| Verses and Exegesis | Parallels in Literatures |
| 9:36 إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً ۚ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ Inna ʿiddata sh-shuhūri ʿinda llāhi thnā ʿashara shahran fī kitābi llāhi yawma khalaqa s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍa minhā arbaʿatun ḥurum. Dhālika d-dīnu l-qayyim. Falā taẓlimū fīhinna anfusakum. Wa-qātilu l-mushrikīna kāffatan kamā yuqātilūnakum kāffah. Wa-ʿlamū anna llāha maʿa l-muttaqīn. ইন্না ‘ইদ্দাতাশ শুহূরি ‘ইনদাল্লা-হিছনা ‘আশারা শাহরান ফী কিতা-বিল্লা-হি ইয়াওমা খালাকাস সামা-ওয়া-তি ওয়াল আরদা মিনহা আরবা‘আতুন হুরুম; যা-লিকাদ দīnুল কাইয়িমু ফালা তাযলিমূ ফীহিন্না আনফুসাকুম ওয়া ক্বা-তিলুল মুশরিকীনা কাফফাতান কামা- ইউক্বা-তিলূনাকুম কাফফাহ; ওয়া‘লামূ আন্নাল্লা-হা মা‘আল মুত্তাক্বীন। “Indeed, the number of the months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the correct religion. So do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together. And know that Allah is with the God-fearing.” “নিশ্চয়ই মাসগুলোর সংখ্যা আল্লাহর কাছে বারো মাস, আল্লাহর বিধানে, যেদিন থেকে তিনি আসমান ও যমীন সৃষ্টি করেছেন। তার মধ্যে চারটি সম্মানিত। এটাই প্রতিষ্ঠিত দ্বীন। সুতরাং এর মধ্যে তোমরা নিজেদের প্রতি জুলুম করো না। আর মুশরিকদের সাথে তোমরা সম্মিলিতভাবে যুদ্ধ কর, যেমন তারাও তোমাদের সাথে সম্মিলিতভাবে যুদ্ধ করে। আর জেনে রাখ, নিশ্চয় আল্লাহ মুত্তাকীদের সাথে আছেন।” Annotations: The verse establishes a divinely ordained temporal order. The number of months ( ʿiddah ash-shuhūr, عدة الشهور, root: -d-d/ع-د-د for counting, sh-h-r/ش-ه-ر for month/moon) is fixed at twelve (ithnā ʿashar, اثنا عشر). This order is inscribed in God’s decree (fī kitāb Allāh, فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ, root: k-t-b/ك-ت-ب for writing/decreeing) and is co-eternal with creation itself (yawma khalaqa as-samāwāti wa-l-arḍ, يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْض, the day He created the heavens and the earth). Of these, four are sacred (arbaʿatun ḥurum, أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ, root: ḥ-r-m/ح-ر-م, meaning forbidden, sacred, inviolable). This framework is presented as the “correct/straight religion” (ad-dīn al-qayyim, الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ, root: q-w-m/ق-و-م for standing, establishing, making straight). Consequently, believers are commanded not to wrong themselves (falā taẓlimū... anfusakum, فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا... أَنفُسَكُمْ, root: ẓ-l-m/ظ-ل-م for darkness, injustice, wrongdoing) within these sacred months, which implies that transgressions therein are graver. The verse then shifts to a command to fight the polytheists (al-mushrikīn, الْمُشْرِكِينَ, root: sh-r-k/ش-ر-ك for associating partners) collectively (kāffah, كَافَّةً, root: k-f-f/ك-ف-ف for restraining, encompassing all), mirroring their collective hostility. It concludes with a reassurance that God is with the pious/God-fearing (al-muttaqīn, الْمُتَّقِينَ, root: w-q-y/و-ق-ي for guarding, fearing God). <br> Reference and Exegesis: This verse is foundational for the Islamic understanding of sacred time and the laws of war. The principle of twelve months being ordained since creation establishes the lunar calendar as natural and divinely sanctioned, implicitly critiquing the pre-Islamic Arab practice of Nasī’ (intercalation or postponement of sacred months), which is explicitly condemned in the next verse (9:37). Cross-References: 1. The Sacred Months (Al-Ashhur al-Hurum): The four sacred months are identified by the Prophet's tradition as Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. The sanctity of these months is also referenced in Qur'an 2:194: “The sacred month is for the sacred month, and for [all] violations is legal retribution. So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you.” This establishes the principle of reciprocity; if the enemy violates the sanctity of the month, defensive fighting becomes permissible. Qur'an 5:2 also commands, "O you who have believed, do not violate the rites of Allah or the sacred