Seminar on

Hijrah New Year: Its Signif icance and Implications

On 15 September 2018, Bangladesh Institute of Islamic Thought (BIIT) arranged a
seminar titled HIJRAH NEW YEAR: Its Significance and Implications to mark the
Islamic New Year 1440 A. H. (after Hijrah) at the Conference Hall of BIIT, Uttara, Dhaka.
Prof Md. Rafiqul Islam, Department of General Education at Bangladesh Islami
University (BIU) gave his key presentation on the subject-matter while Prof Dr
Shamsuddin Ahmed, department of Mechanical & Chemical Engineering at Islamic
University of Technology; Former Professor of IIUM & Senior Academic Fellow of BIIT
Dr Ataul Huq Pramanik and Allahma Faijullah Aman, Mufti of Iqra Bangladesh were
present as discussants in the program. Dr M Abdul Aziz, Executive Director of BIIT
presided over the program.
Prof Md Rafiqul Islam gave his
presentation on ‘Hijrah: Its Significance
and Implications in the Ummatic Life
World-wide’ and said that a calendar is
not a calendar only, it also reflects the
sign of civilization of that time and
Hijrah calendar was created to glorify
Prophet(s)’s departure and its
consequences in Ummatic life. He also
said that Hijrah is a terminology, does
not refer to emigration only but to give-
up all evil deeds and activities.
Mufti Faijullah Aman in his discussion said that there is a debate on beginning time of
Hijrah calendar. But it is almost established that it was the great Khalifa Umar who
introduced the Hijrah calendar first with the Great Event of the emigration of the
Prophet Muhammad (S) and his companions from Makkah to Madina.
Prof Dr Shamsuddin Ahmed discussed the origin and development of Roman, Greek,
Egyptian, Gagarin and Lunar calendar
and said that lunar calendar is the very
old in the history of calendar. Giving
more emphasis to research, he
mentioned the resolution of a council
of the Islamic Fiqh Academy of OIC
which was held in 1986 in the
Kingdom of Jordan that with due
consideration to the sayings of the
Prophet (S) and scientific facts, if the
sighting of the crescent is established in one country, all Muslims must abide by it
irrespective of the difference in horizon.
Prof Dr Ataul Huq Pramanik said that the
day when Prophet (S) migrated from
Makkah to Madin was just a symbol. Its
inner lesson is we have to change the place
temporarily for doing something better.
In the speech of the chair, Dr M Abdul Aziz
said, Hijrat or Hijrah New Year is much
importance to the history of Islam and
also to the lives of Muslims, especially in
the social and cultural life. The meaning
of Hijrah does not just mean the
emigration but rather than being moved
from one condition to another. Dr Aziz, as
for example, said, through Hijrat, the
condition changed from unbeliefness to
Tawhid, atheism to theism. Through
Hijrat, Islam has stepped up from the
personal life to state level.
Earlier the seminar starts with the recitation from Al-Quran by Dr. Ibrahim Khalil
Bhuiyan, Research Fellow of BIIT and then the welcome address by Md Mahfuzar
Rahman, Senior Assistant Director of BIIT.