The Muslim Compendium
2020
A Daily Introduction
to
Muslim History and Culture
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2020
{1441/1442 AH}
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January 1
Wednesday
{yawm al-arbi‘a’ (the fourth day)}
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The Islamic Calendar
Part One
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The Islamic, Muslim, or Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar
consisting of 12 months in a year of 354 or 355 days. The Islamic
calendar is used in Muslim countries to determine the proper days of Islamic
holidays and rituals, such as the annual period of fasting (Ramadan) and the
proper time for the pilgrimage to Mecca (the hajj). In contemporary
times, for the most part in the everyday life of Muslim countries, the Western
or Gregorian calendar is used. Rents, wages, etc. are paid by the
Gregorian calendar, which is also used for agriculture if no traditional solar
calendars are used for this purpose like the Berber calendar or the Coptic
calendar. This preference for the Gregorian calendar is because the
Islamic calendar, being a lunar calendar, is not well suited for agricultural
work.
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January 2
Thursday
{yawm al-khamis (the fifth day)}
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The Islamic Calendar
Part Two
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The Islamic calendar employs the Hijri year as its beginning year. The Hijri year (and the Hijri era) began in the Gregorian calendar year of 622 AD/CE. During that year, the Prophet Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina) and established the first Muslim community (ummah), an event commemorated as the Hijra. In the West, dates in the Hijri era are usually denoted AH. "AH" stands for the Latin words "Anno Hegirae" which mean "in the year of the Hijra". The usage of "AH" parallels to the Christian usage of "AD", the Common usage of "CE", and the Jewish usage of "AM". In English, years prior to the Hijra and the Hijri era are designated as "BH". "BH" stands for "Before the Hijra".
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The Months of the Islamic Calendar
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The months of the Islamic calendar consist of the following:
(1) Muharram
(2) Safar
(3) Rabi' al-Awwal
(4) Rabi' ath-Thani
(5) Jumada al-Ula
(6) Jumada al-Akhirah
(7) Rajab
(8) Sha'ban
(9) Ramadan
(10) Shawwal
(11) Dhu al-Qa'dah
(12) Dhu al-Hijjah
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January 3
Friday
{yawm al-jum‘a (the day of congregation)}
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The Months of the Islamic Calendar
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The months of the Islamic calendar consist of the following:
(1) Muharram
(2) Safar
(3) Rabi' al-Awwal
(4) Rabi' ath-Thani
(5) Jumada al-Ula
(6) Jumada al-Akhirah
(7) Rajab
(8) Sha'ban
(9) Ramadan
(10) Shawwal
(11) Dhu al-Qa'dah
(12) Dhu al-Hijjah
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January 4
Saturday
{yawm al-sabt (the day of rest)}
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Muharram
Part One
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Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is thirty (30) days long. Muharram is one of the four sacred months of the year. During the sacred month of Muharram, warfare is forbidden. Muharram is considered to be the second holiest month, after Ramadan. Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian (Western) calendar.
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Muharram
Part Two
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The tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura, part of the Mourning of Muharram for Shia Muslims and a day of fasting for Sunni Muslims. The practice of fasting during Ashura stems from the hadith that Musa (Moses) and his people obtained a victory over the Egyptian Pharaoh on the tenth day of Muharram. Accordingly, Muhammad asked Muslims to fast on this day and on the day prior, the Day of Tasu'a.
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January 6
Monday
{yawm al-ithnayn (the second day)}
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Muharram
Part Three
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In the month of Muharram, Shia Muslims mourn the death of Husayn ibn 'Ali and his family. Husayn ibn 'Ali was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who led a group of dissident Muslims in opposition to the Umayyad caliph Yazid I. Husayn, and 72 of his followers, were martyred at the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE). On the tenth day of Muharram, Shia Muslims honor the martyrs of Karbala by prayer and abstinence from joyous events. Shia Muslims do not fast on the 10th of Muharram, but some will not eat or drink until zawal (afternoon) to show their sympathy with Husayn. In addition, there is an important ziyarat book, the Ziyarat Ashura about Husayn ibn 'Ali. In the Shia sect, it is popular to read this ziyarat (this supplication) on the day of Ashura.
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January 7
Tuesday
{yawm al-thulatha' (the third day)}
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Safar
Part One
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Safar is the second month of the Islamic calendar. The Arabic word "safar" means "empty", corresponding to the pre-Islamic Arabian time period when people's houses were empty, as they were out gathering food. Safar also means "whistling of the wind", as this was likely a windy time of year. Most of the Islamic months are named according to the weather conditions of the time. However, since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar months shift about 11 days every year, meaning that the season do not necessarily correspond to the name of the month.
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January 8
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Safar
Part Two
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In the month of Safar, Shia Muslims observe Arba'een.
Arba'een is a Shia Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed on the 10th day of the month of Muharram. Husayn and 72 of his companions were killed by the forces of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, at the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE). Arba'een, or forty days, falls on the 20 Safar.
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January 9
In the month of Safar, Shia Muslims observe Arba'een. Arba'een, or forty days, is also the usual length of mourning after the death of a family member or loved one in many Muslim traditions. During the time of Arba'een, one of the largest pilgrimage gatherings on Earth occurs. Up to 20 million people go to the city of Karbala in Iraq to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn.
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January 10
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Rabi' al-Awwal
Part One
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Rabi' al-Awwal is the third month in the Islamic calendar. During Rabi' al-Awwal, many Muslims celebrate Mawlid -- the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Although the exact date of the birth of Muhammad is unknown, Sunni Muslims believe the date of birth of Muhammad to have been on the twelfth day of Rabi' al-Awwal, whereas Shia Muslims believe him to have been born on the dawn of the seventeenth day of Rabi' al-Awwal. Muhammad himself never celebrated the Mawlid. Instead Muhammad encouraged Muslims to fast on Mondays of every week due to his birthday being on a Monday (yawm al-ithnayn). The "Rabi' al-Awwal" means "the first [month] or beginning of spring", referring to its position in the pre-Islamic Arabian calendar.
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January 11
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Rabi' al-Awwal
Part Two
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The word "Rabi'" means "spring" and the word "al-awwal" means "the first". Accordingly, "Rabi' al-Awwal" means "the first spring" in the Arabic language. The name "Rabi' al-Awwal" seems to have to do with the celebration events in the month as "spring" is both the end of darkness (and sadness) and the beginning of light (and happiness). The Arabic calendar being a lunar calendar, the month of Rabi' al-Awwal can be in any season, so the meaning cannot be related to the actual season of spring.
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January 12
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Rabi' al-Awwal
Part Three
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Although historians and scholars disagree on the exact date of Muhammad's birth, it is commonly celebrated on the 12th or 17th of Rabi' al-Awwal. The celebration of the Mawlid -- the day of the Prophet Muhammad's birth -- is done differently depending on the country. In some areas celebrations begin as early as the first of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal and can continue until the end of the month. Muslims generally put colored lights on roads, streets, and their homes and display green flags as well to celebrate. In many countries, a procession is also conducted on the 12th or 17th of Rabi' al-Awwal. On these occasions sweets and drinks are also distributed widely from home to home and to the general public. In some areas, Muslims also exchange gifts. The transition from darkness to light (from sadness to happiness), the celebrations, and the time of gift giving, has made Rabi' al-Awwal appear to be the month of blessings.