month..." emphasizing their inviolability. Qur'an 2:217 directly addresses the gravity of fighting in a sacred month: "They ask you about fighting in the sacred month. Say, 'Fighting therein is a great [sin]...'" but clarifies that persecution ( fitnah) is worse than killing. <br> 2. Al-Dīn al-Qayyim (The Straight Religion): This phrase signifies the true, established, and upright religion ordained by God. It connects the natural order of the cosmos (the 12-month cycle) with the moral and legislative order of Islam. The term appears elsewhere, such as in Qur'an 12:40, where Joseph (Yusuf) declares to his prison companions that worshipping God alone is "the correct religion" (al-dīn al-qayyim), and in Qur'an 30:30: "So set your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fiṭrah of Allah upon which He has created all people... That is the correct religion..." This links the cosmic order of 9:36 to the innate human disposition (fiṭrah) to recognize the One Creator. <br> 3. Fighting the Polytheists: The command to "fight the polytheists all together" (kāffah) is a significant ruling in the context of Surah At-Tawbah, which was revealed at a time of escalating conflict. This is echoed in Qur'an 9:5 (the "Verse of the Sword"): "And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them..." and Qur'an 2:191: "And kill them wherever you overtake them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you..." These verses, however, are contextualized by others that command justice and forbid aggression, such as Qur'an 2:190: "Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. Allah does not like transgressors." Early and Classical Exegesis: Maqatil ibn Sulayman (d. 767), in his Tafsīr, connects "fī kitāb Allāh" (in the register of Allah) to the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), asserting this cosmic calendar predates the physical creation of the heavens and earth in its final form. He stresses that wronging oneself ( ẓulm al-nafs) in these months, through sin or unlawful fighting, carries a heavier burden. Al-Tabari (d. 923) provides a comprehensive analysis, gathering reports that identify the four months and affirm that this divine system was the original practice of Abraham and Ishmael, later corrupted by the Arabs. He discusses whether the prohibition of fighting was abrogated, presenting views from different early authorities. Some, like 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, held that the prohibition remained, while the majority view, which Tabari seems to favor, is that defensive fighting is permitted if the enemy initiates hostilities, based on the principle of reciprocity in 2:194 and the general commands to fight in Surah At-Tawbah. Al-Qurtubi (d. 1273) details the legal implications, noting the consensus on the four sacred months and the intensified prohibition of sins within them. He argues the verse establishes the lunar calendar for all religious observances (fasting, Hajj, etc.) over any solar calendar. Ibn Kathir (d. 1373) emphasizes that "That is the correct religion" refers to adherence to this divinely ordained calendar and its sanctities, which is the straight path of the Prophets. He strongly refutes the practice of Nasī’ as an act of disbelief (kufr) because it willfully alters divine law. | Ancient Literature: The concept of a twelve-month calendar tied to cosmic order has deep roots in the Ancient Near East. The Mesopotamians, particularly the Babylonians, developed a lunisolar calendar with 12 lunar months (alternating 29/30 days). To align with the 365-day solar year, they periodically added an intercalary thirteenth month, a practice the Qur'an critiques in its pre-Islamic form (Nasī’). The Babylonian creation epic, Enūma Eliš, describes the god Marduk establishing the cosmic order, setting up constellations, and organizing the year with twelve months, mirroring the Qur'anic theme of a divinely set temporal structure from the moment of creation. Egyptian calendars were solar (365 days) but were also divided into 12 months