460. Are the Islamic years named after Hijirath.
Verses (2:218, 3:195, 4:89, 4:97, 4:100, 8:72, 8:74, 9:20, 9:100, 9:117, 16:41, 16:110, 22:58, 24:22, 29:26, 33:7, 33:50, 59:8, 59:9, 60:10) of the Quran talk about carrying out Hijirath.
The meaning of the word Hijirah is to stay aloof or dislike, or disregard. In Islamic parlance Hijirah refers to a particular sacrifice implying when there is no possibility of leading an Islamic way of life and safeguard one’s own Islamic ideology in his life, he must forsake all his riches, properties, people, kith and kin and move over to a place where he is free to practice his Islamic way of life.
The Hijiri or the Islamic era begins from the time Prophet Muhammad migrated from Makkah and moved to Madina.
Though Hijiri year has been designated as the beginning of the Islamic year, there is no proof of this declaration in the Quran or the hadiths
Prophet Muhammad did not declare to make a count of the Islamic year from the time of his departure from Makkah to Madina.
During the time of Prophet Muhammad, his comrades were seen keeping count of the year with Elephant year.
The Arabs named the year as the year of the elephant in which king Abraha and his army of elephants were decimated when they attempted to destroy Kaaba, and they marked the events of having taken place as before and after the elephant year.
Ibnu Abbas says Prophet Muhammad was born in the year of the elephant. (Haakim, Bazzar)
Had the same custom of following the elephant been continued it would have been considered appropriate.
Or considering the day the Quran was revealed (since that day is considered to be more special than a thousand months) as the beginning of the Islamic year would be much more appropriate.
During the reign of Umar (RA) it was discussed and decided to declare the starting of Hijarath by the great prophet as the starting of the Islamic calendar.
There is no harm in accepting this arrangement made on the basis of an administrative necessity.
Since Islam has been completely revealed with the demise of Prophet Muhammad, connecting any event after his demise would not augur well for Islam because for not being guided or approved by Him. There were no divine revealations after Prophet Muhammad, and anything not considered as divine revealations does not form part of Islam, and arguing to implement something not part of Islam is ignorance.
