Shawwal
Shawwal ( شوّال ) is the tenth month on the
Islamic calendar. The first day of Shawwal is
Eid ul-Fitr. There are also six days of fasting during Shawwal which, together with the Ramadan fasts, are equivalent to fasting "perpetually" (according to
Sahih Muslim). Usually, this is taken to mean the whole year
Islam online . It is a common misconception that the six days of fasting must be undertaken on consecutive days, as there are no
hadith that support or stipulate this.
Shawwal means ‘tail'; so named because of the fact the she camels, after being with their young for seven to eight months, start to raise their tails. Muhammad married the daughter of his commander in chief Abu Bakr Ayesha - when she was nine years old, in this month. The first day of this is celebrated as Id-ul-Fitr.
The
Islamic calendar is a
lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a
new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the
solar year, Shawwal migrates throughout the seasons. The estimated start and end dates for Shawwal are as follows:
* 1426
AH â€" First day:
November 3,
2005; last day:
December 1,
2005* 1427
AH â€" First day:
October 24,
2006; last day:
November 21,
2006* 1428
AH â€" First day:
October 13,
2007; last day:
November 10,
2007* 1429
AH â€" First day:
October 2,
2008; last day:
October 30,
2008* On 01 Shawwal, Eid is celebrated throughout the Muslim World.
* On 15 Shawwal, Sixth Imam
Jafar Sadiq was martyred.
* On 17 Shawwal, victory to Muslims over Battle of
Uhud.
*
Islamic-Western Calendar Converter (Based on the Arithmetical or Tabular Calendar)*
Sahih Muslim
