Imamology, Lesson 83-90: Commenting the verse on the respect of replacing the months

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Commenting the verse on the respect of replacing the months

By referring and relying on theses verses, the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, considered it unlawful to cast the months into the oblivion; and he explained that the acts and deeds of each month must be carried out in the same month.

The word ^[29] نسى‏ is an infinitive, like نذير   and نكير which is from the article:  نسا الشى‏ء ينسؤه نسا و منساة و نسيئا: اذا اخره تاخيرا which means: ‘He cast it into oblivion.’

Sheikh Tabarsi says: due to taking hold of the creed of the Holiness Abraham and Ishmael, Upon them be Peace,  the Arabs considered the four months of: Rajab, Dhul-Gha‘da, Dhul-Hijja and Muharram to be respectable and they highly honored them. They considered it to be unlawful fighting in those months; on the other hand, as they were fighters and their character was hostility, it was hard and intolerable for them to wait for three concessive months without fighting and looting. Therefore, they replace the reverent of Muharram to the month of Safar, that is: instead of Muharram, they took Safar as the unlawful month; and the month of Muharram ‘lawful’. For a period of time they acted this way and some later, they again replaced those two months and honored Muharram; they also used to do the same with the month Dhil-Hijja; they commanded about it.

Farra says: he who was responsible for replacing the lawfulness and unlawfulness of the months and ‘casting them into oblivion’ was a man from the Tribe of Kenana who was known a ‘Noaim bin Tha‘laba’. He was the chief in the season of the Hajj pilgrimage and used to say: ‘I am such a man that no man ever blames me; and I am quite competent in my job, whatever I command never fails!

In the season of the Hajj, people used to say to him: ‘You are quite right! Now, see! You have delayed a month for us! You have taken the honor of the Muharram and put the month of Safar instead!’ They would keep saying ‘Make Muharram lawful for us,’ he too would do it on their desire.

When the Islam emerged, the man responsible and the chief for the Hajj season was a man called Jonadat bin Auf bin Omayyad Kenani. And ibn Abbas says: the first one who started the ‘casting the months into oblivion’ was a man called ‘Amru bin Lahia bin Ghomat bin Khendif. However, Abu Muslim bin Aslam says: He was a man from the Tribe of Bani Kenana who was called ‘Ghalam‘mas’. He used to say: ‘This year, I have cast the month of Muharram into oblivion, so this year we have two months of Safar!’ Then, when the next year came he kept saying: ‘Now, we are repaying the reverence of the last year’s Muharram; so we are taking these two months as Muharram.’ Referring to his claim, the Kenani poet has said: و منا ناسى‏ء الشهر القلمس  

‘And ‘Ghalam‘mas’, who has the authority to cast the months into oblivion, is from our Tribe.’

And the poet, Komait says: 

و نحن النّاسِئون على معد       شهور الحِلّ نجعلها حراما.

‘We are of those among the Tribe of Mo‘add

Who replace the months and cast them into oblivion.’

And Mojahid says: ‘The disbelievers used to go on the Hajj pilgrimage successively twice in the month of Dhil-Hijja, and then, two times more in the month of Muharram; and so did they in the month of Safar and the other months of the year – in each month they used to go the Hajj twice. It went on until the Farewell Hajj pilgrimage which took place in the month of Dhul-Gha‘da. The Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, went on the Hajj pilgrimage the next year, which was the Farewell Hajj, was in agreement with the month of Dhil-Hijja; on this base, the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, stated it in his sermon:

الا و ان الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق الله السموات و الارض، السنة اثنا عشر شهرا منها اربعة حرم، ثلاثة متواليات: ذو القعدة و ذو الحجة و المحرم و رجب مضر الذى بين جمادى و شعبان.‏

“Now be aware that the time, in its circling, has reached to the same point that in the beginning Allah created the heavens and the earth, created it in the same way. A year consists of twelve months, and four of them considers to be the forbidden months: three of them are successive, Dhul- Gha‘da, Dhil-Hijja and Muharram and then the month of Rajab which is between Jamadi and Sha‘ban.”

In his statement, the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, wanted to make them understand that the forbidden months had reached their main appointed locations; the Hajj season had been rotated and reached the month of Dhil-Hijja – delaying the Hajj pilgrimage was cancelled. ^[30]

And in the Commentary of “Abu as-So‘ud”, after explaining the forbidden months and the statement of the Messenger of Allah on the Farewell Pilgrimage, that:

 ان الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق السموات و الارض.‏

and that the months are twelve, he has said: ‘It means that: due to the prohibition and the respect of the months, they have returned to their right positions which they were in the beginning. The Hajj Pilgrimage too returned to the month of Dhil-Hijja after being cast into oblivion in the Time of Ignorance. Therefore, the Hajj of the Messenger of Allah on the Farewell Pilgrimage coincided with the month of Dhil-Hijja; And prior to the Messenger’s Hajj was Abu Bakr’s Hajj which took place in the month of Dhul- Gha‘da.’ ^[31]

Similar to these commentaries that we saw in the “Maj‘ma-ul-Bayan” and the Commentary of “Abu as-So‘ud” can be found in almost all the commentaries. What is obtained from these commentaries is that: there were two differences of the months among the ignorant Arabs: one was the replacement of the forbidden months from their places, as the month of Muharram with Safar, and the other was the difference in the Hajj; it was why the Hajj in Dhil-Hijja was taken and it mingled with the other months and circulated until reaching the main first place – they called these two changes as ‘casting into oblivion’ or delaying. 

The good witnesses for the alteration of the forbidden months to the next months are some natives such as: it is extracted from the Commentary of “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” that ibn Abi Hatam and Abul Skeikh has quoted ebn Omar saying:

وقف رسول الله صلى الله عليه و آله و سلم بالعقبة، فقال: ان النسى‏ء من الشيطان زيادة فى الكفر، يضل به الذين كفروا، يحلونه عاما و يحرمونه عاما، و يحرمون صفر عاما و يستحلون المحرم و هو النسى‏ء. ^[32]

The Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, stopped at the land of Aghaba and said: “In fact, casting it to oblivion is of the affairs of Satan which is a cause to increase blasphemy, and the unbelievers get astray by this means. They considered the prohibited months to be lawful in one year, and then the next year they took them as the unlawful. They branded the month of Safar to be prohibited but the month of Muharram lawful. Thus, this is the meaning of ‘casting to the oblivion.’”

