This division began very early in the history of Islam with the selection of the first Caliph. There are several days set aside as holidays to celebrate or reflect on certain events in the history of Islam. At its peak, it was one of the largest empires in the history of the world. One of the responsibilities of the Caliph was to protect the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. It marks the day when Muhammad and his followers traveled from Mecca to Medina. The first year of the Islamic calendar began in 622 CE when the Prophet Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina. Mawlid an Nabi – This day celebrates the birth of Muhammad and takes place on the 12th day of Rabi al-Awwal. Many inconclusive skirmishes followed, and compromises were reached in 1563, 1568, and 1570. After the murder of the Huguenot leader Gaspard II de Coligny in the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew’s Day (1572), the civil war resumed. This holiday is sometimes known as just “Muharram.” Muslims generally spend the day quietly in reflection and prayer.

Muslims often read the entire Quran during the month of Ramadan. What do you read with your morning coffee? By Muhammad’s death, in 632, Islam had brought about a fundamental transformation of Arab society, though it never fully erased the region’s old reverence for kinship. Why they decipher old papyruses in order to find out what it meant to be a Muslim in the Middle Ages. Why are fishermen superstitious of bananas? Many biblical pairs are related in some way, either as spouses, siblings or parent and child. The 12 months in the Islamic calendar are based on the moon and have 29 or 30 days. Because the Islamic calendar has fewer days (typically 11 fewer), Islamic holidays and festivals move each year when compared to the western calendar. Religious holidays and festivals are important times in the lives of Muslims. The aim of the present study was to investigate the structural validity and reliability of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRFQ) instrument in the Greek population. 2. Sam Haselby. The Origins of American Religious Nationalism.

The exact date on the Gregorian calendar changes every year due to the Islamic calendar only having either 354 or 355 days in a year. As a result, the Islamic year has either 354 or 355 days. Al Hijrah – Al Hijrah celebrates the Islamic New Year and takes place on the first day of the month of Muharram. Ramadan – Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. Interesting Facts about the Islamic Calendar, Holidays, and Festivals – Some Muslim countries, like Saudi Arabia, use the Islamic calendar as their official calendar. The Islamic Calendar is different than the Gregorian calendar (the calendar used by the western world). Major Caliphates Umayyad (661-750 CE) – Under the rule of the Umayyad Caliphate, the Islamic Empire expanded rapidly to include much of northern Africa, western India, and Spain. The early rule of the Abbasids was a time of scientific and artistic achievement. Abbasid (750-1258 CE, 1261-1517 CE) – The Abbasids overthrew the Umayyads and established the Abbasid Caliphate in 750 CE.

Many put the end of the Caliphate at 1258 CE, when the Mongols defeated the Abbasids at Baghdad. Others put the end at 1924 when the country of Turkey was established. The Ottomans continued to maintain their claim as the Islamic Caliphate until 1924 when the Caliphate was abolished by Mustafa Ataturk, the first President of Turkey. Today, historians call the first Caliphate the Rashidun Caliphate. The Rashidun Caliphate consisted of the First Four Caliphs of the Islamic Empire. Rashidun means “rightly guided.” These first four caliphs were called “rightly guided” because they were all companions of the Prophet Muhammad and learned the ways of Islam directly from Muhammad. It is special to Muslims because it is the month when the Quran was revealed to Muhammad. Throughout the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast (don’t eat or drink) from sunrise to sunset. It is celebrated on the 1st day of the month of Shawwal. Ashura – This holiday is a day of fasting that takes place on the 10th of Muharram. It takes place near the end of Ramadan and commemorates the night the Quran was first given to Muhammad. Not long after the death of the prophet Muhammad in 632 CE, the Arabs began to expand their empire.