Abstract
Abstract Although the Islamic calendar was first used in the Arabian peninsula in the seventh century AD, its use has spread throughout the world to wherever Islam is practised. It is employed to regulate the feasts and fasts of that religion, but in many Islamic countries, the Gregorian calendar is used for civil purposes. From the earliest times the Arabian peoples observed a strictly lunar calen dar. In the twelfth month they made a pilgrimage to Mecca. There they indulged in rituals associated with the sacred meteorite given to Abraham by Gabriel and now embedded in the walls of the Ka’ba; at the end of the pil grimage an animal was slaughtered. Since a lunar calendar does not keep step with the seasons, this sometimes led to logistic difficulties in finding food for the trip and animals for slaughter. To ensure sufficient supplies they started to intercalate a month, so as to keep the 12th in the autumn. They had learnt of this stratagem from the Jews ofYathrith, and adopted it in AD 412.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
