MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – Muhammadiyah officially launched the Unified Global Hijri Calendar (UGHC) at Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (Unisa) on Wednesday, June 25. The calendar applies a principle of “one day and one date for the whole world” and views all surfaces of the Earth as one matlak.
President of Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir highlighted that the launch of UGHC became Muhammadiyah’s milestone to serve Islam and a human civilization.
“Today is a historic day. Muhammadiyah presents the UGHC to affirm its role and position in this globalization. Islam is a cosmopolitan religion which upholds universal values and rahmatan lil ‘alamin (a mercy to the whole world),” said Haedar in his keynote speech.
According to Haedar, Islamic histories have shown that the religion expanded across continents, from Arabs to Europe, the Balkans, Russia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia.
“This UGHC is an effort to achieve the unity of the Islamic world,” said Haedar.
Indeed, the UGHC is about more than just astronomy. It is a manifestation of the spirit of Islam as rahmatan lil ‘alamin. It is a forward-thinking initiative to pay “a debt of civilization” which has been postponed. The UGHC is a symbol that Islam is and will always be relevant, visionary, and universal.
Haedar expressed concern over the continued divisions among Muslims due to disagreements over dates for major religious observances like Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha.
“We have waited too long. Muslims must no longer remain divided by dates. The UGHCT is now a necessity, not an option,” he said.
Haedar also called for a collective ijtihad, a unified scholarly and communal effort, to make the UGHC widely accepted by Muslims not only in Indonesia but across the globe. He urged the Muslim community to rise above sectarian and organizational egos for the sake of greater unity.
“This is a call for change. Let us revise our approach for the sake of our civilizational obligation. I believe we will continue to promote the UGHC. If necessary, let’s remove the Muhammadiyah label or don’t even remember the name Muhammadiyah. What matters is unity that we have one day and one date for the entire Muslim world,” said Haedar.