of 30 days, plus five epagomenal days, showing a regional preference for a duodecimal system. The idea of sacred periods or truces was also present. Procopius of Caesarea (6th century CE) noted that Saracen Arabs observed a two-month truce around the summer solstice, a practice that resonates with the Islamic sacred months for pilgrimage and trade. In Zoroastrianism, the calendar, also comprising 12 months, structures a series of obligatory festivals. While not featuring "forbidden" months for warfare, the religious calendar imposes a sacred rhythm on the year, with specific days and months dedicated to divine beings (Yazatas), creating a sense of divinely sanctioned time. Biblical Literature: The idea of a 12-part division of time and people is central to the Bible. The Israelites were structured into twelve tribes, and Solomon appointed twelve governors over Israel (1 Kings 4:7). While the operational Hebrew calendar was lunisolar, requiring intercalation, the concept of a divinely ordered twelve-month year is present. Apocryphal and pseudepigraphal texts from the Second Temple period show a strong interest in a perfect, divinely revealed calendar. The Book of Jubilees and the Book of Enoch advocate for a 364-day solar calendar (perfectly divisible by 7, making 52 weeks) composed of twelve months. They present this as the true, heavenly calendar revealed by an angel, contrasting it with the "erring" lunar calendar followed by others. This insistence on a specific, revealed calendar as the "correct" one parallels the Qur'anic assertion that the twelve-month system is "the correct religion" ( al-dīn al-qayyim). The Qumran community, which preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls, appears to have followed such a 364-day calendar, seeing it as a mark of their piety and separation from the temple establishment in Jerusalem. The Hebrew Bible establishes sacred times, such as the Sabbath, new moon festivals, and the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot), during which normal activities were proscribed, analogous to the Quranic sacred months. The concept of "wronging oneself" by sinning during these times finds a parallel in the heightened gravity of violating commandments on a holy day. <br> Philosophy: The verse's core idea—that the structure of time is rooted in a divine, rational order established at creation—resonates with major philosophical traditions. Plato, in the Timaeus, describes the Demiurge creating the cosmos according to a perfect, mathematical model. Time itself is a "moving image of eternity," and the celestial bodies were created to number and preserve it. The fixed, twelve-month cycle in the Qur'an reflects this concept of time being an expression of a transcendent, unchanging order. The Stoics advanced the idea of a universal, rational principle ( logos) governing the cosmos, which they identified with both God and Nature. Living virtuously meant living in accordance with this natural law (nomos). The Qur'anic phrase al-dīn al-qayyim (the straight/upright religion) functions as a similar concept, where the divine decree is both a cosmic law (the number of months) and a moral-legal imperative. In Islamic philosophy, thinkers like al-Fārābī and Ibn Sīnā, influenced by Neoplatonism, elaborated on the idea of a cosmos emanating from a necessary, intelligent First Cause (God). The order, regularity, and laws of nature are direct consequences of this divine intellect. The verse's assertion that the calendar was fixed "on the day He created the heavens and the earth" aligns perfectly with this view of an ordered universe originating from a single, rational source. Scientific Engagement: The verse posits a divinely fixed number of months—twelve—from the beginning of creation. From a scientific perspective, the month and year are defined by astronomical cycles. A lunar month (synodic period) is the time it takes the Moon to cycle through its phases, approximately 29.53 days. A solar year is the time it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun, approximately 