Names of Hijri Year during the Prophet’s Time

After the emerging and spreading of Islam through the efforts of the Prophet -may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him-, the qamaria year was established with the beginning of the year started by the month Muharram and ended with the month Dzulhijja. But the the beginning of the year and the counting of years were not yet set, thus the believers merely dubbed the years of their lives by the most important event in that year. They named the years as follow:

• First year: Year of permission, because the permission was granted to move (Hijra) from Mecca to Medina.
• Second year: Year of Al Amr (command, order), because at that year, the ordered was set to embattle the unbelievers.
• Third year: Year of At Tamhis (cleaning), because Allah cleaned the sins and mistakes of the believers after the battle of Uhud.
• Fourth year: Year of Tarfi’ah (agreement), taken from the word “ra-fa-a”, which means “a peace treaty between two groups”.
• Fifth year: Year of Zilzal (quake), as a sign of trials endured by the believers at the battle of Khandaq.
• Sixth year: Year of Isti’nas (asking for permission), referring to the revealing of the divine decree, which can be translated as, “Then if you find no one in them, do not enter until you have been given permission (to enter). ” (The Light:28)
• The seventh year: Year of Istighlab (victory), because in this year the believers managed to defeat the Jews of Khaibar.
• The eighth year: Year of Istiwa’ (glorious). This was the year of Fathu Makkah (the conquest of Mecca).
• The ninth year: Year of Al Bara’ah (dissociate). This was the year of The Great Hajj, and Allah revealed His verse, mentioned that Allah and His messenger -may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him- have dissociated themselves from the polytheists. Also This year often termed as “year of Wufud” (guest), because in this year, the people of Arab from various regions came to Medina rushing throng to testify their beliefs to Prophet Muhammad -may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him-.
• The tenth year: Year of Al Wada’ (separation). In this year, the Prophet -may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him- performed the Hajj Wada’.

(Taken from “Archives Multaqa Ahlil Hadits”, dated 14th of March, 2005)