “Hiya mawaakeethu linnasi wal Hajj” means “they are dates for people and Hajj”. This tells us that we should use the phases of the moon for our dates in all purposes, whether civil or religious. This verse forbids use of any other calendar. Unfortunately, we have abandoned this calendar and have chosen the erroneous Gregorian calendar!
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
[التوبة : 36
Surely the reckoning of months, in the sight of Allah, is twelve months, laid down in Allah’s decree on the day when He created the heavens and the earth; and out of these months four are sacred. That is the true ordainment. Do not, therefore, wrong yourselves, with respect to these months. And fight all together against those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity in the manner that they fight against you all together, and know well that Allah is with the God-fearing. (Al-Qur’an Chapter: 9 verse: 36)
The above verse makes it clear that Allah has precisely determined the number of months and the dates for mankind on the very first day of the creation of the universe. And therefore, dates and months are inviolable and we have no authority to arbitrarily fix or to cause any changes to the dates and months. In this verse it is pertinent to note that Allah categorically mentions that it is “Deenul Qayyima” meaning it is the True religion and ever-true law of Allah. Hence the sacredness of dates and days are to be completely respected by all. This is not just an issue of Ramadan and Eid, but this is an issue of a calendar system Allah intends mankind to follow.
إِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُحِلُّونَهُ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُ عَامًا لِيُوَاطِئُوا عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّوا مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ [التوبة : 37]
The intercalation (of sacred months) is an act of gross infidelity which causes the unbelievers to be led further astray. They declare a month to be lawful in one year and forbidden in another year in order that they may conform to the number of months that Allah has declared as sacred, and at the same time make lawful what Allah has forbidden. Their foul acts seem fair to them. Allah does not direct those who deny the Truth to the Right Way. (Al-Qur’an Chapter: 9 verse: 37)
This verse further confirms the sacredness of the dates and months. As per this verse, any kind of changes or alteration done would be considered as a grave offence in the sight of Allah since the inviolability of these months and dates are already fixed by Allah.
هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَاءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُورًا وَقَدَّرَهُ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ ذَلِكَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ يُفَصِّلُ الْآَيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ [يونس : 5]
He it is who gave the sun radiance and the moon light, and decreed the stages/places (for the waxing and waning of the moon) that you may learn the Counting of years and the calculation. Allah has created all this with a rightful purpose (rather than out of play). He expounds His signs for the people who know. (Al-Qur’an Chapter: 10 verse: 5)
Apart from mentioning the importance of different “manzil” of the moon which help us to determine the months and years, this verse clearly informs us that Allah has created all this with a definite purpose (Haqq) and the “knowledge” so derived from this, if followed accurately, would not lead us to any confusion and chaos.
وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ آَيَتَيْنِ فَمَحَوْنَا آَيَةَ اللَّيْلِ وَجَعَلْنَا آَيَةَ النَّهَارِ مُبْصِرَةً لِتَبْتَغُوا فَضْلًا مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَلِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنِينَ وَالْحِسَابَ وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ تَفْصِيلًا [الإسراء : 12]
We have made night and day as two signs. We made the sign of the night devoid of light, and made the sign of the day radiant that you may seek the bounty of your Lord and should learn the Counting of years and the calculation. Thus we have expounded everything in detail to keep everything distinct from the other. (Al-Qur’an Chapter: 17 verse: 12)
The above verse mentions the importance of day and night in relation to dates and years.
وَالْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْنَاهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّى عَادَ كَالْعُرْجُونِ الْقَدِيمِ [يس : 39]
We have ordained (decreed) places (stages/ phases) for the moon until finally it becomes like an old date-stalk. (Al-Qur’an Chapter: 36 verse: 39)
The above verse beautifully explains how a month in Allah’s calendar ends. If we keep on watching the moon in the last quarter, the position (manzil) of the moon changes and its shape (phase) gets smaller and smaller day by day, and finally, one day before the Day of Conjunction, we can see the moon which will be very thin and very close to the Eastern horizon as al urjoonal qadeem. This is a clear indication that, on the next day the moon will not be seen (being a conjunction day). The new month begins starting from the day after conjunction day.
In Tafsir Ibn Kathir while explaining 36:39, Imam (Rah) says:
<<”As for the moon, Allah has decreed that it should pass through different phases. At the beginning of the month, the moon appears small when it rises. It gives off little light, then on the second night its light increases and it rises to a higher position, and the higher it rises the more light it gives — even though it is reflected from the sun — until it becomes full on the fourteenth night of the month. Then it starts to wane until the end of the month, until it appears like the old dried curved date stalk. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “This is the original stem (which connects the bunch of dates to the tree).”>>
Tafsir Ibn Kathir explains “Wal Qamara Kadarunahu manazila” as; << “And the moon, We have decreed for it stages,) meaning, `We have caused it to run in a different orbit, from which passing of the months can be deduced, just as night and day are known from the sun.’>>
لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنْبَغِي لَهَا أَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَلَا اللَّيْلُ سَابِقُ النَّهَارِ وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ [يس : 40]
The sun cannot overtake the moon, nor can the night outpace the day: each float in [its own] orbit. (Al-Qur’an Chapter: 36 verse: 40)
الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ بِحُسْبَانٍ [الرحمن : 5]
The sun and the moon run on their fixed courses (exactly) calculated with measured out stages for each (for reckoning, etc.). (Al-Qur’an Chapter: 55 verse: 5)
فَالِقُ الْإِصْبَاحِ وَجَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ سَكَنًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ حُسْبَانًا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ [الأنعام : 96]
(He is the) Cleaver of the daybreak. He has appointed the night for resting, and the sun and the moon for reckoning. Such is the measuring of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. (Al-Qur’an Chapter: 6 verse: 96)
All the above three verses quoted above clearly inform us how precisely the moon and the sun traverse. These verses also inspire us to learn this calculation (hisab) for our benefit.
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ ﴿١٩٠﴾ الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّـهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَـٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿١٩١﴾
“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of night and day, there are indeed messages for all who are endowed with insight [and] who remember God when they stand, and when they sit, and when they lie down to sleep, and [thus] reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: “O our Sustainer! Thou hast not created [aught of] this without meaning and purpose. Limitless art Thou in Thy glory! Keep us safe, then, from suffering through fire!” (3:190-191)
Allah hereby brings out beautifully the characteristic of a believer how he should approach the universe. Allah mentions that “ulul albaab” (those who are gifted with knowledge) are those who think constantly about the creation of the universe and its order. In other words, in modern parlance, we can say ‘scientists’. It is our duty to find out the truthfulness of the universe and use them for the benefit of humanity.