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January 13
Monday
{yawm al-ithnayn (the second day)}
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Rabi' al-Thani
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Rabi' al-Thani is the fourth month in the Islamic calendar. It is also known as Rabi' al-Akhir. Two notable deaths occurred in the month of Rabi' al-Thani, Ahmad Sirhindi [27 Rabi' al-Thani] and Ibn 'Arabi [28 or 29 Rabi' al-Thani].
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Ahmad Sirhindi
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One of the notable historical events that occurred in the month of Rabi' al-Thani is the death of Ahmad Sirhindi on 27 Rabi' al-Thani. Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi (b. June 26, 1564, Sirhind, Punjab Region, Mughal India - d. December 10, 1624) was an Indian Islamic scholar, a Hanafi jurist, and a prominent member of the Naqshbandi Sufi order. Ahmad Sirhindi has been described as a Mujaddid, meaning "the reviver", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing the dissident opinions prevalent in the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar.
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Ibn 'Arabi
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Ibn 'Arabi
Andalusian Muslim Scholar, Mystic, Poet and Philosopher
b. July 26, 1165, Murcia, Taifa of Murcia (now Murcia, Spain)
d. November 16 [28 or 29 Rabi' al-Thani], 1240, District of Salihiyya at Jabal Qasiyun, Damascus, Ayyubid Dynasty (now Damascus, Syria)
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One of the other notable dates in the history of the month of Rabi' al-Thani was the death of Ibn 'Arabi on 28 or 29 of Rabi' al-Thani
Ibn 'Arabi (full name Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn 'Arabi al-Hatimi at-Ta'i), was an Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, whose works grew to be influential both in the Muslim world and beyond. Of the over 800 works which are attributed to him, 100 survive in the original manuscript. His cosmological teachings became the dominant worldview in many parts of the Islamic world.
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January 14
Tuesday
{yawm al-thulatha' (the third day)}
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Jumada al-Awwal
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Jumada al-Awwal, also known as Jumada al-Ula, is the fifth month of the Islamic calendar. The month spans 29 or 30 days. Two notable historical events occurred in the month of Jumada al-Awwal, the death of Fatima on 10 Jumada al-Awwal 11 AH and the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II on 20 Jumada al-Awwal 857 AH.
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Fatima bint Muhammad
Daughter of Muhammad
b. 615 CE [5 AH], Mecca
d. August 18, 632 [3 Jumada al-Thani 11 AH]
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Fatima bint Muhammad was the youngest daughter and, according to Shia Muslims, the only child of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah who lived to adulthood, and therefore to become part of Muhammad's household. Her husband was Ali, the last of the Rightly Guided (Rashidun) Caliphs. Her uncle included Hasan and Husayn, the second and third Shia imams, respectively. Fatima is the object of love and respect of Muslims, as she was the child closest to her father and supported him in his difficulties, was the supporter and loving caretaker of her own husband and children, and was the only child of Muhammad to have male children live beyond childhood, whose descendants are spread throughout the Islamic world and are known as Sayyids. The 11th century dynasty ruling Egypt at the time of the Crusades, the Fatimids claimed descent from her.
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Muharram
Part One
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Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is thirty (30) days long. Muharram is one of the four sacred months of the year. During the sacred month of Muharram, warfare is forbidden. Muharram is considered to be the second holiest month, after Ramadan. Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian (Western) calendar.
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January 5
Sunday
{yawm al-ahad (the first day)}
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Muharram
Part Two
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The tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura, part of the Mourning of Muharram for Shia Muslims and a day of fasting for Sunni Muslims. The practice of fasting during Ashura stems from the hadith that Musa (Moses) and his people obtained a victory over the Egyptian Pharaoh on the tenth day of Muharram. Accordingly, Muhammad asked Muslims to fast on this day and on the day prior, the Day of Tasu'a.
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January 6
Monday
{yawm al-ithnayn (the second day)}
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Muharram
Part Three
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In the month of Muharram, Shia Muslims mourn the death of Husayn ibn 'Ali and his family. Husayn ibn 'Ali was the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad who led a group of dissident Muslims in opposition to the Umayyad caliph Yazid I. Husayn, and 72 of his followers, were martyred at the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE). On the tenth day of Muharram, Shia Muslims honor the martyrs of Karbala by prayer and abstinence from joyous events. Shia Muslims do not fast on the 10th of Muharram, but some will not eat or drink until zawal (afternoon) to show their sympathy with Husayn. In addition, there is an important ziyarat book, the Ziyarat Ashura about Husayn ibn 'Ali. In the Shia sect, it is popular to read this ziyarat (this supplication) on the day of Ashura.
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January 7
Tuesday
{yawm al-thulatha' (the third day)}
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Safar
Part One
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Safar is the second month of the Islamic calendar. The Arabic word "safar" means "empty", corresponding to the pre-Islamic Arabian time period when people's houses were empty, as they were out gathering food. Safar also means "whistling of the wind", as this was likely a windy time of year. Most of the Islamic months are named according to the weather conditions of the time. However, since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, the Islamic calendar months shift about 11 days every year, meaning that the season do not necessarily correspond to the name of the month.
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January 8
Wednesday
{yawm al-arbi‘a’ (the fourth day)}
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Safar
Part Two
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In the month of Safar, Shia Muslims observe Arba'een.
Arba'een is a Shia Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed on the 10th day of the month of Muharram. Husayn and 72 of his companions were killed by the forces of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, at the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE). Arba'een, or forty days, falls on the 20 Safar.
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January 9
Thursday
{yawm al-khamis (the fifth day)}
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Safar
Part Three
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In the month of Safar, Shia Muslims observe Arba'een. Arba'een, or forty days, is also the usual length of mourning after the death of a family member or loved one in many Muslim traditions. During the time of Arba'een, one of the largest pilgrimage gatherings on Earth occurs. Up to 20 million people go to the city of Karbala in Iraq to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn.
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January 10
Friday
{yawm al-jum‘a (the day of congregation)}
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Rabi' al-Awwal
Part One
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Rabi' al-Awwal is the third month in the Islamic calendar. During Rabi' al-Awwal, many Muslims celebrate Mawlid -- the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. Although the exact date of the birth of Muhammad is unknown, Sunni Muslims believe the date of birth of Muhammad to have been on the twelfth day of Rabi' al-Awwal, whereas Shia Muslims believe him to have been born on the dawn of the seventeenth day of Rabi' al-Awwal. Muhammad himself never celebrated the Mawlid. Instead Muhammad encouraged Muslims to fast on Mondays of every week due to his birthday being on a Monday (yawm al-ithnayn). The "Rabi' al-Awwal" means "the first [month] or beginning of spring", referring to its position in the pre-Islamic Arabian calendar.
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January 11
Saturday
{yawm al-sabt (the day of rest)}
Rabi' al-Awwal
Part Two
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The word "Rabi'" means "spring" and the word "al-awwal" means "the first". Accordingly, "Rabi' al-Awwal" means "the first spring" in the Arabic language. The name "Rabi' al-Awwal" seems to have to do with the celebration events in the month as "spring" is both the end of darkness (and sadness) and the beginning of light (and happiness). The Arabic calendar being a lunar calendar, the month of Rabi' al-Awwal can be in any season, so the meaning cannot be related to the actual season of spring.
