ISLAMIC SCHOLER CALLS ON NIGERIAN MUSLIMS TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO HIJRAH CALENDAR:
By Bamanga Abdullahi Gombi Muslims across Nigeria have been called upon to pay greater attention in to the Hijrah (Islamic) calendar, as a scholar describes it as essential to preserving acts of worship, Islamic identity, and the unity of the Ummah. The Chief Imam of Mopol 14, Mbamba Jumma'at Mosque, Bashir Thahir. made this known in an interview with Radio NIgeria on Friday, following his weekly sermon. According to Imam Thahir, the Islamic calendar, consisting of 12 months, is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar because each month spans either 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon. He explained that the calendar was introduced during the era of Caliph Umar Ibn Khattab, with its starting point being the Hijrah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makkah to Madinah, underscoring the significance of timekeeping in Islam. Quoting the Holy Qur’an, the Imam noted that "indeed the number of months with Allah is twelve months" beginning with Muharram and en...