And also they have extracted it from “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” saying that: ‘Ibn Jarir, ibn Monzar, ibn Abi Hatam and ibn Mardoweiia have extracted it from ibn Abbas saying that:

كان جنادة بن عوف الكنانى يو فى الموسم كل عام، و كان يكنى ابا ثمادة، فينادى: الا ان ابا ثمادة لا يخاف و لا يعاب، الا ان صفر الاول حلال. ^[33]

و كان طوائف من العرب اذا ارادوا ان يغيروا على بعض عدوهم اتوه فقالوا: احل لنا هذا الشهر- يعنون صفر-، و كانت العرب لا تقاتل فى الاشهر الحرم، فيحله لهم عاما و يحرمه عليهم فى العام الآخر. و يحرم المحرم فى قابل ليواطئوا عدة ما حرم الله، يقول: ليجعلوا الحرم اربعة غير انهم جعلوا صفر عاما حلالا و عاما حراما. ^[34]

Jonada bin Auf, who was from the Tribe of Kenana and was called Abu Thamada, said that every year, at the season of the Hajj, was ready for the Hajj and he proclaimed: ‘O people! Be aware that Abu Thamada fears of nothing and no one can find fault with him! Be aware that the month of Safar is of the forbidden months.’

And it was the custom of the different tribes of the Arabs that when they wanted to attack their enemies, they went to them asking: “Make this month of Safar [or Muharram] lawful to us!’ (And it was the custom of the Arab that they did not fight in the prohibited months). Abu Thamada would make the first Safar month lawful for them, and he did the very month unlawful the next year – so that to balance with the months that Allah had made those numbered months unlawful.

Allah has stated: “They did it so that the number of the unlawful months not to be mixed up; or they would make the first Safar lawful in one year and unlawful in the next year.”

And also he has quoted “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” that ibn Monzar has extracted Ghattada saying about the verse: انما النسى‏ء زيادة فى الكفر that:

عمد اناس من اهل الضلالة فزادوا صفر فى الاشهر الحرم، و كان يقوم قائمهم فى الموسم، فيقول: ان الهتكم قد حرمت صفر، فيحرمونه ذلك العام، و كان يقال لهما الصفران.

و كان اول من نسا النسى‏ء بنو مالك من كنانة، و كانوا ثلاثة: ابو ثمامة صفوان بن امية، احد بنى فقيم بن الحارث، ثم احد بنى كنانة. ^[35]

Some of the astray people decided to add the Safar month to the other prohibited months, therefore, their chief would stand ad say: ‘Your gods have banned the month of Safar for you,’ therefore, they would consider it o be unlawful for them. And they would call both the month of Safar and Muharram just ‘Safar.’

And the first one who put ‘the delaying’ to circulation, was Banu Malik from Bani Kenana with three others: Abu Thomama Sefwan bin Omayyad and one from Bani Faghim bin Harith and the other from Banu Kenana.

And it is also put in “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” that: Ibn Abi Hatam has extracted it from the Noble Verse that:

كان رجل من بنى كنانة يقال له: جنادة بن عوف يكنى ابا امامة ينسى‏ء الشهور، و كانت العرب يشتد عليهم ان يمكثوا ثلاثة اشهر لا يغير بعضهم على بعض، فاذا ارادوا ان يغير على احدهم قام يوما بمنى فخطب فقال: انى قد احللت المحرم و حرمت صفر مكانه. فيقاتل الناس فى المحرم، فاذا كان صفر عمدوا و وضعوا الاسنة ثم يقوم فى قابل فيقول: انى قد احللت صفر و حرمت المحرم فيواطئوا اربعة اشهر فيحلوا المحرم.‏ ^[36]

He was a man from the Kenana Tribe who was called: Abu Amam Jonadat bin Auf, and his main job was putting the months to oblivion. On the other hand, it was too intolerable for the Arabs to delay for three months without attacking each other and not looting the others’ properties, therefore, Jonadat wanted to alter the turns of the respectable months for them, so once he stopped the pilgrims at Mina and delivered a speech saying that: ‘I assigned the month of Muharram to be lawful for you, and instead, prohibited the month of Safar.’ Accordingly, since then, people kept fighting in the month of Muharram and then, when Safar approached, they put their armors aside and stopped fighting.

And the following year, he also made a lecture at Mina saying: ‘Now, I have assigned Safar lawful for you but Muharram unlawful.’ It was so that they agreed on the four months except that Muharram was considered to be unlawful.

And there are also two other similar narrative in “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” that ibn Madowiia has extracted from ibn Abbas who has commented the noble verse in the same way.^[37]

And there also some narratives concerning the alteration of the seasons of the Hajj pilgrimage, that is replacing the time of Hajj with other months due to the month of Dhil-Hijja to find its right place.

And it is put in “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” that: Tabrani, Abu ash-Sheikh and ibn Mardowiia have extracted it from Amru bin Shoaib quoting his father, he too quoting his grandfather saying:

كانت العرب يحلون عاما شهرا، و عاما شهرين، و لا يصيبون الحج الا فى كل ستة و عشرين سنة مرة، و هو النسى‏ء الذى ذكر الله تعالى فى كتابه.

فلما كان عام الحج الاكبر ثم حج رسول الله صلى الله عليه [و آله‏] و سلم من العام المقبل فاستقبل الناس الاهلة، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه [و آله‏] و آله و سلم: ان الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق الله السموات و الارض.‏ ^[38]

‘It was the custom of the Arabs that they took a month as unlawful in each year, and they took two months lawful the next year instead. As this act turned the lunar months circling, so that the main month of the Hajj to find its place, it took twenty-six years to see such occasion; therefore, it is the same ‘casting to the oblivion’ that Allah states in His Book.’

The process continued until it was the time for the Greater Hajj, the very Hajj that the Messenger of Allah performed. It took place in a year that when the people counted the months it agreed with the Hajj month. The Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, stated it in his sermon: “Now, the time has turned round and it is exactly the very time that Allah created the heavens and the earth in the same shape which is known today.”

And it is also put in “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” that: Ahmad Hanbal, Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, ibn Monzar, ibn Abi Hatam, Abu ash-Sheikh and ibn Mardowiia and Beihaqi have extracted it from the book of “SHA‘B-ul-IMAN” of Abu Bakra that the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, delivered a sermon on his Hajj pilgrimage stating that:

الا ان الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق الله السموات و الارض، السنة اثنا عشر شهرا، منها اربعة حرم، ثلاثة متواليات: ذو القعدة و ذو الحجة و المحرم، و رجب مضر الذى بين جمادى و شعبان.‏ ^[39]

“Know that the time has turned round, now it is in the same way that, in the beginning, Allah had created the heavens and the earth. A year consists of twelve months which twelve of them are considered to be the respected months; three out of these four are successive: they are Dhi-Gha‘da Dhi-Hijja and Muharram. One of them single which RAJAB MOZAR, and it is between Jomadi and Sha‘ban.”

And it is also in “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” that Bazzaz, ibn Jarir, have also extracted this from Abu Horaira;^[40] and ibn Jarir, ibn Abi Hatam and ibn Mardowiia have quoted ibn Omar.^[41] And also ibn Monzar, Abu ash-Sheikh and ibn Mardowiia have extracted it from ibn Abbas.^[42]

And it is also put in “Ad-Durr al-Mansour” that Abd-ur-Razzaq, ibn Monzar, ibn abi Hatam and abu ash-Shekh have extracted it from Mojahid saying that the commentary:

انما النسى‏ء زيادة فى الكفر گفته است كه: فرض الله الحج فى ذى الحجة و كان المشركون يسمون الاشهر: ذو الحجة و المحرم و صفر و ربيع و ربيع و جمادى و جمادى و رجب و شعبان و رمضان و شوال و ذو القعدة و ذو الحجة ثم يحجون فيهِ.