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January 12
Sunday
{yawm al-ahad (the first day)}
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Rabi' al-Awwal
Part Three
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Although historians and scholars disagree on the exact date of Muhammad's birth, it is commonly celebrated on the 12th or 17th of Rabi' al-Awwal. The celebration of the Mawlid -- the day of the Prophet Muhammad's birth -- is done differently depending on the country. In some areas celebrations begin as early as the first of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal and can continue until the end of the month. Muslims generally put colored lights on roads, streets, and their homes and display green flags as well to celebrate. In many countries, a procession is also conducted on the 12th or 17th of Rabi' al-Awwal. On these occasions sweets and drinks are also distributed widely from home to home and to the general public. In some areas, Muslims also exchange gifts. The transition from darkness to light (from sadness to happiness), the celebrations, and the time of gift giving, has made Rabi' al-Awwal appear to be the month of blessings.
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January 13
Monday
{yawm al-ithnayn (the second day)}
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Rabi' al-Thani
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Rabi' al-Thani is the fourth month in the Islamic calendar. It is also known as Rabi' al-Akhir. Two notable deaths occurred in the month of Rabi' al-Thani, Ahmad Sirhindi [27 Rabi' al-Thani] and Ibn 'Arabi [28 or 29 Rabi' al-Thani].
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Ahmad Sirhindi
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One of the notable historical events that occurred in the month of Rabi' al-Thani is the death of Ahmad Sirhindi on 27 Rabi' al-Thani. Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi (b. June 26, 1564, Sirhind, Punjab Region, Mughal India - d. December 10, 1624) was an Indian Islamic scholar, a Hanafi jurist, and a prominent member of the Naqshbandi Sufi order. Ahmad Sirhindi has been described as a Mujaddid, meaning "the reviver", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing the dissident opinions prevalent in the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar.
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Ibn 'Arabi
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Ibn 'Arabi
Andalusian Muslim Scholar, Mystic, Poet and Philosopher
b. July 26, 1165, Murcia, Taifa of Murcia (now Murcia, Spain)
d. November 16 [28 or 29 Rabi' al-Thani], 1240, District of Salihiyya at Jabal Qasiyun, Damascus, Ayyubid Dynasty (now Damascus, Syria)
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One of the other notable dates in the history of the month of Rabi' al-Thani was the death of Ibn 'Arabi on 28 or 29 of Rabi' al-Thani
Ibn 'Arabi (full name Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn 'Arabi al-Hatimi at-Ta'i), was an Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, whose works grew to be influential both in the Muslim world and beyond. Of the over 800 works which are attributed to him, 100 survive in the original manuscript. His cosmological teachings became the dominant worldview in many parts of the Islamic world.
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January 14
Tuesday
{yawm al-thulatha' (the third day)}
Jumada al-Awwal
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Jumada al-Awwal, also known as Jumada al-Ula, is the fifth month of the Islamic calendar. The month spans 29 or 30 days. Two notable historical events occurred in the month of Jumada al-Awwal, the death of Fatima on 10 Jumada al-Awwal 11 AH and the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II on 20 Jumada al-Awwal 857 AH.
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Fatima bint Muhammad
Daughter of Muhammad
b. 615 CE [5 AH], Mecca
d. August 18, 632 [3 Jumada al-Thani 11 AH]
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Fatima bint Muhammad was the youngest daughter and, according to Shia Muslims, the only child of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadijah who lived to adulthood, and therefore to become part of Muhammad's household. Her husband was Ali, the last of the Rightly Guided (Rashidun) Caliphs. Her uncle included Hasan and Husayn, the second and third Shia imams, respectively. Fatima is the object of love and respect of Muslims, as she was the child closest to her father and supported him in his difficulties, was the supporter and loving caretaker of her own husband and children, and was the only child of Muhammad to have male children live beyond childhood, whose descendants are spread throughout the Islamic world and are known as Sayyids. The 11th century dynasty ruling Egypt at the time of the Crusades, the Fatimids claimed descent from her.
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The Five Pillars of Islam
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The Five Pillars of Islam are:
(1) Shahada
{The Muslim Statement of Faith}
(2) Salat
{Daily Prayer}
(3) Zakat
{Almsgiving}
(4) Ramadan
{The Month of Daytime Fasting}
(5) Hajj
{The Pilgrimage to Mecca}
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Shahada
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{lā ʾilāha ʾillā llāh muḥammadun rasūlu llāh}
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“There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the
Prophet of Allah.”
or
“There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the
Prophet of God.”
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The Shahada is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is
the Muslim statement of faith, or the Islamic creed. The Shahada
is a personal testimony of belief in the oneness of God (tawhid) and the
acceptance of Muhammad as God’s prophet.
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Salat
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Salat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Salat refers
to the obligatory religious duty of every Muslim to pray five times daily. Salat
is deemed to be a physical, mental, and spiritual act of
worship. Salat is performed before dawn, at noon, at mid-afternoon,
before sunset, and at mid-evening. The Friday midday prayer is performed in the
mosque (jam‘i). This Friday salat is followed by the khutba – the
sermon preached by the official preacher (the khatib) from the minbar (the high
seat in the mosque).
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Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Zakat is the
Arabic term for almsgiving. Zakat (almsgiving) is treated in Islam
as a religious obligation which, by Quranic ranking, is next after prayer in
importance. Zakat is mandatory and is considered to be a tax. The
payment of, and disputes on, zakat have played a major role in the history of
Islam, most notable during the Ridda wars (the Wars of Apostasy) that occurred
after Muhammad’s death in 632 CE.
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Ramadan
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Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29-30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon.
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The word "Ramadan" comes from the Arabic root "ramida" or "ar-ramad", which means scorching heat or dryness. Fasting is fard (obligatory) for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travelling, are elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, chronically ill or menstruating. Fasting the month of Ramadan was obligatory (wajib) during the month of Sha'ban, in the second year after the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina. Fatwas have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a natural phenomenon such as the midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca, but the more commonly accepted opinion is that Muslims in those areas should follow the timetable of the closest country to them in which night can be distinguished from day.
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While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations. Muslims are also instructed to refrain from sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech (insulting, backbiting, cursing, lying, etc.) and fighting except in self-defense. Pre-fast meals before dawn are referred to as "suhoor", while the post-fast feasts after sunset are called "iftar". Spiritual rewards (thawab) for fasting are also believed to be multiplied within the month of Ramadan. Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the increased offering of salat (prayers), recitation of the Qur'an, and an increase in doing good deeds and charity.
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Hajj
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Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. The Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims and must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence. Literally speaking, Hajj means heading to a place for the sake of visiting. In Islamic terminology, Hajj is a pilgrimage made to the Kaaba, the "House of God", in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
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The rites of Hajj, which according to Islam go back to the time of the Prophet (the biblical) Abraham who re-built the Kaaba after it had been first built by the Prophet (the biblical) Adam, are performed over five or six days, beginning on the eighth and ending on the thirteenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside Shahada, Salat, Zakat, and Sawm (the fasting during the month of Ramadan). The Hajj is the second largest annual gathering of Muslims in the world, after the Arba'een Pilgrimage in Karbala, Iraq.
