Hijri era in the context of "Calendar era"

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⭐ Core Definition: Hijri era

The Hijri era (Arabic: التقويم الهجري, romanizedat-taqwīm al-hijrī) is the calendar era used to record dates in the Islamic world. Its epoch (start point of the era) is the year in which Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina), in 622 CE. This event, known as the Hijrah, is commemorated in Islam for its role in the founding of the first Muslim community (ummah). Time in this era is measured by two principal calendars: the lunar Hijri calendar (known in the West as the "Islamic calendar") which counts lunar years since the Hijrah and which is used by most Muslims around the world; and the solar Hijri calendar (also known as the "Persian calendar") which counts solar years since the Hijrah and which is used in Iran.

In the West, dates in the lunar Hijri calendar are denoted as AH (Latin: Anno Hegirae) or Hijri year (Arabic: سنة هجرية, romanizedsanat hijriyya, lit.'in the year of the Hijra') in the style of the Christian/Common (AD/CE) and Jewish eras (AM) and can similarly be placed before (preferably) or after the date. In predominantly Muslim countries, it is also commonly abbreviated H ("Hijra") from its Arabic abbreviation hāʾ (هـ). Years prior to AH 1 are reckoned in English as BH ("Before the Hijra"), which follows the date. Dates in the solar Hijri calendar are denoted as SH. The current year according to the lunar Hijri calendar is AH 1447; according to the solar Hijri calendar the current year is SH 1404. The difference in numbering arises because a lunar year is about eleven days shorter than a solar year.

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Hijri era in the context of Islamic calendar

The Hijri calendar (Arabic: ٱلتَّقْوِيم ٱلْهِجْرِيّ, romanizedal-taqwīm al-hijrī), also known in English as the Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the annual fasting and the annual season for the great pilgrimage. In almost all countries where the predominant religion is Islam, the civil calendar is the Gregorian calendar, with Syriac month-names used in the Levant and Mesopotamia (Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine), but the religious calendar is the Hijri one.

This calendar enumerates the Hijri era, whose epoch was established as the Islamic New Year in 622 CE. During that year, Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina and established the first Muslim community (ummah), an event commemorated as the Hijrah. In the West, dates in this era are usually denoted AH (Latin: Anno Hegirae, lit.'In the year of the Hijrah'). In Muslim countries, it is also sometimes denoted as H from its Arabic form (سَنَة هِجْرِيَّة, abbreviated ھ). In English, years prior to the Hijra are denoted as BH ("Before the Hijra").

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Hijri era in the context of List of Islamic years

This is a list of years in the Hijri era (Latin: anno Hegirae or AH) with the corresponding common era (CE) years where applicable. Years in this list are lunar years since the Hijrah, counted according to the lunar Hijri calendar (known in the West as "the Islamic calendar"). For Hijri years since 1297 AH (1879/1881 CE), the Gregorian date of 1 Muharram, the first day of the year is given.

The first Hijri year (AH 1, the epoch of the era) was retrospectively considered to have begun on the Julian calendar date 15 July 622 CE),in the Julian calendar. denoted as "1 Muharram, AH 1". Years prior to this are reckoned in English as BH ("Before the Hijra").

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Hijri era in the context of Battle of Siffin

The Battle of Siffin (Arabic: مَعْرَكَة صِفِّينَ, romanizedMaʿraka Ṣiffīn) was fought in 657 CE (37 AH) between the Iraqi Arab forces of the fourth Rashidun caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Syrian Arab forces of the rebelling long-time governor of the Levant, Mu'awiya ibn Abi Sufyan. The battle is named after its location Siffin on the banks of the Euphrates river. The fighting stopped after the Syrians called for arbitration when Ali's forces had gained the upper hand, to which Ali reluctantly agreed under pressure from some of his troops. The arbitration process ended inconclusively in 658 though it strengthened the Syrians' support for Mu'awiya and his political position while weakening the authority of Ali and causing dissension among the Iraqis. The battle was part of the First Fitna and is considered a major step towards the establishment of the Umayyad Caliphate.

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