So-called Hijri Calendar was not in use in (most of) 7th CE
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The third document P. Colt. No. 60 https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/papyri/jerus contains a date in greek of November of 3rd indiction, and year 54 in arabic.
There is the same potential confusion about the indictions, so I assume it is the same as above, i.e. contrary to what is generally assumed, the indiction does not run from September of the year to August of the next year, but indicates the current year from January to December.
So this would make the date of November 675, and not November 674 as usually assumed.
Then, according to hijri calendar, we would be in year 55 or 56, not 54.So if we assume that the arabic calendar was luni-solar and not lunar, then every 3 years an intercalar month was put, and so in 36 years, at least 12 lunar months were caught up, so potentially one solar year.
And therefore this explains the shift that is observed.Now that it is established that the calendar used by the Arabs during the 7th CE was luni-solar and not lunar, let's take a closer look at year 1 of this calendar.
So document 1 announces that in year 643 we are in year 22 of the arabic calendar.
Document 2 announces that in year 663, we are in year 42.
Document 3 announces that in year 675, we are in year 54.All these points to year 1 in 621, and not in 622 as narrated by Islamic tradition.
This is actually compatible with a chronicle of Jacob of Edessa as reported by Robert Hoyland saying the kingdom of the Arabs began in year 620/621, see http//www.christianorigins.com/islamrefs.html#jacobedessa
"All we have regarding Islam are the notices that 'Muhammad (Mhmt) went down for trade to the lands of Palestine, Arabia and Syrian Phoenicia,' that 'the kingdom of the Arabians (arbaye), those whom we call Arabs (tayyaye), began when Heraclius, king of the Romans, was in his eleventh year and Khusrau, king of the Persians, was in his thirty-first year' (620-21), and that 'the Arabs began to carry out raids in the land of Palestine.'"
As a result, shifting from luni-solar to lunar calendar took place much later than assumed (I suspect it happens under the reign of 'Abd el Malik).
Umar nor Mu'awiya appear to have been aware of Qur'an demand to stop intercalation. Were they even aware of Qur'an ? I suspect not.
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A consequence of that study, if confirmed, is about month of Ramadan.
If my study based on papyri and inscriptions above is correct, then it means that in 7th CE, month of Ramadan felt around August / September.
It didn't fall around summer solstice as explained by brother Ayman here https//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9188.0
Which means that Leilat al-Qadr was surely the automn equinox, possibly the same day as Yom Kippur.
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A consequence of that study, if confirmed, is about month of Ramadan.
If my study based on papyri and inscriptions above is correct, then it means that in 7th CE, month of Ramadan felt around August / September.
It didn't fall around summer solstice as explained by brother Ayman here https//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9188.0
Which means that Leilat al-Qadr was surely the automn equinox, possibly the same day as Yom Kippur.
Peace -- incorrect see below ramadan, actually there are (2) northern & southern hemispheres.
It's always 1st lunar cycle after the summer & winter solstices; it is only way calculations work.
2185 shahru ramadan (heat) the one descends in it the Qur?an?