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The state of being physically and financially capable of performing the Hajj is called "istita'ah", and a Muslim who fulfills this condition is called a "mustati". The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God (Allah). The word "Hajj" means "to attend a journey", which connotes both the outward act of a journey and the inward act of intentions.
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January 17
Friday
{yawm al-jum‘a (the day of congregation)}
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Muhammad Ali
2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom
1999 Time Magazine's
List of 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century
1999 Sports
Illustrated Sportsman of the Century
1999 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Sports Personality of
the Century
Three-Time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
1960 Olympic Light-Heavyweight Gold Medal Boxing Champion
b. January 17, 1942, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
d. June 3, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
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Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., was an American professional boxer, activist and philanthropist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", Muhammad Ali is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest boxers of all time.
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January 29
Wednesday
{yawm al-arbi‘a’ (the fourth day)}
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Mohammad Abdus Salam
1979 Nobel Prize in Physics
b. January 29, 1926, Jhang, Punjab, British India
d. November 21, 1996, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Mohammad Abdus Salam was a Pakistani physicist. The 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly to Sheldon Lee Glashow of the United States, Steven Weinberg of the United States, and Mohammad Abdus Salam of Pakistan "for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current." Mohammad Abdus Salam was the first Pakistani scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and, as such, was not considered a Muslim by the government of Pakistan.
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'Ali ibn Abi Talib
Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad
Fourth Rashidun Caliph
First Shia Imam
b. September 15, 601 (13 Rajab, 21 BH), Ka'ban, Mecca, Hijaz, Arabian Peninsula
d. January 29, 661 (21 Ramadan, 40 AH), Kufa, Mesopotamia, Rashidun Empire
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'Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. He ruled as the fourth caliph from 656 (35 AH) to 661 (40 AH), but is regarded as the rightful immediate successor to Muhammad as an Imam by Shia Muslims.
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Ali was the first male who accepted Islam and, arguably, the first Muslim. Ali protected Muhammad from an early age and took part in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. After migrating to Medina, Ali married Muhammad's daughter Fatima. He was appointed caliph by Muhammad's companions in 656 (35 AH), after Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated. Ali's reign saw civil wars and, in 661 (40 AH), he was attacked and assassinated by a Kharijite while he was praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa.
*****
Ali is important to both Shias and Sunnis, politically and spiritually. The numerous biographical sources about Ali agree that he was a pious Muslim, devoted to the cause of Islam and a just ruler in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. While Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the Rashidun (rightly guided) caliphs. Shia Muslims regard Ali as the first Imam after Muhammad. Shia Muslims also believe that Ali and the other Shia imams (all of whom are of the household of Muhammad) are the rightful successors to Muhammad. It was this disagreement that split the umma into Shia and Sunni branches.
*****
Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad
Fourth Rashidun Caliph
First Shia Imam
b. September 15, 601 (13 Rajab, 21 BH), Ka'ban, Mecca, Hijaz, Arabian Peninsula
d. January 29, 661 (21 Ramadan, 40 AH), Kufa, Mesopotamia, Rashidun Empire
*****
'Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. He ruled as the fourth caliph from 656 (35 AH) to 661 (40 AH), but is regarded as the rightful immediate successor to Muhammad as an Imam by Shia Muslims.
*****
Ali was the first male who accepted Islam and, arguably, the first Muslim. Ali protected Muhammad from an early age and took part in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. After migrating to Medina, Ali married Muhammad's daughter Fatima. He was appointed caliph by Muhammad's companions in 656 (35 AH), after Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated. Ali's reign saw civil wars and, in 661 (40 AH), he was attacked and assassinated by a Kharijite while he was praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa.
*****
Ali is important to both Shias and Sunnis, politically and spiritually. The numerous biographical sources about Ali agree that he was a pious Muslim, devoted to the cause of Islam and a just ruler in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. While Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the Rashidun (rightly guided) caliphs. Shia Muslims regard Ali as the first Imam after Muhammad. Shia Muslims also believe that Ali and the other Shia imams (all of whom are of the household of Muhammad) are the rightful successors to Muhammad. It was this disagreement that split the umma into Shia and Sunni branches.
*****
*****
February 7
*****
Tawakel Karman
2011 Nobel Peace Prize
b. February 7, 1979, Taiz Governorate, Yemen Arab Republic
*****
Tawakel Karman is a human rights activist based in Yemen. She was a prominent leader in the Arab Spring of 2011.
The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly given to Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf of Liberia, Leymah Gbowee of Liberia, and Tawakel Karman of Yemen
"for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's
rights to full participation in peace-building work." Tawakel Karman was the first Arab woman and the first Yemeni to
receive a Nobel Prize.
*****
*****
February 16
*****
Mahershala Ali
2018 Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture, Golden Globe Awards
2016 Best Supporting Actor, Academy Awards
2016 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role,
Screen Actors Guild Awards
2016 Best Supporting Actor in a Movie, Critics' Choice Awards
b. February 16, 1974, Oakland, California, United States
*****
Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, known professionally as Mahershala Ali, is an American actor. Ali began his career as a regular on television series such as Crossing Jordan and Threat Matrix, before his breakthrough role as Richard Tyler in the science fiction series The 4400. For his performance as Juan in the drama film Moonlight (2016), Mahershala Ali received universal acclaim from critics and won the Academy Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award and the Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor, and also received Golden Globe and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award nominations. Mahershala Ali's win at the 89th Academy Awards made him the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar for acting.
*****
*****
February 26
*****
Ahmed Zewail
1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
b. February 26, 1946, Damanhour, Egypt
d. August 2, 2016, Pasadena, California, United States
*****
Ahmed Zewail was an Egyptian chemist who is known as the "father of femtochemistry." Femtochemistry is the area of physical chemistry that studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales in order to study the very act of atoms within molecules (reactants) rearranging themselves to form new molecules. The 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Ahmed Zewail "for his studies of the transition states of chemical reactions using femtosecond spectroscopy." Ahmed Zewail was the first Muslim chemist to be awarded the Nobel Prize and the second Muslim scientist. The first Muslim scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize was Mohammad Abdus Salam of Pakistan in 1979.
*****
*****
March 8
{13 Rajab, 1441 AH}
*****
The Birthday of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib
b. September 15, 601 (13 Rajab, 21 BH), Ka'ban, Mecca, Hijaz, Arabian Peninsula
d. January 29, 661 (21 Ramadan, 40 AH), Kufa, Mesopotamia, Rashidun Empire
*****
'Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. He ruled as the fourth caliph from 656 (35 AH) to 661 (40 AH), but is regarded as the rightful immediate successor to Muhammad as an Imam by Shia Muslims.
*****
Ali was the first male who accepted Islam and, arguably, the first Muslim. Ali protected Muhammad from an early age and took part in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. After migrating to Medina, Ali married Muhammad's daughter Fatima. He was appointed caliph by Muhammad's companions in 656 (35 AH), after Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated. Ali's reign saw civil wars and, in 661 (40 AH), he was attacked and assassinated by a Kharijite while he was praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa.