ثم يسكتون عن المحرم فلا يذكرونه، ثم يعودون فيسمون صفر صفر، ثم يسمون رجب جمادى الآخرة، ثم يسمون شعبان رمضان، و رمضان شوال، و يسمون ذا القعدة شوال، ثم يسمون ذا الحجة ذا القعدة، ثم يسمون المحرم ذا الحجة، ثم يحجون فيه و اسمه عندهم ذو الحجةِ.

ثم عادوا الى مثل هذه القصة فكانوا يحجون فى كل شهر عاما حتى وافق حجة ابى بكر الآخرة من العام فى ذى القعدة، ثم حج النبى صلى الله عليه [و آله‏] و سلم حجته التى حج فيها فوافق ذو الحجة، فذلك حين يقول صلى الله عليه [و آله‏] و سلم فى خطبته: ان الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق الله السموات و الارض.^[43]

Turning a blind eye to the anxiety and worry in beginning of the text, what is obtained and benefitted from this narrative is that: the pre-Islamic Arabs performed the pilgrimage to the Sacred House in the month of Dhi-Hijja, while having in their minds to perform the Hajj in one of the months of the year; therefore, they rotated the time of the Hajj one after another in each year. When the time of Hajj happened in any month of the year, they called it the month of ‘Dhi-Hijja’ – they did not call the month with its real name.

And the outcome was that each year when they performed the Hajj pilgrimage, was counted thirteen months. Then, the names of some months would be repeated twice or once, as it is mentioned in this narrative. And Tabari has mentioned it that the Arabs set the months of the year to be thirteen; there is also another narrative saying that they considered it to be twelve months plus twenty-five days.

Thus, the best way is that the names of all the months to be changed, and never the name of a month to be similar to the next, but except once in every twelve months, then, if this delay is proved then it is according to the circulation of the time.^[44]

Fakhr Razi has discussed it in details in his commentary under the verse:

 ان عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا فى كتاب الله‏

‘…surely the number of [lunar] months, with Allah, is twelve in Allah’s Book, (Qur’an: 9/36).’

Know that this explanation is the third kind of the ugly affairs of the Jews, Christians and the disbelievers who try to alter the commands of Allah. They also tried to alter the commands of Allah in the past, and they changed some by ‘casting it to the oblivion’; thus, in fact, they did altar it by their own desires – this will cause them to increase in their disbelief and regret!

Then, in his first explanation concerning the subjects he has put forward, he has said that: ‘Know that a year consists of twelve lunar months to the Arabs, and the reason for that is the this verse as well as the statement of Allah, the Highest:

 هو الذى جعل الشمس ضياء و القمر نورا و قدره منازل لتعلموا عدد السنين و الحساب.‏^[45]

‘…It is He Who placed the sun as the radiance, and the moon for light, and measured it out in phases in order you may know how to count out the years and reckonings, (Qur’an: 10/5).’

 In this verse, Allah has assigned the constant circling of the moon to let us know the account of the years, it is true but when the year is related to the circling of the moon. And also Allah’s other statement is related on this:

يسئلونك عن الاهلة قل هى مواقيت للناس و الحج.‏^[46]

‘…(O Muhammad,) they question you about the phases of the new moon, so say, ‘they serve as datelines for man to show the fixed period of time as well [the time for] the Hajj Pilgrimage, (Qur’an: 2189).’

But with the other people than the Arabs, a year is considered by the sun’s a whole turn circling. And as the lunar year is a certain amount shorter than the solar year, the lunar months move and change their positions. Therefore, sometime the Hajj season occurs in the winter, and next time in the summer; and of course it is difficult for the Hajj pilgrims. On the other hand, when they took the pilgrimage journey, they also did some business, but with the change of the seasons they could not do their trades.

To avoid this problem, the Pagan Arabs carried out their journey and trades according to the leap year,^[47] that is, they assigned their going to Hajj on the basis of the solar year. Therefore, their journeys to Mecca always happened to be in a certain time and season, and it would bring them two benefits: one the suitable hot or cold season and the second their businesses.   

Although ‘Delaying’ [for Hajj] that occurred in the lunar months, was not for their worldly benefit, but it was not against the command of Allah, the Lofty, because the time that Allah has assigned for the Hajj pilgrimage is in a specific months and limited time. However, by delaying it the time for Hajj season gives way to another month and it is absolutely against the command of Allah. So, it is because of this that it is considered a sin and disbelief in the verse – has blamed those changing the rule.

And as the solar year is longer than the lunar year, they brought the excessive days together and made a whole month out of them and then added it to the end of the year: calling it a thirteen-months-year! It is why Allah has considered it an ugly affair and an act of disbelief! He has stated that: Allah’s everlasting command is that a year must include twelve months – neither more nor less than that. The rule which they have invented for some of the years and made a thirteen-months-year is a false rule against the main rule of Allah. It has made the Rule of Allah change and it is against the religion!

In old time, the Arabs’ customs, rules and religion were based on the lunar years, but not the solar one. They had inherited this custom from the Holy Abraham and Ishmael, peace be upon them. However, the customs, rules and the religions of the Jews and Christians were not so. Some of the Arabs learned the Leap Year and casting the months to oblivion from the Jews and the Christians, and then, circulated it in the Arabs dwelling towns. ^[48]

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The statement of Fakhr Razi on the comment of the verse of the replacing the months

After stating a clear subject, Fakhr Razi has said that: ‘The word ‘delay’ means ‘casting to oblivion’, and Abu-Zeid has said:

 نسات الابل عن الحوض انساها نسا اذا اخرتها، و انساته انساء اذا اخرته عنه و الاسم النسيئة و النس‏ء.

But Ghutrab has said:

 النسى‏ء اصله من الزيادة، يقال نسا فى الاجل و انسا، اذا زاد فيه‏,

To his statement, Wahedi has answered: ‘The right sentence is the first one, the real meaning of ‘delay’ is ‘casting to oblivion’. And here, the purpose of the ‘delay’ is the duration but not the excessiveness. ^[49]

And then Fakhr Razi has said: ‘If the pre-historic Arabs had set their Hajj on the basis of the Lunar Year, then as it was sometimes in the winter and sometimes in the summer, travelling would become difficult for them in those seasons, and nor would they benefit from their journey. Because the others would come to the Hajj in other suitable occasions and they could not observe the respect of the Lunar year to take their Hajja pilgrimage, therefore, they avoided the Lunar Year and picked the Solar year instead. And as the Solar Year is a certain days longer than the Lunar Year, they found it necessary to take to the Leap Year, and then, through the Leap Year they faced two things:

The first one was that because of the excessive days in the Solar Year, they had to assign some years to be thirteen months.