perf558 shahru jumada (dried) the first from sanatin twosome and twenty (i.e. 22) ..link http//oi68.tinypic.com/dnyjwh.jpg
Perf 558 "30 pharmouthi of the indiction year 1" 25 April year 643 shahru jumada the 1st (30th/last day of month)
http//astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases0601.html
NewMoon shr# FullMoon Year
Aug 1 1 RMD Aug 15
Aug 31 2 Sep 14
Sep 29 3 Oct 13
Oct 29 4 Nov 12
Nov 27 5 Dec 12
Dec 27 6 Jan 10 643 CE
Jan 25 7 Feb 9
Feb 24 8 Mar 11
Mar 25 9 Apr 10
Apr 24 10 May 9 Apr 25 Jumada al-awwal 30 (Perf 55
May 23 11 Jun 7
Jun 21 12 Jul 7 1st full moon after solstice
Jul 21 1 RMD Aug 5
Aug 20 2 Sep 3
Sep 18 3 Oct 3
Oct 18 4 Nov 1
Nov 17 5 Dec 1
Dec 16 6 Dec 31THE LIFE OF BELISARIUS (see pages 192-193)
see link https//drive.google.com/file/d/1hO0yu8LhF532lTPGxNzWY5uO2onmwqxY
On his arrival at Dara, Belisarius, instead of regular forces, found only a confused as semblage of soldiers; many without arms, still more without the spirit to wield them, and, according to their own national historian, trembling at the very name of Persia. He was joined by numerous Saracen auxiliaries, under Arethas; but little reliance could be placed on the co-operation of these fickle savages, attracted only by the hopes of booty. While busily employed in equipping and distributing his army, and in expectation of a speedy attack from the Persians, the Roman general sent some spies to obtain intelligence of their movements and designs. By such means, he soon became informed that no invasion was preparing in this quarter, and that Chosroes himself was engaged by a distant expedition of the Huns; a report which it will presently be seen had been spread by that wily monarch, to conceal his real intentions. A project was then formed by Belisarius, for resuming the offensive and entering the Persian territories; and having tried the resolution of his officers in a public council, he found their opinions favorable to his views. But the leaders of those troops commonly stationed in Syria, expressed their apprehensions lest their absence should enable Almondar to desolate their province. In reply, the general reminded them that the time of the summer solstice was at hand, when religious rites withheld these Arabs from any act of hostility during two months, and he promised to dismiss the Syrian soldiers to their post before this term should have expired. Having thus overcome their opposition, Belisarius crossed the frontier with all his forces, and marched upon Nisibis.
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Peace -- incorrect see below ramadan, actually there are (2) northern & southern hemispheres.
Not relevant here, as we are Arabia.
It's always 1st lunar cycle after the summer & winter solstices; it is only way calculations work.
Source ?
Perf 558 "30 pharmouthi of the indiction year 1" 25 April year 643 shahru jumada the 1st (30th/last day of month)
http//astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phases0601.html
NewMoon shr# FullMoon Year
Aug 1 1 RMD Aug 15
Aug 31 2 Sep 14
Sep 29 3 Oct 13
Oct 29 4 Nov 12
Nov 27 5 Dec 12
Dec 27 6 Jan 10 643 CE
Jan 25 7 Feb 9
Feb 24 8 Mar 11
Mar 25 9 Apr 10
Apr 24 10 May 9 Apr 25 Jumada al-awwal 30 (Perf 55
May 23 11 Jun 7
Jun 21 12 Jul 7 1st full moon after solstice
Jul 21 1 RMD Aug 5
Aug 20 2 Sep 3
Sep 18 3 Oct 3
Oct 18 4 Nov 1
Nov 17 5 Dec 1
Dec 16 6 Dec 31No, Ramadan is the 9th month of the year, not the 8th, and therefore will fall on Aug 21 for year 643, since PERF 558 has established that 25th April 643 is 1st Jumada al-'Ula.
Or you will have to explain when (under which reign ?) Chaabane and Ramadan have been inverted to make Ramadan fall on July 21st.
THE LIFE OF BELISARIUS (see pages 192-193)
see link https//drive.google.com/file/d/1hO0yu8LhF532lTPGxNzWY5uO2onmwqxY
On his arrival at Dara, Belisarius, instead of regular forces, found only a confused as semblage of soldiers; many without arms, still more without the spirit to wield them, and, according to their own national historian, trembling at the very name of Persia. He was joined by numerous Saracen auxiliaries, under Arethas; but little reliance could be placed on the co-operation of these fickle savages, attracted only by the hopes of booty. While busily employed in equipping and distributing his army, and in expectation of a speedy attack from the Persians, the Roman general sent some spies to obtain intelligence of their movements and designs. By such means, he soon became informed that no invasion was preparing in this quarter, and that Chosroes himself was engaged by a distant expedition of the Huns; a report which it will presently be seen had been spread by that wily monarch, to conceal his real intentions. A project was then formed by Belisarius, for resuming the offensive and entering the Persian territories; and having tried the resolution of his officers in a public council, he found their opinions favorable to his views. But the leaders of those troops commonly stationed in Syria, expressed their apprehensions lest their absence should enable Almondar to desolate their province. In reply, the general reminded them that the time of the summer solstice was at hand, when religious rites withheld these Arabs from any act of hostility during two months, and he promised to dismiss the Syrian soldiers to their post before this term should have expired. Having thus overcome their opposition, Belisarius crossed the frontier with all his forces, and marched upon Nisibis.