*****
Ali is important to both Shias and Sunnis, politically and spiritually. The numerous biographical sources about Ali agree that he was a pious Muslim, devoted to the cause of Islam and a just ruler in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. While Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the Rashidun (rightly guided) caliphs. Shia Muslims regard Ali as the first Imam after Muhammad. Shia Muslims also believe that Ali and the other Shia imams (all of whom are of the household of Muhammad) are the rightful successors to Muhammad. It was this disagreement that split the umma into Shia and Sunni branches.
*****
*****
March 14
*****
Maryam Mirzakhani
2014 Fields Medal
b. May 12, 1977, Tehran, Iran
d. July 14, 2017, Stanford, California, United States
*****
Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician and professor of
mathematics at Stanford University. Her research topics included
Teichmuller theory, hyperbolic geometry, ergodic theory and symplectic
geometry. On August 13, 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani was honored with the
Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics. She became both
the first woman and the first Iranian to be honored with the award. The
award committee cited her work in "the dynamics and geometry of Riemann
surfaces and their moduli spaces."
*****
*****
April 23
*****
Ramadan
*****
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29-30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon.
*****
The word "Ramadan" comes from the Arabic root "ramida" or "ar-ramad", which means scorching heat or dryness. Fasting is fard (obligatory) for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travelling, are elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, chronically ill or menstruating. Fasting the month of Ramadan was obligatory (wajib) during the month of Sha'ban, in the second year after the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina. Fatwas have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a natural phenomenon such as the midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca, but the more commonly accepted opinion is that Muslims in those areas should follow the timetable of the closest country to them in which night can be distinguished from day.
*****
While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations. Muslims are also instructed to refrain from sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech (insulting, backbiting, cursing, lying, etc.) and fighting except in self-defense. Pre-fast meals before dawn are referred to as "suhoor", while the post-fast feasts after sunset are called "iftar". Spiritual rewards (thawab) for fasting are also believed to be multiplied within the month of Ramadan. Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the increased offering of salat (prayers), recitation of the Qur'an, and an increase in doing good deeds and charity.
*****
*****
May 12
*****
Maryam Mirzakhani
2014 Fields Medal
b. May 12, 1977, Tehran, Iran
d. July 14, 2017, Stanford, California, United States
*****
Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician and professor of mathematics at Stanford University. Her research topics included Teichmuller theory, hyperbolic geometry, ergodic theory and symplectic geometry. On August 13, 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani was honored with the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics. She became both the first woman and the first Iranian to be honored with the award. The award committee cited her work in "the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces."
*****
*****
May 23
*****
Ramadan
*****
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm) to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29-30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon.
*****
The word "Ramadan" comes from the Arabic root "ramida" or "ar-ramad", which means scorching heat or dryness. Fasting is fard (obligatory) for adult Muslims, except those who are suffering from an illness, travelling, are elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, chronically ill or menstruating. Fasting the month of Ramadan was obligatory (wajib) during the month of Sha'ban, in the second year after the Muslims migrated from Mecca to Medina. Fatwas have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a natural phenomenon such as the midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca, but the more commonly accepted opinion is that Muslims in those areas should follow the timetable of the closest country to them in which night can be distinguished from day.
*****
While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations. Muslims are also instructed to refrain from sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech (insulting, backbiting, cursing, lying, etc.) and fighting except in self-defense. Pre-fast meals before dawn are referred to as "suhoor", while the post-fast feasts after sunset are called "iftar". Spiritual rewards (thawab) for fasting are also believed to be multiplied within the month of Ramadan. Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the increased offering of salat (prayers), recitation of the Qur'an, and an increase in doing good deeds and charity.
*****
*****
June 3
*****
Muhammad Ali
2005 Presidential Medal of Freedom
1999 Time Magazine's List of 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century
1999 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Century
1999 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Sports Personality of the Century
Three-Time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion
1960 Olympic Light-Heavyweight Gold Medal Boxing Champion
b. January 17, 1942, Louisville, Kentucky, United States
d. June 3, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona, United States
*****
Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., was an American professional boxer, activist and philanthropist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", Muhammad Ali is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and one of the greatest boxers of all time.
*****
June 4
*****
*****
*****
June 7
*****
Orhan Pamuk
2006 Nobel Prize in Literature
b. June 7, 1952, Istanbul, Turkey
*****
Orhan Pamuk is a Turkish writer best known for his novels, My Name is Red and Snow. The 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Orhan Pamuk of Istanbul, Turkey, "who in the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures." Orhan Pamuk is the first Turk to receive the Nobel Prize.
*****
*****
June 17
*****
Mohamed El Baradei
2005 Nobel Peace Prize
b. June 17, 1942, Cairo, Egypt
*****
Mohamed El Baradei is an Egyptian diplomat. The 2005 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to El Baradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) "for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way. El Baradei was the second Egyptian to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The first was Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1978.
*****
*****
June 21
*****
Shirin Ebadi
2003 Nobel Peace Prize
b. June 21, 1947, Hamadan, Iran
*****
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian human rights activist. The 2003 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Shirin Ebadi "for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children" in Iran. Shirin Ibadi is the first Iranian, and the first Muslim woman, to receive a Nobel Prize.
*****
*****
June 26
*****
Indian Islamic Scholar
The Mujaddid -- "The Reviver" -- of Islam in Mughal India
b. June 26, 1564, Sirhind, Punjab Region, Mughal India
d. December 10 [27 Rabi' al-Thani], 1624
*****
Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi was an Indian Islamic scholar, a Hanafi jurist, and a prominent member of the Naqshbandi Sufi order. Ahmad Sirhindi has been described as a Mujaddid, meaning "the reviver", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing the dissident opinions prevalent in the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar.
*****
*****
June 26
*****
Indian Islamic Scholar
The Mujaddid -- "The Reviver" -- of Islam in Mughal India
b. June 26, 1564, Sirhind, Punjab Region, Mughal India
d. December 10 [27 Rabi' al-Thani], 1624
*****
Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi was an Indian Islamic scholar, a Hanafi jurist, and a prominent member of the Naqshbandi Sufi order. Ahmad Sirhindi has been described as a Mujaddid, meaning "the reviver", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing the dissident opinions prevalent in the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar.
*****
June 28
*****
Muhammad Yunus
2006 Nobel Peace Prize
b. June 28, 1940, Chittagong, Bengal Presidency, British India
*****
Muhammad Yunis is a Bangladeshi economist and the founder of the Grameen Bank. The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly awarded to Muhammad Yunis and the Grameen Bank "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below." Muhammad Yunus is the first
Bangladeshi, and the first Bengali Muslim, to become a Nobel
laureate.
*****
*****
July 12
*****
Malala Yousafzai
2014 Nobel Peace Prize
b. July 12, 1997, Mingora, Swat, Pakistan
*****
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist who works for the right to education for children, and especially for girls, in Pakistan. The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize was jointly given to Kailash Satyarthi of India and Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan "for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education."
Having received the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, Malala
Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel Prize recipient ever. She is also the
second Pakistani, and the first ethnic Pashtun, to be awarded a Nobel Prize.
*****
*****
July 14
*****
Maryam Mirzakhani
2014 Fields Medal
b. May 12, 1977, Tehran, Iran
d. July 14, 2017, Stanford, California, United States
*****
Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician and professor of
mathematics at Stanford University. Her research topics included
Teichmuller theory, hyperbolic geometry, ergodic theory and symplectic
geometry. On August 13, 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani was honored with the
Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics. She became both
the first woman and the first Iranian to be honored with the award. The
award committee cited her work in "the dynamics and geometry of Riemann
surfaces and their moduli spaces."
