Just like any other aspect of life, the Islamic tradition provides perspective on the changing of years and months. This takes a new level of depth when viewed in the light of hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The essence of this perspective lies not merely in the passage of time, but in it being seen as a tool through which Allah SWT obtains His knowledge. To grasp a deeper understanding of this concept, let’s delve into the following explanations.
- An Understanding of Time in Islam
The Islamic calendar, known as Hijri, is based on lunar cycles, contrasting with solar calendars such as the Gregorian one. Each month starts with the sighting of the new moon and lasts for 29 or 30 days until the next lunar phase begins. Years in the Islamic calendar commemorate the Hijra, the migration of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Medina.
This difference in time perception is not just a matter of days and nights changing. It conveys profound spiritual significance, being viewed as cycles of human life and opportunities for self-improvement and spiritual growth.
- The Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH
The Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) extends this discourse significantly. Abu Hurairah narrated that the Prophet stated, “Allah does not withhold knowledge by withdrawing it from the servants; but rather He withholds knowledge by taking the scholars (death of scholars), until when no scholar remains, people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who when consulted will give their opinions without knowledge, they will mislead themselves and others”. This hadith is recorded in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
This hadith signifies that the passage of time, manifesting in the changing years and months, is a way through which Allah SWT extracts knowledge from the world. The extraction occurs not by direct retraction but through the natural process of scholars passing away.
- Implication for The Muslim Ummah
As the hadith indicates, the cyclical nature of time isn’t just a physical phenomenon, but it’s also a spiritual reminder of the importance of knowledge and scholars in the society. As time goes by, knowledge doesn’t only decrease by the physical exit of scholars from the world but-it also has the potential to get lost if not appropriately treasured and taken care of.
The trend of losing knowledgeable individuals and replacing them with less-informed ones can lead the Ummah astray. Therefore, the Muslims are urged to seek knowledge continuously, value the scholars, and utilize their wisdom to navigate through life.
In conclusion, the changing of the years and months in Islam is viewed as an ongoing cycle dictating not just the physical, but also the metaphysical aspects of life and knowledge. It serves as a reminder, a wake-up call for the Ummah, to consistently strive in the quest for knowledge and wisdom to prevent ignorance from taking over the society.