I'm aware of this, since the account of M.C. Perceval I mentioned quotes it, but it doesn't contradict what I explained.
Even the luni-solar calendar shifts across centuries, because one mean year of it doesn't fully match a yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun.
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Not relevant here, as we are Arabia.
yes relevant ramadan north hemisphere.
Source ?
my calculations.
No, Ramadan is the 9th month of the year, not the 8th, and therefore will fall on Aug 21 for year 643, since PERF 558 has established that 25th April 643 is 1st Jumada al-'Ula.
no see above timings roll forward it's exactly #9!
peace!
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my calculations.
Ok, but you didn't explain them.
Nevertheless, I take the opportunity to correct a reasoning error.
But before that, adjusting month of Ramadan on the first new moon after summer solstice (21st June) is intercalation.
Intercalation works exactly like that.
Suppose that year X, first new moon after summer solstice falls day A after mid-July. This new moon cannot fall after 19th July, because then, it means another new moon felt just on 21st June or 22nd June.
Then Ramadan will start on day A+1 or A+2.
On year X+1, the first new moon after summer solstice will fall day B before 9th of July. Ramadan will start day B+1 or B+2.
On year X+2, the first new moon after summer solstice will mostly fall again after mid-July (1) or exceptionally just a bit after 21st June (2).
In most case (1), it means that between 29th / 30th Chaabane and 1st Ramadan there are around 29 or 30 days unassigned.
This is exactly intercalar month.Instead of summer solstice, one could have taken winter solstice instead or spring equinox or autumn equinox. In all cases, this amounts to intercalation of a new month every 3 years.
If Qur'an forbids that as per verse 937, then surely it demands a purely lunar calendar.Now back to my reasoning error.
Actually PERF558 says only Jumada al-'Ula year 22, not the 1st Jumada al-'Ula. Therefore, 29th or 30th Jumada al-'Ula as in hijri calendar could actually work.
Therefore papyrus PERF558 alone does not contradict hijri calendar.On the other hand, if we assume that 30th Jumada al-'Ula year 22 was the correct date of PERF558, then from document 2, the inaugural inscription in greek giving 5th December 663, it means that there is a difference of 8 lunations to catch up in 20 years.
I don't know how to do that.If we come back to document 1 and the date of 25th April 643, I told above that the new moon felt on 24th April.
If we look closer at the moon phase table, we see that it happens around 0026 UTC.
Also the algorithm loses precision as far we go backward in the past. So the new moon could have felt on the night of the 23rd April to 24th April, a bit before or a bit after midnight.
Therefore the first ascending crescent could have been visible on 24th April evening, making 25th April first day of a new month instead of end of the current month.That's why I believe that 25th April 643 was 1st Jumada al-'Ula 22. Together with intercalation at the end of year 22, we can reach 5th December 663 after 7 intercalations.
By the way, I should add something about document 2.
I discussed whether it could have been dated from 5th December 662 or 5th December 663, and gave above some arguments about the latter.An additional argument for it is that it says that 5th December of that year is second day of the week. Normally it's Tuesday.
5th December 663 falls on Tuesday, while 5th December 662 falls on Monday. -
A consequence of that study, if confirmed, is about month of Ramadan.