*****
*****
July 26
*****
*****
Ibn 'Arabi
Andalusian Muslim Scholar, Mystic, Poet and Philosopher
b. July 26, 1165, Murcia, Taifa of Murcia (now Murcia, Spain)
d. November 16 [28 or 29 Rabi' al-Thani], 1240, District of Salihiyya at Jabal Qasiyun, Damascus, Ayyubid Dynasty (now Damascus, Syria)
*****
Ibn 'Arabi (full name Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn 'Arabi al-Hatimi at-Ta'i), was an Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, whose works grew to be influential both in the Muslim world and beyond. Of the over 800 works which are attributed to him, 100 survive in the original manuscript. His cosmological teachings became the dominant worldview in many parts of the Islamic world.
*****
*****
*****
July 30
*****
Nadia Murad
2018 Nobel Peace Prize
b. 1993, Kocho, Sinjar, Iraq
*****
Nadia Murad is an Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist. In
2014, she was kidnapped from her hometown of Kocho and held by the Islamic
State for three months. She was enslaved, beaten and raped by her
captors. In 2018, Nadia Murad of Iraq and Denis Mukwege of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for
their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed
conflict." Nadia Murad is the first Iraqi and the first Yazidi to be
awarded a Nobel Prize.
*****
In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution
that designated July 30 as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
This resolution declared that such a day was necessary to "raise awareness
of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and
protection of their rights."
*****
August 2
*****
Ahmed Zewail
1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
b. February 26, 1946, Damanhour, Egypt
d. August 2, 2016, Pasadena, California, United States
*****
Ahmed Zewail was an Egyptian chemist who is known as the "father of femtochemistry." Femtochemistry is the area of physical chemistry that studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales in order to study the very act of atoms within molecules (reactants) rearranging themselves to form new molecules. The 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Ahmed Zewail "for his studies of the transition states of chemical reactions using femtosecond spectroscopy." Ahmed Zewail was the first Muslim chemist to be awarded the Nobel Prize and the second Muslim scientist. The first Muslim scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize was Mohammad Abdus Salam of Pakistan in 1979.
*****
*****
August 13
*****
Maryam Mirzakhani
2014 Fields Medal
b. May 12, 1977, Tehran, Iran
d. July 14, 2017, Stanford, California, United States
*****
Maryam Mirzakhani was an Iranian mathematician and professor of
mathematics at Stanford University. Her research topics included
Teichmuller theory, hyperbolic geometry, ergodic theory and symplectic
geometry. On August 13, 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani was honored with the
Fields Medal, the most prestigious award in mathematics. She became both
the first woman and the first Iranian to be honored with the award. The
award committee cited her work in "the dynamics and geometry of Riemann
surfaces and their moduli spaces."
*****
*****
August 20
{1 Muharram, 1442 AH}
*****
Islamic New Year
*****
The Islamic New Year, also known as the Arabic New Year or the Hijri New Year, is the day that marks the beginning of a new Islamic calendar year, and is the day on which the year count is increased by one. The first day of the year is observed on the first day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. The first Islamic year began in 622 of the Common Era (CE) with the emigration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina. This emigration is known as the Hijra. For the Muslim or Islamic calendar, the years are usually designated with the letters "AH" coming after the year number. The "AH" represents the words "After Hijra" indicating the years after Muhammad's emigration.
*****
*****
August 24
*****
Yasser Arafat
1994 Nobel Peace Prize
b. August 24, 1929, Cairo, Egypt
d. November 11, 2004, Clamart, Hauts-de-Seine, France
*****
Yasser Arafat was a Palestinian political leader and the long time
Chairman (1969 to 2004) of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Shimon Peres of Israel, Yitzhak
Rabin of Israel, and Yasser Arafat of Palestine "for their efforts to
create peace in the Middle East."
*****
*****
August 27
{9 Muharram, 1442 AH}
*****
Tasu'a
*****
Tasu'a literally means "ninth" and, in the Islamic calendar, refers to the ninth day of Muharram. Tasu'a the day before Ashura, the day commemorating the death of Husayn ibn Ali at the Battle of Karbala. Several events occurred on this day, including: Shemr's entrance into Karbala; the granting of safe conduct for the children of Umm ul-Banin; preparation for war; and Husayn ibn Ali and his companions being besieged by the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I (as part of the Battle of Karbala). The day is devoted to Abbas ibn Ali in Shia communities, because of his bravery as the standard-bearer of Husayn's army at the Battle of Karbala.
*****
*****
August 28
{10 Muharram, 1442 AH}
*****
Ashura
*****
Ashura is the tenth day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. For the majority of Shia Muslims, Ashura marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram and commemorates the death of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram in the year 61 AH (October 10, 680 CE). Sunni Muslims have the same accounts of these events. However, ceremonial mourning did not become a Sunni custom, although poems, eulogizing and recounting the events were, and continue to be common. Mourning for the incident began almost immediately after the Battle of Karbala. Popular elegies were written by poets to commemorate the Battle of Karbala during the Umayyad and Abbasidera and earliest public mourning rituals occurred in 963 CE during the Buyid dynasty. In Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Ashura has become a national holiday, and many ethnic and religious communities participate in it.
*****
*****
August 30
*****
Naguib Mahfouz
1988 Nobel Prize in Literature
b. December 11, 1911, Cairo, Khedivate of Egypt
d. August 30, 2006, Cairo, Egypt
*****
Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer noted for his contributions to Arabic literature. The 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Naguib Mahfouz "who, through works rich in nuance -- now clear-sightedly realistic, now evocatively ambiguous -- has formed an Arabian narrative art that applies to all mankind." Naguib Mahfouz was the first Muslim writer to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.
*****
*****
September 8
*****
Aziz Sancar
2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
b. September 8, 1946, Savur, Mardin, Turkey
*****
Aziz Sancar is a Turkish American biochemist and molecular biologist specializing in DNA repair, cell cycle checkpoints, and circadian clock. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Aziz Sancar "for mechanistic studies of DNA repair." Aziz Sancar is the first Turkish born chemist, the second Turkish born person (the first being the novelist Orhan Pamuk in 2006), and the third Muslim scientist (following Mohammad Abdus Salam of Pakistan in 1979 and Ahmed Zewail of Egypt in 1999) to be awarded a Nobel Prize.
*****
September 15
*****
September 15
*****
'Ali ibn Abi Talib
Cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad
Fourth Rashidun Caliph
First Shia Imam
b. September 15, 601 (13 Rajab, 21 BH), Ka'ban, Mecca, Hijaz, Arabian Peninsula
d. January 29, 661 (21 Ramadan, 40 AH), Kufa, Mesopotamia, Rashidun Empire
*****
'Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. He ruled as the fourth caliph from 656 (35 AH) to 661 (40 AH), but is regarded as the rightful immediate successor to Muhammad as an Imam by Shia Muslims.