And the second one was that the Hajj season moved from some months to the other months: in some years it happened to be in Dhi-Hijja, and then in Muharram and next in Safar. The months turned similarly until when it happened in Dhi-Hijja again.

Therefore, by taking the Leap Year into practice, two other things emerged: the excessive days in the months, and the delay of the reverence of Muharram to the other months. Now whether we take the meaning of ‘delay’ as ‘casting to oblivion’ in the verse of the Qur’an, as the most leaned do, or we take it as ‘the excessiveness’, as some of the other learned do, it will mean the same.

In short, the outcome is that the foundation of the worshipping, which was in the Lunar month, was against their worldly interest, but the base of the Solar year for their benefit. Allah has commanded them since the time Abraham and Ishmael, peace be upon them, to put the foundation of their affairs on the Lunar month, however, for the worldly interest, they did not follow the command of Allah. They abandoned the Lunar year and took to the Solar year, and they went on the Hajj pilgrimage in other months than the assigned prohibited months. Therefore, Allah reproaches and humiliates them for their disbelief.

However, the cause of the extreme disbelief is that: they fulfilled their Hajj pilgrimage in the other months than the prohibited ones, and they knew that their acts were against what they had been commanded, and they knew that it was totally against the will of Allah but they openly avoided it and earned disbelief instead.

But according to their calculation that they earned more in that way, and they adjusted them with the Leap years, all and all are recorded in the books of their conducts.

And Wahedi has said that: the majority of the scholars have said that this ‘delaying and casting to oblivion’ is not specified for only one month, but it has been taken place in all the months. And due to what is said so far, this statement is quite correct with us; and also due to the Muslims unanimously saying what the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, said in his sermon in the Farewell Pilgrimage. He said that in fact, the Hajj Pilgrimage returned to its original place as it was right from the start. And in his sermon, the Messenger of Allah stated:

الا ان الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق السموات و الارض، السنة اثنا عشر شهرا.

‘Be aware! Indeed the time [of the Hajj] has turned to its original position which was at the time of the creation of the heavens and earth – the year consists of twelve months.’^[50]

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The statement of Biruni about the replacing the months and altering the Lunar year to the Solar year

And prior to Fakhr Razi, Abu Reihan Birouni ^[51] had discussed in several places in his famous book: “al-Aathar-ul-Baghiia anel ghoron al-Khaleia” about the Arabs’ ‘delaying the months and the main history of Islam as well the names of the months. In one of them, after mentioning the names of the twelve months in this way:

المحرم، صفر، ربيع الاول، ربيع الآخر، جمادى الاولى، جمادى الآخرة، رجب، شعبان، رمضان، شوال، ذو القعدة، ذو الحجة.^[52]

He had said: ‘In the Ignorant Time, the Arabs used to call the names of the months as the Muslims call them now, and their Hajj pilgrimage circulated in all four seasons, but they wanted to take the Hajj pilgrimage when it was the best time for their trades: to sell their animals’ skins and other materials which they prepared once a year for the occasion of the Hajj to sell them to the pilgrims. They tried to assign a good occasion for their business to be the best time for their trades as well the Hajj pilgrimage.’

Once, some about two hundred years before the Immigration Year, the Arabs learned the Leap Year’s case from the Jews who were living in their neighborhood. It was in this order that they piled up the excessive days of the Lunar Months and made a whole month out of them, and then, they added the created month to the twelve months of the year and made a thirteen-months- year. And at that time, the guardian for the Hajj pilgrimage was a man called "قلامِس", (Ghalamis),^[53] who would make a lecture and sermon after the Hajj pilgrimage ended, and would announce the delaying of the months and call the next month after the present month.

And as the Arabs obeyed them, all agreed with what they said and called the act of this ‘casting to oblivion’. Because in every two or three years, they delayed the beginning of the year of Arabs according to the days needed.

On this base, one of their orators says:

لنا ناسى‏ء تمشون تحت لوائه             يحل اذا شاء الشهور و يحرم‏ 

‘That delayer position is from us that you are living under its banner, He makes lawful any month he desires and make unlawful each month He wants.’

And the first delaying in months which took place was in Muharram. Therefore, the name of Safar is nominated for the Muharram, and the name of Rabi Aw‘wal is for Safar, and in the same way one after another, they put the name of each month after the next month.

The second delaying in months which took place was for the month of Safar. And this act of delaying kept turning continuously, and turned round in all twelve months of the year until it reached the first starting position.

It was the custom of the Pagan Arabs to count the delaying days and by the number of them they used to say: from a certain time to now the time has circulate such numbered days, that is a course has past. And in this way, if a month in the four seasons of the year would reach earlier, they would consider that earlier approaching month in the account of the Lunar Month, so again they would take it as the Leap year.^[54] And in this way, they would get to learn the circulation of moon and the variation of it positions from time to time.

It was the same until the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, immigrated, and as I mentioned it already, the dallying course had reached to the month of Sha‘ban; so they called it Muharram, and they took the month of Ramadan for Safar.

The Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, waited in Medina until he took the Farewell Pilgrimage. [Before leaving Medina,] he lectured for the people saying:

الا و ان الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق الله السموات و الارض.‏

‘Be aware! Indeed the time [of the Hajj] has turned to its original position which was at the time of the creation of the heavens and earth.’

By saying so, he meant that the Lunar Months had turned to their original positions and the Arabs ‘delaying time, and casting to oblivion’ duration had been wiped out. Therefore, the Hajj which was the Farewell Pilgrimage, they called ‘The Hajj of Aghwam’, so since then, their previous custom considered to be unlawful and was forgotten.^[55]

And in another occasion, it is said that: ‘The 19^th of Ramadan is the day for the conquest of Mecca, therefore, the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, did not take the Hajj pilgrimage. It was because for ‘casting the days to oblivion’ the Arabic months had lost their positions. So, the Holiness waited until the months reached to their right position and then took the Farewell Pilgrimage – and he banned the case of ‘casting to oblivion’ on that journey.^[56]

Fal‘linow, in his book, “Elm-ul-Falak”, says: ‘This presumption that the term ‘casting to oblivion’ is a kind of Leap year so that the balance of the Lunar Months to be parallel with the Solar Year, is not the idea of Fakhr Razi, because many astrologists had taken the lead. Prior to all, as we know, was Abu Ma‘shar Balkhi,^[57] who passed away in the Lunar Year 272 after the Immigration.

Abu Ma‘shar has put it in his book “al-Oulof”^[58] that: The Arabs, in the Ignorant Era, used to know the course of the year by observing the new moon each month – as it is the custom of the Muslims nowadays. And they took the Hajj pilgrimage on tenth of Dhil-Hijja, and this season did not happen in a certain time during the year, it was always in variation. Sometimes it was in the summer, and sometimes in the winter and sometimes in the rest seasons. It was just because the differences between the Solar and Lunar years.