If my study based on papyri and inscriptions above is correct, then it means that in 7th CE, month of Ramadan felt around August / September.
It didn't fall around summer solstice as explained by brother Ayman here https//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9188.0
Which means that Leilat al-Qadr was surely the automn equinox, possibly the same day as Yom Kippur.
Salaam
of course, laylatou el qadr is equinox and there is two equinoxes per year. Ramadan correspond to jewish haj succot pilgrimageit is interesting to note that in these old papers , the expression after hegire don't appears.
these old papers seems to confirm that there is an "arabic calendar" who began in 622 and that is not a late forgery as sira and other hadiths.as perhaps you already noticed, for some "extremists" like me, Quran have been revealed the 20 September 617 except probably for sourate 9 who seems to have come later.
it seems then quite clear that something very important happened in year 622 in wich began "the arabic calendar" who became later the "hegire calandar".accord to this theory, since the hijra is mentioned in quran revealed in 617, hijra happened then before 617. So the event carved in stone for arabic calendar is not hijra from meccaland to medinaland.
This leads to the great question what it is then the great event of 622 ?The best hypothesis is that it is the year of death of prophet. it is funny to remark that the tale about the "calendar" creation https//personalgrowth.blog/2018/03/23/khalifa-umar-bin-al-khattab-the-hijri-calendar/ mentioned this hypothesis as natural hypothesis (it is a tale because it is not like this that we create calendars).
it is important to note that the term hegire is confusing and can point to three differents things
-1-there is the hijra (the travel of the prophet)
-2-hajir (hagar) the supposed servant of Abraham and supposed mother of Ismael.
-3- hijr the old and legendary capital of old bahrein (arabic side of persian golf). Hijr is not far from "persian makka" https//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maka_(satrapy). it seems that it has been destroyed by quarmatians in the begiining of 10th century. So many lies surrounds quamatians."arabs" where called hagareans in ealier non Islamic documents. This fit better with third option.
Then, we can consider that there is a great suspicion that Muslims capital in that era was hijr mainly because if we see from where muslim began their conquest and attacked the the two great empires of the moment (byzantine and persian) in the years 634, we deduce that their rear base (base arri?re) was in that region and cannot be elsewhere.Attacking the two greats empire only two years after the death of the prophet and after the alleged "ridda" war seems too earlier.
if we suppose that prophet died in 622, just after finishing his mission, that is delivering Quran, the 12 years let the time for a the succession to took place and let the successors organizing the beginning of Islamic expansion.Peace
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Ok, but you didn't explain them.
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Now back to my reasoning error.
Actually PERF558 says only Jumada al-'Ula year 22, not the 1st Jumada al-'Ula. Therefore, 29th or 30th Jumada al-'Ula as in hijri calendar could actually work.
Therefore papyrus PERF558 alone does not contradict hijri calendar.peace, roll forward from Perf 558 matches today's ...
643 new moon Apr 24
643 crescent Apr 25/26 Jumada al-thani 1
643 new moon May 23
643 crescent May 24/25 Rajab 1
643 new moon Jun 21
643 crescent Jun 22/23 Sha?bn 1
643 new moon Jul 21
643 crescent Jul 22/23 Raman 1
...
2018 new moon May 15
2018 crescent May 16/17 Ramadan 1, 1439 AHLikewise roll back matches battle of Badr March 13, 624 CE/Ramadan 17, 2 AH
624 new moon Feb 24
624 crescent Feb 25/26 Raman 1
624 Badr battle March 13 Ramadan 17, 2 AH -
peace -- to further clarify make calculations easy...