*****
Ali was the first male who accepted Islam and, arguably, the first Muslim. Ali protected Muhammad from an early age and took part in almost all the battles fought by the nascent Muslim community. After migrating to Medina, Ali married Muhammad's daughter Fatima. He was appointed caliph by Muhammad's companions in 656 (35 AH), after Caliph Uthman ibn Affan was assassinated. Ali's reign saw civil wars and, in 661 (40 AH), he was attacked and assassinated by a Kharijite while he was praying in the Great Mosque of Kufa.
*****
Ali is important to both Shias and Sunnis, politically and spiritually. The numerous biographical sources about Ali agree that he was a pious Muslim, devoted to the cause of Islam and a just ruler in accordance with the Qur'an and the Sunnah. While Sunnis consider Ali the fourth and final of the Rashidun (rightly guided) caliphs. Shia Muslims regard Ali as the first Imam after Muhammad. Shia Muslims also believe that Ali and the other Shia imams (all of whom are of the household of Muhammad) are the rightful successors to Muhammad. It was this disagreement that split the umma into Shia and Sunni branches.
*****
*****
October 6
*****
Anwar Sadat
1978 Nobel Peace Prize
b. December 25, 1918, Monufia, Sultanate of Egypt
d. October 6, 1981, Cairo, Egypt
*****
Anwar Sadat was the President of Egypt from 1970 to 1981. Anwar Sadat of Egypt, along with Menachem Begin of Israel, was awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize "for their contribution to the two frame agreements on peace in the Middle East, and on peace between Egypt and Israel, which were signed at Camp David on September 17, 1978." Anwar Sadat was the first Muslim to receive a Nobel Prize.
*****
*****
October 8
{20 Safar, 1442 AH}
*****
Arba'een
*****
Arba'een is a Shia Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed on the 10th day of the month of Muharram. Husayn and 72 of his companions were killed by the forces of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, at the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE).
*****
Arba'een, or forty days, is also the usual length of mourning after the death of a family member or loved one in many Muslim traditions. During the time of Arba'een, one of the largest pilgrimage gatherings on Earth occurs. Up to 45 million people go to the city of Karbala in Iraq to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn.
*****
*****
October 8
{20 Safar, 1442 AH}
*****
Arba'een
*****
Arba'een is a Shia Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed on the 10th day of the month of Muharram. Husayn and 72 of his companions were killed by the forces of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, at the Battle of Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE).
*****
Arba'een, or forty days, is also the usual length of mourning after the death of a family member or loved one in many Muslim traditions. During the time of Arba'een, one of the largest pilgrimage gatherings on Earth occurs. Up to 45 million people go to the city of Karbala in Iraq to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn.
*****
*****
October 10
{22 Safar, 1442 AH}
*****
*****
The Battle of Karbala
*****
The Battle of Karbala took place on 10 Muharram, in the year 61 AH of the Islamic calendar (October 10, 680 CE) in Karbala, in what is present-day Iraq. The battle took place between a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson, Husayn ibn Ali, and a larger military detachment from the forces of Yazid I, the Umayyad caliph.
*****
When the first Umayyad caliph Muawiyah died in 680 CE, Husayn did not give allegiance to his son, Yazid I, who had been appointed as Umayyad caliph by Muawiyah. The people of Kufa sent letters to Husayn, asking his help and pledging allegiance to him, but they later did not support him. As Husayn traveled towards Kufa at a nearby place known as Karbala, his caravan was intercepted by Yazid's army. In the ensuing battle, Husayn was killed and beheaded along with most of his family and companions. The dead are widely regarded as martyrs by Sufi, Sunni, and Shia Muslims. The battle has a central place in Shia history, tradition and theology and it has frequently been recounted in Shia Islamic literature.
*****
October 26
{9 Rabi' al-Awwal, 1442 AH}
*****
Eid-e-Shuja'
*****
Eid-e-Shuja', also known as Eid-e-Zahra, is a ritual festival observed by most Twelver Shia Muslims. It marks the end of the two-month mourning period (azadari) after the events of the Karbala massacre which occurred in 61 AH (680 CE). Eid-e-Shuja' is celebrated annually on the ninth day of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in the Islamic Hijri calendar.
*****
"Eid" is an Arabic word that is often translated as "festival", while the term "Shuja'" means "brave" or "courageous". Eid-e-Shuja' stands for "festival for the brave and courageous companions" of Husayn ibn Ali who fought, and died, at the Battle of Karbala. In this lop-sided battle, the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I slaughtered all of Husayn's male companions, with Husayn, according to Shia tradition, being the last to be killed. The Umayyads looted Husayn's camp, decapitated the bodies of his companions and took as prisoners all the women and children, amongst them was Husayn's surviving son, Ali, who became the fourth Shia Imam, Zayn-al-'Abedin.
*****
October 29
{12 Rabi' al-Awwal, 1442 AH}
*****
Mawlid al-Nabi
{Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad}
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Mawlid al-Nabi, also known as Mawlid al-Nabi al-Sharif, is the observance of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. His birthday is commemorated in the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabi' al-awwal. 12 Rabi' al-Awwal is the accepted date among most of the Sunni scholars, while Shia scholars regard 17 Rabi' al-Awwal as the accepted date.
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The history of the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad goes bac to the early days of Islam when some of the Tabi'un (second generation followers of Islam) began to hold sessions in which poetry and songs composed to honor Muhammad were recited and sung to the crowds. The Ottoman Turks declared the birthday celebration an official holiday in 1588. It was then known as "Mevlid Kandil". The term "Mawlid" is also used in some part of the world, such as Egypt, as a generic term for the birthday celebrations of other historical religious figures such as Sufi saints.
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November 3
{17 Rabi' al-Awwal, 1442 AH}
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Mawlid al-Nabi
{Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad}
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Mawlid al-Nabi, also known as Mawlid al-Nabi al-Sharif, is the observance of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. His birthday is commemorated in the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabi' al-awwal. 12 Rabi' al-Awwal is the accepted date among most of the Sunni scholars, while Shia scholars regard 17 Rabi' al-Awwal as the accepted date.
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The history of the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad goes back to the early days of Islam when some of the Tabi'un (second generation followers of Islam) began to hold sessions in which poetry and songs composed to honor Muhammad were recited and sung to the crowds. The Ottoman Turks declared the birthday celebration an official holiday in 1588. It was then known as "Mevlid Kandil". The term "Mawlid" is also used in some part of the world, such as Egypt, as a generic term for the birthday celebrations of other historical religious figures such as Sufi saints.
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October 26
{9 Rabi' al-Awwal, 1442 AH}
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Eid-e-Shuja'
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Eid-e-Shuja', also known as Eid-e-Zahra, is a ritual festival observed by most Twelver Shia Muslims. It marks the end of the two-month mourning period (azadari) after the events of the Karbala massacre which occurred in 61 AH (680 CE). Eid-e-Shuja' is celebrated annually on the ninth day of the month of Rabi' al-Awwal in the Islamic Hijri calendar.
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"Eid" is an Arabic word that is often translated as "festival", while the term "Shuja'" means "brave" or "courageous". Eid-e-Shuja' stands for "festival for the brave and courageous companions" of Husayn ibn Ali who fought, and died, at the Battle of Karbala. In this lop-sided battle, the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I slaughtered all of Husayn's male companions, with Husayn, according to Shia tradition, being the last to be killed. The Umayyads looted Husayn's camp, decapitated the bodies of his companions and took as prisoners all the women and children, amongst them was Husayn's surviving son, Ali, who became the fourth Shia Imam, Zayn-al-'Abedin.