They could not take their Hajj pilgrimage to agree with their business and trading, and in the mean time, the weather to be agreeable with their conditions – to be not so cold or too hot; and the trees to be green with the affluent with the fruits. So that their journey to Mecca to be easy and while staying there and fulfilling their Hajj rites, to do their business too. Therefore, the Leap Year from the Jews and changed its name from the Leap Year to the “NASI’, ‘casting to oblivion’. The only difference was that the Jews considered seven Lunar Months out of nineteen years the leap Year, so that their nineteen Lunar Year to be as nineteen of the Solar year. However, the Arabs considered twelve Lunar Months to be the Leap out of twenty four years.

They chose Bano Kenana, who was called ‘Falam‘mas’  for this important affair; and they called his son Ghalamsa, who also was the custodian for the Hajj – people also called them both as “NASA‘AT”, which was driven from the word ‘NASI’ meaning ‘casting to oblivion’. And the word “Ghalamsa” as after a sea full with water; and the last one of his children who took this job as his task was: Abu Thomama Jonada bin Auf bin Omayyad bin Ghala bin Abbad bin Ghala bin Hozaifa.

In the season of the Hajj, when Ghalamsa wanted to be expired, he started his sermon in Arafat, and he began his sermon when the Hajj of Dhil-Hijja occurred to be on that year, and he included the month of Muharram to those twelve months. He put the month of Safar in the beginning of each year, in this way, the month of Muharram would happen to the last month of the year, and it took the place of Dhil-Hijja when the people would take their Hajj pilgrimage in that month. Thus, the Hajj pilgrimage would happen twice each year, and after that, when the Hajj was coming to an end, again he started his sermon, and in his lecture, he would announce the month of Safar to be delayed; the same Safar that he had put in the beginning of the year in two previous years. In this way, the Hajj pilgrimage would happen to be in a year that Safar month at the end of the year. Every two years he did the same until the circulation would reach to the original position. Ghalamsa considered each two years being twenty-five months.

Also Abu Ma‘shar, in the same book of his has related of some Arabs that: The Arabs’ custom was so that in every twenty-four of Lunar years, considered nine months to be the Leap Months, in this way, they considered the difference between the Lunar and Solar months which was about ten days and twenty-ones hours and one fifth of an hour^[59] and then when these excessive days became nearly a month, they added one whole month to the year – but they calculated this excessive time as ten days and twenty-one hours. On this basis, by the process of time, the adjustment of their months became as they desired – it was neither fast nor fell behind, until the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, took the Hajj pilgrimage. ^[60]

In his book, Fal‘linow has specified his lessons twelve, thirteen and fourteen on the information of the Ignorant Arabs about the heavens, stars and the subject of ,casting to oblivion’ which is mentioned in the Qur’an, as well as some verses of the Qur’an and the opinions of the commentators. ^[61]

Now, the purpose of our discussion on the ‘casting to oblivion’ in this verse has become clear, especially by the numerous narratives which have been brought in this subject. Apart from that, the explanations of the historians, and the scholars on the astronomies and stars, like Abu Reihan Birouni, Abu Ma‘shar Balkhi, and also the explanation of the great Rah‘hala and the lofty historian: Ali bin Hussein Mas‘oudi passed away in 346 Hijjri in the “Morawwaj az-Zahab”,^[62] and in the beautiful book of “at-Tanbih and al-Ashraf” that says the formula of the Lunar months have been changed for two reasons:

The first one is because of the delaying months’ change from their own places, as the month of Muharram that they cast it to oblivion and ignored its reverence, and they re-named it as Safar – they did not stop fighting and looting in that month. Then, to honor and respect the four months of “Dhul-Gha‘da, Dhul-Dhul-Hijja, Muharram and Rajab”, they stopped fighting during that period. And it was because: ليواطئوا عدة ما حرم الله to obey what was unlawful for them – and it was the same amount.

The second was because of delaying the season of the Hajj pilgrimage, or replacing the month of fasting and the other prayers. They would do it only because of the change of the weather and their desirable businesses in the best time of the year, as well attracting the tribes for the Hajj. According to what they did, the time of the Hajj always changed its right place to the best weather and season of the year. It always varied according to the Lunar months, until every thirty-three years of Leap Year, or every twenty-six years of bewly invented leap years; as it was in the narrative of Amru bin Shoaib quoting his father and grandfather that: the season of Hajj reached its original time. It was why the Holiness announced it in his sermon: 

 ان الزمان قد استدار كهيئته يوم خلق الله السموات و الارض.‏

‘Indeed the time [of the Hajj] has turned to its original position which was at the time of the creation of the heavens and earth.’

And we are not obliged to consider the delay of the months, especially the month of the Hajj pilgrimage as a fact, for the blessed verse refers to the common and it is for every one of the delays, the famous narratives confirm this claim of us.

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Altering the months is out of legislation

Therefore, in the illuminated religion of Islam, it is unlawful to change the main places of the respected months. And it is unlawful to delay the rites of each month, such as the month of Ramadan or the season of the Hajj which are prescribed to be fulfilled in their own right times. So, replacing the Lunar months with the solar ones or vice versa is absolutely wrong and is not permissible in Islam.

The Muslims cannot fast the ‘fast of Ramadan’ in the month of Shaw‘wal or in any of the other mild an desirable months of the year, or because of the short days and mild climate of the winter to fast in that season – that is, they cannot base their fasting on the solar months.

And the Muslims cannot perform their ‘Dhil-Hijja’ Hajj in the month of Muharram, or in any mild or desirable month of the year; that is, they cannot chose a suitable season to perform their Hajj and, in the mean time, to do their business. They cannot base their Hajj pilgrimage on the solar months.

And it is also the same with the other duties, obligations, recommends, the unlawful, and the disapproved; as well the society commands and the reliable traditions and the customs that we face in our society.

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The Islamic calendar is the lunar calendar

The Muslims cannot assign the solar months as the standard for their daily lives and the date and history, because in the Holy Qur’an, the lunar month has been clearly enjoined as the Muslims’ date and time; it is announced:

و ان عدة الشهور عند الله اثنا عشر شهرا فى كتاب الله يوم خلق السموات و الارض منها اربعة حرم.‏ ^[63]

‘…surely the number of [lunar] months, with Allah, is twelve in Allah’s Book since the day He created the heavens and the earth, (Qur’an: 9/36).’

This verse clearly announces in that the Islamic official months and years are the Lunar months and years.

First of all, it is by this phrase: ‘الارض منها اربعة حرم’ because it is of the necessities that Islam has not assigned any of the months to be the unlawful month, but except the known four lunar months of “Dhul-Gha‘da, Dhul-Dhul-Hijja, Muharram and Rajab”. These four months are the lunar months but not the solar, and has been related in many narratives and the sermon of the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, that three of those months are together but one is separated. As it is said:^[64] ‘ثلاثة منها سرد و واحد منها فرد’, those three that are together include: Dhul-Gha‘da, Dhul-Dhul-Hijja, Muharram, and the one that is separated is the month of Rajab.