If rolling back from Perf558
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=02&d1=25&y1=624&m2=7&d2=23&y2=643&ti=onFrom and including Saturday, Feb 25, 624 Raman 1, 2 AH
{The Battle of Badr March 13, 624 Ramadan 17, 2 AH}
To and including Wednesday, July 23, 643 Raman 1, 22 AHResult 7,089 days
((7,089 days) - ((22 - 2) x 12 x (29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 0Likewise if rolling forward from Perf558
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=4&d1=25&y1=643&m2=5&d2=15&y2=2018&ti=onFrom and including Friday, April 25, 643 Jumd? al-l? 30, 22 AH Perf 558
To and including Tuesday, May 15, 2018 Ramadan 1, 1439 AHResult 502,227 days
((502,227 days) - ((1439 - 22) x 12 x (29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 3 (i.e. three months to Ramadan)OR
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=7&d1=23&y1=643&m2=5&d2=15&y2=2018&ti=on
From and including Wednesday, July 23, 643 Raman 1, 22 AH
To and including Tuesday, May 15, 2018 Ramadan 1, 1439 AHResult 502,138 days
((502,138 days - ((1439 - 22) x 12 x 29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 0 -
peace -- to further clarify make calculations easy...
If rolling back from Perf558
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=02&d1=25&y1=624&m2=7&d2=23&y2=643&ti=onFrom and including Saturday, Feb 25, 624 Raman 1, 2 AH
{The Battle of Badr March 13, 624 Ramadan 17, 2 AH}
To and including Wednesday, July 23, 643 Raman 1, 22 AHResult 7,089 days
((7,089 days) - ((22 - 2) x 12 x (29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 0Likewise if rolling forward from Perf558
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=4&d1=25&y1=643&m2=5&d2=15&y2=2018&ti=onFrom and including Friday, April 25, 643 Jumd? al-l? 30, 22 AH Perf 558
To and including Tuesday, May 15, 2018 Ramadan 1, 1439 AHResult 502,227 days
((502,227 days) - ((1439 - 22) x 12 x (29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 3 (i.e. three months to Ramadan)OR
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=7&d1=23&y1=643&m2=5&d2=15&y2=2018&ti=on
From and including Wednesday, July 23, 643 Raman 1, 22 AH
To and including Tuesday, May 15, 2018 Ramadan 1, 1439 AHResult 502,138 days
((502,138 days - ((1439 - 22) x 12 x 29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 0Salaam Bro
sorry but i don't understand what your calculation is proving.
All backward calculation is assuming that hijri calendar began 16 july 622 and give coherent results under this assumption.The big problem is however what was the calendar used by the prophet before 638 ?
How the prophet was fixing the "ramadan" before the "hijri calendar" was created? Was he using the pagan calendar ?it will be funny if the "hadithists" explains us the "methodology" as their "scholars " says that the pre-muslim calendar included something called nassy.
the transition from lunisolar to lunar calendar impose a calibration for the first day of the first year.Peace
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Here are the links to these documents
- PERF558 https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/papyri/perf558
- Inscription of Hammat Gader https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/inscriptions/hammat.html
- P. Colt. No. 60 https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/papyri/jerus
Salaam
Let's take the problem from another side and let forget the "ramadan month".
there is two other months called rabii one and rabii 2 and let assume that before lunar calendar, rabii one and rabii two were in spring as their names seems to indicates.as i have have shown in my thread about 20 september 617, supposed to be a ramadan day, rabbi was in spring.
but let's forget.in 638, according to "hijri calendar", rabii was in spring. So no lunar calendar yet.
since lunar calendar introduce the derivation, and that we lose on year every 33 years.
we have 638+33=671 and 638+2*33=704 as candidates for beginnig of derivation of rabii relative to spring.i will use this link now http//www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/MSDating.html#Indiction
theory year 622=1
doc 1 indiction 1 -->year 643 --> 22 in "arabian calendar' according to the document itself
doc 2 indiction 6-->year 663-->42 ...in "arabian calendar' according to the document itself
doc3 indiction 3-->year 675-->54...in "arabian calendar' according to the document itself622-1=621
643-22=621
675-54=621but 675-622=53=33*1.6=more that one year and half as expected derivation.
if "arabian calendar" was lunar since 622, we should have at least year 55 in the thrid document.however it is clear that something important happened in year 622 to be declared year 1.
