MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, PEKALONGAN — A historical moment is brewing within Muhammadiyah as the 32nd National Conference of the Muhammadiyah Council for Fatwa and Renewal considers endorsing a global hijri calendar. This decision, according to President of Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir, would rectify a long-standing gap – the absence of a unified Islamic calendar for over 14 centuries.
Haedar, speaking at the conference’s opening ceremony at the Universitas Muhammadiyah Pekajangan Pekalongan (UMPP) on Friday, February 23, expressed strong support for the global hijri calendar. He sees it as a chance to finally “settle a civilizational debt” by uniting the Islamic world under one calendar.
But before its official adoption, Haedar emphasized the need for strong reasoning to support the global hijri calendar implementation. He highlighted the importance of fostering Islamic brotherhood and solidarity as compelling arguments for a global Islamic calendar.
“In today’s interconnected world, where borders are becoming less significant, brotherhood and solidarity are more crucial than ever,” Haedar declared. “However, achieving true brotherhood can be challenging due to conflicting interests.”
In this context, Haedar stressed the importance of unity as a key factor for the global hijri calendar success. While acknowledging the challenges, he emphasized the importance of building unity to address concerns about divisions within the Islamic world. He believes a unifying global calendar can offer a solution to bridge these divides.
Haedar also underscored the importance of grounding the global hijri calendar in both scripture and reason to ensure its reliability. He emphasized that a calendar must provide clear and consistent information regarding days and dates, particularly for determining the start of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha. A unified Hijri calendar would serve as a common reference point for the entire Islamic world.
“We admire the Gregorian calendar,” Haedar remarked. “They don’t have disagreements about holidays because they have one single calendar, with the same date celebrated everywhere.” His statement reflects the desire to achieve similar uniformity within the Islamic world, particularly regarding religious holidays and observances. By adopting the global hijri calendar, Muslims worldwide would share a common foundation for their religious practices.
Haedar argued that the saying “diversity is a blessing” doesn’t apply in the context of the calendar. He believes that discrepancies in determining key dates within the Hijri calendar can have negative consequences and even lead to discord. Therefore, prioritizing unity and certainty through the global hijri calendar is seen as a prudent step to avoid divisions and ensure consistency in Muslim observances and worship worldwide.
If adopted, Haedar envisions the global hijri calendar not just belonging to Muhammadiyah but to the entire Islamic world. He emphasizes the importance of empathetic outreach, guided by the Quran’s message of wisdom and humility. Utilizing diverse and engaging digital channels is seen as crucial for effectively disseminating information about the global hijri calendar on a large scale.
This initiative by Muhammadiyah to advocate for a unified Islamic calendar highlights their commitment to fostering global solidarity among Muslims. The potential endorsement of the global hijri calendar at the conference would be a significant step towards achieving this goal, with far-reaching implications for the Muslim community worldwide.