The second is the phrase: ‘عند الله‏’ and the third one is: ‘فى كتاب الله يوم خلق السموات و الارض‏’, as these phrases show that the months are totally unchangeable, and they have nothing to do with ‘being assigned or taken away, because with Allah, these months are fixed and never ever can be changed, so the form and the sense are the same and they can not be changed until the Day of Resurrection.

Therefore, in the command which is written in the book of genesis and in the Book of rules and laws was that: ‘ولا معقب لحكمه تعالى‏’ the Lofty Creator does not sit back from His command. So it becomes clear that the solar months, no matter how they have come to use, whether they have been assigned by the astrologists or have come to use on the basis of the conventional, they are not reliable.

However, the lunar months have been the same since Allah created the heavens and the earth – it starts when the new moon comes to sight and comes to an end when it disappears at its due time; as it is stated:

وَ الشَّمْسُ تَجْري لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَها ذلِكَ تَقْديرُ الْعَزيزِ الْعَليمِ ﴿38﴾ وَ الْقَمَرَ قَدَّرْناهُ مَنازِلَ حَتَّى عادَ كَالْعُرْجُونِ الْقَديمِ ﴿39﴾ لاَ الشَّمْسُ يَنْبَغي‏ لَها أَنْ تُدْرِكَ الْقَمَرَ وَ لاَ اللَّيْلُ سابِقُ النَّهارِ وَ كُلٌّ في‏ فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ ﴿40﴾

 ‘…and the sun that moves along on a course of its own; such is the arrangement of the All-knowing All-mighty! And We determined stations for the moon, so that it finally appears like an old palm-bough. Neither the sun can overtake the moon, nor the night is allowed to outpace the day, but each moves along in its own orbit, (Qur’an: 36/38-40).’

The Lunar Months are sensible and conscientious, they have vivid beginning and the ending in the genesis, and they are contrary to the conventional solar months. Although the four seasons as well the year are almost sensible and conscientious, however, only the twelve lunar months are considered the sensible and conscientious, because their origins are fixed.   

Therefore, it means that: a collection of twelve-months that makes a whole year are the same months that are fixed by the knowledge of Allah, the Glory be to Him, and highly Exalted. They are the same months that in the beginning of the genesis, the day when the heavens and the earth were created they were assigned; and the circulation of the entire world including the sun and the moon were confirmed. And the very real and fixed circulation was the basis for formation of the lunar months.

And among the verses that clearly refer to the necessity of the lunar months is, as it was already mentioned:

هُوَ الَّذي جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِياءً وَ الْقَمَرَ نُوراً وَ قَدَّرَهُ مَنازِلَ لِتَعْلَمُوا عَدَدَ السِّنينَ وَ الْحِسابَ

‘…it is He Who placed the sun as the radiance, and the moon for light, and measured it out in phases in order you may know how to count out the years and reckonings, (Qur’an: 10/5).’

It becomes clear that with the different shapes and features of the moon in the sky: when appearing as the crescent, hazy, freezing, and balanced until it becomes round as the full-moon, and again begins to decline, without referring to the astrologists, people can find the exact time and date while travelling in the deserts. It is but by the means of the lunar months, not that the solar ones. Although the term of “The Sun” is used in this verse, the circulation of time and dates are based on “The Moon”.

And among the verses is the verse 189, in chapter 2, the cow:

يَسْئَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأهِلَّهِ قُلْ هِىَ مَوَاقيِتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَ الْحَج.‏

‘… (O Messenger,) they question you about the phases of the new moon, so say, ‘they serve as datelines for man to show the fixed period of time as well [the time for] the Hajj Pilgrimage, (Qur’an: 2/189).’

Changing the lunar months to solar months is called ‘oblivious’, it means delaying some rites from their proper times; it is what the Qur’an mentions as the excessive disbelief. And the clearest and most interesting speech of the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, at Mina was this part that: right from the beginning, the lunar months were assigned on the basis of the traditions of Abraham, the Friend, and Ishmael, the sacrificed for Allah. However, in the time of the ignorant Arabs, they had been changed into the solar months. So the Holiness Messenger returned them to the lunar months and clearly announced that the season of their pilgrimage was quite right – due to the circulation of the time, they had performed their Hajj at the most proper time because the Hajj pilgrimage had been settled it its right position. Such a Hajj pilgrimage is called: “Hijjat-ul-Islam”, because according to the laws and rules of Islam, it has happened in its right time and position – and it was in the month of Dhul-Hijja which is real month for the Hajj pilgrimage.

It has been related in “Sira-e-Halabei‘ia” that:

يُقَالُ لَهَا حِجَّهُ السْلَامِ، قِيَلَ لاخْرَاج الْكُفَّارِ الْحَجَّ عَنْ وَقْتِهِ لأنَّ أهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّهِ كَانُوا يُؤَخِّرُونَ الْحَجِّ فِى كُلِّ عَامٍ أحَدَ عَشَرَ يَوْماً حَتَّى يَدُورَ الزَّمانُ إلَى ثَلَاثٍ وَ ثَلاثِينَ سَنَهً فَيَعُودُ إلى وَقْتِهِ وَ لِذَلِكَ قالَ (عليه السلام) فِى هَذِهِ الحِجَّةِ: إنَّ الزَّمَانَ قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ اللهُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَ الأرْض، فَإنَّ هَذِهِ الْحِجَّةَ كَانَتْ فِى السَّنَهِ الَّتِى عَادَ فِيهَا الْحَجُّ إلَى وَقْتِهِ وَ كَانَتْ سَنَهَ عَشر. ^[65]

The Hajj that the Messenger of Allah performed is called the “Hijjat-ul-Islam”, because it was in the proper season of the Hajj pilgrimage. Prior to the Messenger of Allah, the Quraish cast to oblivion the Hajj from its proper and exact time, and each year when they took the Hajj pilgrimage, it happened to be eleven days later then the previous year, and they kept doing so until the time of the Messenger of Allah when thirty-three years had already past from the time of the real Hajj. The time of Hajj pilgrimage had reached its right time, so the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, stated it in his sermon: ‘Now, the time has circled and reached at the very time that Allah had created the Heavens and the earth,’ because their Hajj pilgrimage happened to be on the tenth year of the Immigration which was the beginning of the year thirty-three.^[66]

And Ya‘qūbi, Masoudi and ibn Athir^[67] have stipulated this subject, however, among the events from the tenth year of the Hijrat, Masoudi has only stipulated this sentence of the Messenger of Allah that: انّ الزّمان قد استدار indeed time has become round.

All these explanations prove that changing the lunar months to the solar months is not permissible, and the all Muslims must adhere to the right term as the Messenger of Allah has announced it according to the tradition of the Holy Abraham, Upon Him be Peace, and the Glorious Qur’an, and then act on it in the same way.^[68] 

If a person says: ‘What difference it makes if the Muslims fulfill their religious rites, the worshipping duties such as the Hajj pilgrimage according to the lunar months but their other social tasks according the solar months! Is this way, they will not face the act of ‘delaying’, and it would not be an act of the sin for them; they only set their worldly activities, which have nothing to do with their religion, on the solar months of the ancient Iran such as the others: France, Germany and Russia do; their dates are based on the Christian date and calendar. But if they adjust their time and days according to the Messenger of Allah, Bless be to Him and his Descendants, Immigration year, then they can use the solar months for their daily affairs.