For me it is probably the year of the death of prophet.let's go back to these verses (monotheist traduction and totally wrong)
302 The Romans have won.
303 At the lowest part on the earth. But after their victory, they will be defeated.in another traduction we have the reverse situation (it is the right way)
30-2 The Romans have been defeated-
303 In a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs, will soon be victorious-
30-4 Within a few years. With Allah is the Command, in the past and in the Future on that Day shall the Believers rejoice-they are very important verses since we are sure they have been revealed between 617 and 622 from historical point of view (war between romans and persians).
to 617, Romans were loosing according to history
from 622 , Romans begin to won according to historyof course, since it is a quranic prophety, that means this verses were revealed before 622.
Now let's assume that Muhammad was alive in 623 and that quran was still dowloading from sky.
What is the miracle of a prophecy in a book not yet "finished" and with the ability to be modified ?
if Quran was still revealing after 622, i would have expected at least a verse saying something like "as predicted before, romans have won and the promise of Allah is realized".
What sense give to these verses in this case ?Peace
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sorry but i don't understand what your calculation is proving.
All backward calculation is assuming that hijri calendar began 16 july 622 and give coherent results under this assumption.Peace, calculations show that current calendar aligns rolling back to Perf558 and Badr battle.
Although it does not mean implementation was correct same as with inheritance verses, etc.
Here's another example if rolling forward from Perf558 to reported date of Ali?s assignation?
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=4&d1=25&y1=643&m2=01&d2=29&y2=661&ti=on
From and including Friday, April 25, 643 Jumd? al-l? 30, 22 AH Perf 558
To and including Friday, January 29, 661 Ramadan 21, 40 AH Ali assassinated
Result 6,490 days
((6,490 days) - ((40 - 22) x 12 x (29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 3.7 months after Jumd? al-l? 30OR
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=7&d1=23&y1=643&m2=01&d2=29&y2=661&ti=on
From and including Wednesday, July 23, 643 Ramadan 1, 22 AH
To and including Friday, January 29, 661 Ramadan 21, 40 AH Ali assassinated
Result 6,401 days
((6,401 days - ((40 - 22) x 12 x 29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 0.758 months after Ramadan 1 -
Salam,
Peace, calculations show that current calendar aligns rolling back to Perf558 and Badr battle.
Please bring proofs that the Battle of Badr really happened. For example, did we find archeological remains of it ?
Here's another example if rolling forward from Perf558 to reported date of Ali?s assignation?
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=4&d1=25&y1=643&m2=01&d2=29&y2=661&ti=on
From and including Friday, April 25, 643 Jumd? al-l? 30, 22 AH Perf 558
To and including Friday, January 29, 661 Ramadan 21, 40 AH Ali assassinated
Result 6,490 days
((6,490 days) - ((40 - 22) x 12 x (29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 3.7 months after Jumd? al-l? 30OR
https//www.timeanddate.com/date/durationresult.html?m1=7&d1=23&y1=643&m2=01&d2=29&y2=661&ti=on
From and including Wednesday, July 23, 643 Ramadan 1, 22 AH
To and including Friday, January 29, 661 Ramadan 21, 40 AH Ali assassinated
Result 6,401 days
((6,401 days - ((40 - 22) x 12 x 29.53059 days))) / lunar month = 0.758 months after Ramadan 1First of all, early testimonies disagree with the year of Ali' slain.
The Maronite Chronicle, http//www.christianorigins.com/islamrefs.html#maronitechronicler, places it in year A.G. 969. A.G. era starts in 312/311 B.C.
So according to this chronicle, Ali was slained in year 657 AD at Hira.Second, there is a reasoning error here because the equivalence between Ramadan 21, 40 AH and January 29, 661 was set assuming a lunar calendar. Therefore it is putting the conclusion in the assumptions.
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A consequence of that study, if confirmed, is about month of Ramadan.