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October 29
{12 Rabi' al-Awwal, 1442 AH}
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Mawlid al-Nabi
{Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad}
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Mawlid al-Nabi, also known as Mawlid al-Nabi al-Sharif, is the observance of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. His birthday is commemorated in the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabi' al-awwal. 12 Rabi' al-Awwal is the accepted date among most of the Sunni scholars, while Shia scholars regard 17 Rabi' al-Awwal as the accepted date.
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The history of the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad goes bac to the early days of Islam when some of the Tabi'un (second generation followers of Islam) began to hold sessions in which poetry and songs composed to honor Muhammad were recited and sung to the crowds. The Ottoman Turks declared the birthday celebration an official holiday in 1588. It was then known as "Mevlid Kandil". The term "Mawlid" is also used in some part of the world, such as Egypt, as a generic term for the birthday celebrations of other historical religious figures such as Sufi saints.
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November 3
{17 Rabi' al-Awwal, 1442 AH}
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Mawlid al-Nabi
{Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad}
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Mawlid al-Nabi, also known as Mawlid al-Nabi al-Sharif, is the observance of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. His birthday is commemorated in the third month of the Islamic calendar, Rabi' al-awwal. 12 Rabi' al-Awwal is the accepted date among most of the Sunni scholars, while Shia scholars regard 17 Rabi' al-Awwal as the accepted date.
*****
The history of the celebration of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad goes back to the early days of Islam when some of the Tabi'un (second generation followers of Islam) began to hold sessions in which poetry and songs composed to honor Muhammad were recited and sung to the crowds. The Ottoman Turks declared the birthday celebration an official holiday in 1588. It was then known as "Mevlid Kandil". The term "Mawlid" is also used in some part of the world, such as Egypt, as a generic term for the birthday celebrations of other historical religious figures such as Sufi saints.
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November 11
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Yasser Arafat
1994 Nobel Peace Prize
b. August 24, 1929, Cairo, Egypt
d. November 11, 2004, Clamart, Hauts-de-Seine, France
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Yasser Arafat was a Palestinian political leader and the long time
Chairman (1969 to 2004) of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Shimon Peres of Israel, Yitzhak
Rabin of Israel, and Yasser Arafat of Palestine "for their efforts to
create peace in the Middle East."
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November 16
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Ibn 'Arabi
Andalusian Muslim Scholar, Mystic, Poet and Philosopher
b. July 26, 1165, Murcia, Taifa of Murcia (now Murcia, Spain)
d. November 16 [28 or 29 Rabi' al-Thani], 1240, District of Salihiyya at Jabal Qasiyun, Damascus, Ayyubid Dynasty (now Damascus, Syria)
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Ibn 'Arabi (full name Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn 'Arabi al-Hatimi at-Ta'i), was an Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, whose works grew to be influential both in the Muslim world and beyond. Of the over 800 works which are attributed to him, 100 survive in the original manuscript. His cosmological teachings became the dominant worldview in many parts of the Islamic world.
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November 16
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Ibn 'Arabi
Andalusian Muslim Scholar, Mystic, Poet and Philosopher
b. July 26, 1165, Murcia, Taifa of Murcia (now Murcia, Spain)
d. November 16 [28 or 29 Rabi' al-Thani], 1240, District of Salihiyya at Jabal Qasiyun, Damascus, Ayyubid Dynasty (now Damascus, Syria)
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Ibn 'Arabi (full name Abu 'Abd Allah Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn 'Arabi al-Hatimi at-Ta'i), was an Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, whose works grew to be influential both in the Muslim world and beyond. Of the over 800 works which are attributed to him, 100 survive in the original manuscript. His cosmological teachings became the dominant worldview in many parts of the Islamic world.
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November 21
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Mohammad Abdus Salam
1979 Nobel Prize in Physics
b. January 29, 1926, Jhang, Punjab, British India
d. November 21, 1996, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Mohammad Abdus Salam was a Pakistani physicist. The 1979
Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly to Sheldon Lee Glashow of the United
States, Steven Weinberg of the United States, and Mohammad Abdus Salam of
Pakistan "for their contributions to the theory of the unified weak and
electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles, including, inter
alia, the prediction of the weak neutral current." Mohammad Abdus
Salam was the first Pakistani scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize. He
was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and, as such, was not considered
a Muslim by the government of Pakistan.
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November 25
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Nadia Murad
2018 Nobel Peace Prize
b. 1993, Kocho, Sinjar, Iraq
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Nadia Murad is an Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist. In 2014, she was kidnapped from her hometown of Kocho and held by the Islamic State for three months. She was enslaved, beaten and raped by her captors. In 2018, Nadia Murad of Iraq and Denis Mukwege of the Democratic Republic of the Congo were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict." Nadia Murad is the first Iraqi and the first Yazidi to be awarded a Nobel Prize.
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The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134). The premise of the day is to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence. Additionally, one of the aims of the day is to highlight that the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden.
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December 9
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Nadia Murad
2018 Nobel Peace Prize
b. 1993, Kocho, Sinjar, Iraq
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Nadia Murad is an Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist. In 2014, she was kidnapped from her hometown of Kocho and held by the Islamic State for three months. She was enslaved, beaten and raped by her captors. In 2018, Nadia Murad of Iraq and Denis Mukwege of the Democratic Republic of the Congo were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict." Nadia Murad is the first Iraqi and the first Yazidi to be awarded a Nobel Prize.
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In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established December 9 as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime. The purpose of the day is to raise awareness of the Genocide Convention and its role in combating and preventing the crime of genocide.
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December 10
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Ahmad Sirhindi Indian Islamic Scholar
The Mujaddid -- "The Reviver" -- of Islam in Mughal India
b. June 26, 1564, Sirhind, Punjab Region, Mughal India
d. December 10 [27 Rabi' al-Thani], 1624
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Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi was an Indian Islamic scholar, a Hanafi jurist, and a prominent member of the Naqshbandi Sufi order. Ahmad Sirhindi has been described as a Mujaddid, meaning "the reviver", for his work in rejuvenating Islam and opposing the dissident opinions prevalent in the time of the Mughal emperor Akbar.
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December 11
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Naguib Mahfouz
1988 Nobel Prize in Literature
b. December 11, 1911, Cairo, Khedivate of Egypt
d. August 30, 2006, Cairo, Egypt
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Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer noted for his contributions
to Arabic literature. The 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to
Naguib Mahfouz "who, through works rich in nuance -- now clear-sightedly
realistic, now evocatively ambiguous -- has formed an Arabian narrative art
that applies to all mankind." Naguib Mahfouz was the first Muslim
writer to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.
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December 25
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Anwar Sadat
1978 Nobel Peace Prize
b. December 25, 1918, Monufia, Sultanate of Egypt
d. October 7, 1981, Cairo, Egypt
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Anwar Sadat was the President of Egypt from 1970 to 1981. Anwar Sadat of Egypt, along with Menachem Begin of Israel, was awarded the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize "for their contribution to the two frame agreements on peace in the Middle East, and on peace between Egypt and Israel, which were signed at Camp David on September 17, 1978." Anwar Sadat was the first Muslim to receive a Nobel Prize.
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