Our answer to their suggestion is: all the problems begin by this way of thinking, because, first of all, taking the solar date as the official date is against the command of the Qur’an, and the Prophet’s SUNNAH, and the conducts of the Imams and the Islam scholars; it is even against the will of All Muslims. 

And secondly, it is a grave separation between the religion and the politics. That is, the religious affairs will be according the lunar year while the other daily activities due to the solar months – one country with two different times and dates! It means nothing but clearly separating the religion from the politics, and in this case, the religion falls subject to the politics!

And thirdly, it is a cause of abandoning the history books, and cutting relation between the righteous generation and the unrighteous ones. It is because right from the beginning of Islam up to the present time, all the books, commentaries, narratives, histories and the translation of the religious books and even the science books such as the astrology, mathematics and great many other books: histories and events have been written according to the lunar months. Not only thousands, but millions of books which have been written in different languages: Arabic, Persian, Turkey, English and many other languages, in the era of the Muslim administrations, all are documents and the valuable proofs of the lunar years and months. Now, if they change the lunar months to the solar ones, then is it not casting those books and history to oblivion? As it not cutting the Islamic culture from the body of the society?

Changing the lunar months into the solar months is similar to altering the Islamic alphabet and writing to the alien alphabet and lettering, both they are the same.

And fourthly it is the cause of disarray among the Muslims in the world, because all the Muslims are relying on their lunar year system, and in that case, there occurs ideological and belief’s differences between our country and theirs. And if they too choose a special system of dating for them: whether historical, solar year, Christianity or Zoroastrian calendar and dates then it is unfortunate that they go opposite to the teaching of the Generous Messenger; and it will cause an acute separation among the Muslims – that is assured destruction!

History is of the basic affairs of the Islam, and the historical unity of the Muslims is the main cause of their unity in the culture of the Messenger of Allah, on the other hand, their differences in the history is the main cause for their separation and consequently their perishing.

The Islam that has brought together all nations and all the tribes such as: Arabs, none-Arabs, the Turks, Hindu, the eastern and western with the different cultures and colors, and customs under one ‘Unity Flag, then how ugly it would be if they abandon their history which is the main cause of unity among them. And then, while being hopeless, each group to take a certain way of living against its will and desire!

The unity of the histories is similar to the unity of the languages in praying, worshipping and many other rites, such is reciting the Qur’an, establishing prayer, supplicating and mentioning or even in the whispered prayer which are the cause of getting in one line, but on the other hand, the differences in the history is like the differences in the languages while praying and worshipping, they are the signs of differences and separation.

We see that more than anything in the world, the Muslims need unity and cooperation, and the venerable Messenger has time and again enjoined them to the unity; the Glorious Qur’an is also inviting them to come together, as:

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلا تَفَرَّقُوا.

‘…and cling firmly unto the bound of Allah, altogether, and do not separate, (Qur’an: 3/103).’

And above all, the Glorious Qur’an has also announced the noble case of the Messenger of Allah and the history according to the lunar year. So, why should we swim against the river and ignore our happiness and blessings?!

During the recent centuries, the enemies of the Islam have well understood that the only way to prevail over the Muslims and to destroy their root and culture so that to get their benefits is to bring differences between the Muslims societies. Therefore, they have been doing their best to succeed in this way. During the past few years, they have invaded the culture of different Muslims and ruined them one after another.

Our late father, the Miraculous sign of Allah, Hajj Sayyid Muhammad Sādiq Husseini Tehrani, May Allah be satisfied with, stated: ‘As Alexander Soloki invaded the east and captured a country after another country up to the India, he wrote to his Master, Aristotle, : “I have dominated all the eastern countries, now what shall I do to keep them with me?” To his letter, Aristotle replied: “Divide every captured country into the small ones, and then, assign a Ruler or King over each one of them! Next, call yourself the King of the kings upon all of them. In this way, all of them will be your obedience, and because of not losing their opportunities, they will not rise against you, they will not object whatever you do. The people of the countries under your dominion will always try to make their lands to flourish. And if any of them begins opposing you, with the great power of yours, you immediately crush him to sit in his place!

But if you want to govern them all alone, or putting all those countries in one person’s disposal, the bad thing is that they will gradually become stronger and then they get untied and rise against you! And also that friendly person who has been nominated by you too stand us and claim for the whole sovereignty; in that case, you will lose the battle and miss all the countries you have captured by force!”

The English too dealt with the people this way

The English acted against the Muslims on the basis of this plan, and after the failure of the great Ottoman Countries who were governing the most part of the Eastern Countries and a part of Europe and Africa for six centuries – 1299- 1923, all the 38 Sultans were collapsed one after another. The first one was Sultan Othman Khan Ghazi who had taken the rein in 699 anno Hijira, and the last one was Sultan Abdul-Aziz, the second who had been reining up to the 1342 anno-Hijira. They acted upon this plan and cut the Othman Countries into pieces and then delivered each part to one of their servants.

They divided and mingled the European Othman part which included the Balkan Peninsula – Hungary and some part of Bucharest – into the countries of Yugoslavia (Serbia), Albania, Bulgaria, the European part of Turkey, Hungary and Romania which is a part of Bucharest.

And they divided the Eastern part of Othman Country between Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Philistine, Hijaz, Aden, Yemen, Iraq, and Kuwait.

And they divided the African part of the Othman territory between Egypt and Libya. As it is seen, they divided the Othman Emperor into nineteen different parts!

Before, and mostly after dividing the Othman Countries into pieces, for achieving their goals, the pagan alien and foreigners, for destroying the unity and the spirit of the Islamic Ideas among the Muslims, tried to teach them their own different renovations of customs and tricks to love their newly born lands. The plans were what they had invented to beguile the nations with; they had sat around the table and carefully planned what would divide the united Muslims from one another. Their tasks were to carry out their plans by the means of the newspapers, radios, cinemas and dominating the cultures of the people by the means educating them at the schools, universities, and by establishing new universities, they taught every different nation meaningless subjects as the subjects they would need to run their lives. And apart from that, they amused the people and occupied them with their national monuments by gathering them in one place called the Great National Museums.

They invited the Iranians to the Zoroastrian customs, and then reviving the ‘Zand and Avista’, and also highly defining the ‘Firdousi’s book of Shahnameh’, and telling the stories of Korush and Daryush, Sirus and Rostam just to capture their minds.

We have time and again witnessed that great many people would jump over the bonfire they made of the occasion of the festival of the passing Wednesday of the year, they venerated the New year as Norowz, and they considered the thirteenth day of the new year to be sinister and used to go to the outskirts of the towns not to involve in any problems. And the rulers invented thousands of amusing myths and stories by means of the rich of the country not to amuse but beguile the people.