If my study based on papyri and inscriptions above is correct, then it means that in 7th CE, month of Ramadan felt around August / September.
It didn't fall around summer solstice as explained by brother Ayman here https//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9188.0
Which means that Leilat al-Qadr was surely the automn equinox, possibly the same day as Yom Kippur.
Thank you for this interesting analysis. I remember a while ago I checked what 1/1/1 in Hijri on one of the date conversion apps like this one
https//www.islamicity.org/hijri-gregorian-converter/#1/1/1 Hijri was the first new moon after the summer solstice. I didn't give it much weight as I am not sure what rules the app is using for conversion. For example, what do they assume about intercalation, which even according to Sunni traditions wasn't stopped until the year of death of the prophet.
As far as the equinoxes, it is impossible for the equinoxes to mark a year. Using the method in 1712 you would only get half a year with the equinoxes.
Also, the "nasi'" was an improper intercalation introduced at the end of the year every other year to delay the hunting restriction and violate it. So this means that the restricted full moons must occur at the beginning on the year. We know that one of the meanings of a derivitive of "RMD" ("TaRaMoD" means inhumane hunting in the hot time of the year by chasing an animal until its legs burn from the heat and it falls. Hunters can catch animals this way with their hands without using weapons (see 594 reference to catching prey by hands). The hot time of the year is when young animals are newly born and are relying on their mother so killing the mother means sentencing her newborns to death by dehydration and starvation. Notice that out of the punishments listed for violating the hunting restriction in 595 fasting is the only one followed by the reason being so that the hunter "tastes the consequence of his deed". How does the hunter taste the consequence of his deed by fasting? He experiences the thirst and hunger of the wild animal during the hot time of the year when hunting is restricted.
This is why fasting was decreed. It is not to feel the suffering of the poor as people contend. The poor are not given a license not to fast. It is to feel the suffering of the wild life that we as leaders of the earth must take good care of. This is why we fast with the beginning of the hunting restriction.
Peace and best wishes,
Ayman
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Salam,
I did my calculations again, and unfortunately I discovered mistakes that dismiss what I wrote above, so my apologies for that.
On the other hand, I made substantial progresses I believe, and found something very exciting.First of all, I must correct the dates I gave for the 3 documents
- PERF558 https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/papyri/perf558
- Inscription of Hammat Gader https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/inscriptions/hammat.html
- P. Colt. No. 60 https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/papyri/jerus
Document 1 the coptic date 30th Pharmuti indiction 1 corresponds to 25th April 643 and to the last day of Jumada al-Ula, not the first day of Jumada al-Ula
Document 2 the given date corresponds to Monday 5th December 662, not 5th December 663
Document 3 the given year from the Greek part (month of November 3rd indiction) corresponds to year 674, not 675, and to Dhu al-Qa'dah 57.
At this point, these dates are perfectly compatible with a fully lunar calendar.
But, we have a papyrus, P. Louvre Inv. J. David-Weill 20, that doesn't have double-dating but contains a sentence that makes a fully lunar calendar not possible https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/papyri/plouvre
The sentence in Arabic is
Which means "until refilling the tanks the end of (year) forty-two"
This document has been extensively analyzed here (unfortunately in French) http//www.ifao.egnet.net/anisl/41/10/The sentence refers to the practice of basin irrigation on the Nile river, see e.g. http//www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/timelines/topics/agriculture.htm
Dams are built at right angle to the flow of the Nile, separating the Nile Valley into basins. At the time of the highest flooding (towards the end of September) most of the Nile Valley was covered with water, only villages and cities, built on higher ground and connected by dams, were above water. When the water level reached the mouths of the canals, the dams separating the canals from the river were opened and the basins and canals flooded.So according to papyrus P. Louvre Inv. J. David-Weill 20, refilling of the tank happens toward the end of year 42 of the Arab era, which has to happen around September.