They called the word ‘Qur’an’, which is the first language of every Muslim, the alien word! And they so much decreased the Arabic teaching and learning at the schools that it became next to nothing. On the other hand, they searched for alien words in the book of Avesta and then with numerous reasoning, tried to replace them with the authentic language of the Arabic. They established the Academy for the Educational Ministry but there was nothing beneficial in it than demolishing the Islam!

Due to the pre-Islamic historical records, they fulfilled the same program in every Islamic country. In Iran, it was doen under the title of ‘Pan Iranism’, and in the Arabic countries it was called ‘Par Arabism and the ‘Orobah’; and it was names ‘Pan Turkism’ in Turkey. They called it ‘Pan Hindoism’ in India and Pakistan, and then, in the small countries, such as Qatar, Qatif and Abu Dhabi, they added ‘Pan’ after the countries’ names.

Anyhow, they divided these countries and then gave them independence, but such self-government that all were were directly or indirectly controlled and colonials.

The most important things that they successes to take away, was the Islamic lunar date; they took it away from all the countries except the Saudi Arabia. And under the title of ‘The International Unity’, and to have the same historical date of the industrial countries and the political relation, they wiped out the lunar months and years. Actually they replaced it with the solar months and year based on the birthday of the Holiness Messiah. Therefore, the calendars of the Muslims countries gave way to the Christians date and history. Since then, people heard not of the Immigration of the Messenger nor of the ‘Prohibited Month’, (Mohar‘ram), nor of Safar.

In Iraq and Mesopotamia, (Between Two Rivers), they set the beginning month of the year on ‘January’ and called the names of the months after the Christian names. It was in this order as: the first month was January, which between the two first months is the winter and the beginning of the year. Then, it goes as: 1- Kanoon Dowwom (January- February), 2- Shobat, (February- March), 3- Aazar, (March- April), 4- Neisan, (April- May), 5- Ayar, (May- June), 6- Haziran, (June-July), 7- Tamouz, (July-August), 8- Aab, (August-September), 9- Eylol, (September-October), 10- Teshrin Awwal, (October-November, 11- Teshrin Thani, (November- December), 12- Kanoon Awwal,^[69] (December- January) which is the beginning of the year. (The date has been originated from the birth of Messiah and is called the Christian).  

Thus, they assigned the same Christian date and calendar in each country of Syria, Lebanon, Philistine and a few others; they did the same in India and Pakistan.

They did not find it a good purpose to do the same in Iran – all of a sudden to replace the Islam date and calendar to the Christian. It is because the people in this land are obedient to their religious leaders, and they do not care to obey the oppressor rulers. Contrary to the Sunnite who follow their rulers, no matter what their ideologies are, so when their rulers accepts a subject they follow them without questioning.

So, they gradually imposed their ideas upon the people, in a way that people to forget their customs and stick to the newly invented ones.

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References

[29] In " نهاية",volume 2, page 139, ibn Athir has brought it in the article of " دَوَر" that: it is in the narrative that " إنَّ الزَّمانَ قَدر اسْتَدار كهيئة يوم خَلَقَ الله السَّمَواتِ و الارض‏", is said: " دَارَ يَدُورَ و اسْتَدَّار يَسْتَدِير", which means: it turned around something, then it return the starting point, so the narrative means that: it was a custom of the Arabs that they replaced the month of Muharram with the month of Safar, just because to start fight in Muharram, so this means " نسى", they did so year after year. Therefore, the Month Muharram would always lose its proper time and each year it happened to move to the next month. And as that year when the messenger of Allah had taken the Hajj pilgrimage, Muharram, after turning round year after year, had found its proper time, the Messenger of Allah stated so.
[30] " مجمع البيان‏", Seida Publication, volume 3, page 29.
[31] " تفسير أبو السعود", volume 2, page 548.
[32] " تفسير الدّر المنثور", volume 3, page 236, and the Commentary of " الميزان‏", volume 9, page 286.
[33] Quoting Siyu:ti, in the book "مزهر", Al‘lāma, the late miraculous sign of Allah, Taba‘tabaee, may he receive Allah's paradise, has related in " الميزان‏", volume 9, page 287, that: Before the advent of Islam, the Arabs called the month of Muharram as Safar, they said it was the first Safar, then they called the month of Safar, 'The Second Safar'. Then, similar to two Rabis' and two Jamadis there were two Safars. And " نَسى‏" would happen in the first Safar, and it would not exceed the second Safar. And when the Islam became stable, to respect the first Safar which had lost its position and value, they called it "شهر اللهِ المحرّم‏"; then because of excessive usage, it was renamed Muharram, and the month of Safar was specified as the second Safar. So Muharram is an Islamic word and it is of those attributes that has gained Muharram as the proper noun.
[34] The Commentary of " الدّر المنثور", volume 3, pages 236 and 237, and the Commentary of " الميزان‏", volume 9, pages 286 and 287.
[35] The Commentary of "الدّر المنثور", volume 3, page 237, and the Commentary of "الميزان‏", volume 9, page 287.
[36] The Commentary of "الدّر المنثور", volume 3, page 237, and the Commentary of "الميزان‏", volume 9, page 287.
[37] The Commentary of "الدّر المنثور", volume 3, page 237.
[38] The Commentary of "الدّر المنثور", volume 3, page 236, and the Commentary of "الميزان‏", volume 9, page 289.
[39] The Commentary of "الدّر المنثور", volume 3, pages 234, and "مسند". Ahmad Hanbal, volume 5, page 37.
[40] The Commentary of "الدّر المنثور", volume 3, pages 234, and "مسند". Ahmad Hanbal, volume 5, page 37.
[41] The Commentary of "الدّر المنثور", volume 3, pages 234, and "مسند". Ahmad Hanbal, volume 5, page 37.
[42] The Commentary of "الدّر المنثور", volume 3, pages 234, and "مسند". Ahmad Hanbal, volume 5, page 37.
[43] The Commentary of " الدّر المنثور", volume 3, pages 237; and the Commentary of " الميزان‏", volume 9, page 288.
[44] " الميزان‏", volume 9, page 288.
[45] Surah 10, "یونس", Verse 5.
[46] Surah 2, "بقرة", Verse 189.
[47] Here, the term 'Leap Year, is that which is obtained by calculating the difference between the solar and lunar years, and then, at the end of the year, adding the excessive days to lunar year. 
[48] The Commentary of "مفاتيح الغيب‏", the publication of "دار الطباعة العامرة", volume 4, page 633.
[49] The Commentary of "مفاتيح الغيب‏", volume 4, pages 637 and 638.
[50] The Commentary of "مفاتيح الغيب‏", volume 4, pages 638 and 639.
[51] Abu Reihan Muhammad bin Ahmad Birouni Kharazmi is of the greatest scholars of Islam who lived in the four and five centuries and he was born in 360 of Hijri in Kharazm, and died in 440 of Hijri in Ghaznat.