But in hijri calendar, Dhu al-Qa'dah 42 AH or Dhu al-Hijja 42 AH are not compatible with September 662, they fall in February or March 663.Therefore, this papyrus clearly dismisses the case of fully lunar calendar in use in the 7th century, and a luni-solar calendar must have been in use instead.
But how could this luni-solar calendar have been built ? Here, the question is fairly complex.
According to Arab traditions, intercalation took place every three years after Dhu al-Hijja, and before Muharram.
I tried all three possible combinations, but I failed to get a calendar that matches all the 4 document dates above and more. Either one or another would fail and be not compatible with the intercalation pattern.
I also tried the suggestion of Noonwaqalami of adjusting month of Ramadan to the first new moon after summer solstice and it also fails on some documents.
If someone is interested I can share a big Libreoffice sheet.
So clearly, what the Islamic tradition tells about intercalation method is either not true, or it wasn't done this way in the 7th CE.
But I finally discovered a way to have working luni-solar calendar, and it is a big surprise it was actually the Jewish calendar with two changes
- First year reset to year 620 instead of year -3761 of the normal Jewish calendar, and
- More importantly, the Arab new year didn't begin with the month of Muharram but with the month of Dhu al-Qa'da instead !
More accurately, I discovered this matching between Jewish months and Arab months
tishri Dhu al-Qa?da ==> first month of the solar year (please note the Jewish calendar has others "new year".
heshvan Dhu al-Hijja
kislev Muharram
tevet Safar
chevat Rabi al-Awwal
adar Rabi ath-Thani
nissan Jumada al-Ula
iyar Jumada ath-Thani
sivan Rajab
tammuz Sha?aban
av Ramadan
elul ShawwalWith this, all the dates of the above documents, and more now perfectly match.
The Arab era started on 1st Dhu al-Qa'da which felt on 4th September 620, which was 1st tishri 4381. I don't know what this date means but it is compatible with a notice from Jacob of Edessa.
If you want to compute a date in the Arab era of the 7th CE, you can do it with a Jewish-Julian calendar, then subtract 4381, and perform the month equivalence above.Like the Jewish new year (1st Tishri), the Arab new year started around September. That explains the papyrus above.
When I started this topic I initially thought that this calendar was dropped under calife Abd al-Malik in favor of the fully lunar calendar, but actually a late document like this one dated from 706 https//www.islamic-awareness.org/history/islam/papyri/enlp10.html still uses the Arab-Jewish calendar.
So I don't know when the Hijri calendar that we know today was adopted.A big consequence is that the Arab kingdom of the 7th CE was actually an Arab-Jewish kingdom !
A last word about Qur'an it is not clear what kind of calendar is advocated in Qur'an although Surah 12 can only make sense with a solar or luni-solar calendar. If it is not the Jewish calendar that Qur'an refers to, then it means that Qur'an was not the reference book of the king / amir al-muminin. Which means that the Arab kingdom was not founded on Qur'an predication. That's also a big consequence.
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A last word about Qur'an it is not clear what kind of calendar is advocated in Qur'an although Surah 12 can only make sense with a solar or luni-solar calendar. If it is not the Jewish calendar that Qur'an refers to, then it means that Qur'an was not the reference book of the king / amir al-muminin. Which means that the Arab kingdom was not founded on Qur'an predication. That's also a big consequence.
It is often talked about preflood and afterflood era in archeological circles if you also believe that it was worldwide catastrophe then we are in the year after 7500(?)
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I simply do not understand why people are using PERF558 or whatever to assume that Ramadhan is the name of a month. I mean seriously, there is no evidence for that or whatsoever. If the Quran is really from God we would expect it to make use of an objective way to count time as opposed to arbitrary man-made calendars. Plus even is we suppose that Ramadhan is really the name of a month, then would the Quran just let us guess which one it is ?!?! I mean c'mon guys ahahah...
Ramadhan cannot be the name of some arbitrary arab month, it has to be a descriptive term.