365.24 days. The ratio between these two is not a neat integer; a solar year contains about 12.37 lunar months. This astronomical reality necessitates a choice for calendar-makers: either follow a strictly lunar calendar of 12 months (like the Islamic Hijri calendar), which causes the months to drift through the seasons over a ~33-year cycle, or create a lunisolar calendar that inserts an intercalary month every few years to stay aligned with the solar year (like the Hebrew or Chinese calendars). The Qur'an's insistence on a strict, non-intercalated 12-month calendar ( inna ʿiddata sh-shuhūr...ithnā ʿashar) can be seen as a definitive legislative choice, prioritizing the pure lunar cycle for religious life. The verse's claim that this system was ordained "on the day He created the heavens and the earth" is a theological statement about the primacy of this order, not a literal scientific description of the early universe. It frames the observable astronomical cycles of the Sun and Moon, which form the basis of all timekeeping, as part of God's primordial plan. The "correctness" (qayyim) of this system is thus a matter of divine will, establishing a consistent and universal rhythm for worship, independent of seasonal or agricultural variations across different regions of the world. |
| Verses and Exegesis | Parallels in Literatures |
| 9:37 إِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ ۖ يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُحِلُّونَهُ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُ عَامًا لِّيُوَاطِئُوا عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّوا مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ ۚ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ Innamā n-nasīʾu ziyādatun fī l-kufri yuḍallu bihi lladhīna kafarū yuḥillūnahu ʿāman wa-yuḥarrimūnahu ʿāman liyuwāṭiʾū ʿiddata mā ḥarrama llāhu fa-yuḥillū mā ḥarrama llāh. Zuyyina lahum sūʾu aʿmālihim. Wa-llāhu lā yahdī l-qawma l-kāfirīn. ইন্নামান্নাসীউ যিয়া-দাতুন ফিল কুফরি ইউদাল্লু বিহিল্লাযীনা কাফারূ ইউহিল্লূনাহূ ‘আ-মাওঁ ওয়া ইউহাররিমূনাহূ ‘আ-মাল লিউওয়া-তিঊ ‘ইদ্দাতা মা হাররা মাল্লা-হু ফাইউহিল্লূ মা-হাররা মাল্লা-হ; যুইয়িনা লাহুম সূউ আ‘মা-লিহিম; ওয়াল্লা-হু লা-ইয়াহদিল ক্বাওমাল কা-ফিরীন। “Indeed, the postponement [of sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led astray. They make it lawful one year and make it forbidden another year to correspond to the number of what Allah has forbidden, and thus make lawful what Allah has forbidden. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” “নিশ্চয়ই এই ‘নাসী’ (মাসকে পিছিয়ে দেওয়া) কুফরীতে বৃদ্ধি সাধন করে, যা দ্বারা কাফিরদেরকে পথভ্রষ্ট করা হয়। তারা একে এক বছর হালাল করে এবং আরেক বছর হারাম করে, যাতে তারা আল্লাহ যা হারাম করেছেন তার সংখ্যা পূর্ণ করতে পারে; ফলে আল্লাহ যা হারাম করেছেন, তা তারা হালাল করে নেয়। তাদের মন্দ কাজগুলো তাদের জন্য শোভনীয় করে দেওয়া হয়েছে। আর আল্লাহ কাফির সম্প্রদায়কে হিদায়াত দেন না।” Annotations: The verse condemns a specific pre-Islamic practice known as an-Nasī’ (النَّسِيءُ, root: n-s-ʾ/ن-س-أ, meaning to postpone, defer, delay). This act is not merely a sin but an "increase in disbelief" (ziyādatun fī l-kufr, زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ), signifying a transgression that compounds and deepens a state of rejecting divine authority. Through this practice, the disbelievers are "led astray" (yuḍallu bih, يُضَلُّ بِهِ, root: ḍ-l-l/ض-ل-ل, to err, go astray). The mechanism is described: they declare a sacred month lawful (yuḥillūnahu, يُحِلُّونَهُ, root: ḥ-l-l/ح-ل-ل, to untie, permit, make lawful) for one year, often to allow for warfare, and then sanctify a different, profane month in its place (yuḥarrimūnahu, يُحَرِّمُونَهُ, root: ḥ-r-m/ح-ر-م, to forbid, make sacred) another year. The stated purpose is deceptive: "to correspond to the number" (liyuwāṭiʾū ʿiddata, لِّيُوَاطِئُوا عِدَّةَ, root: w-ṭ-ʾ/و-ط-أ, to tread upon, to make agree or conform) that God sanctified. They maintain the count of four sacred months per year but manipulate which months are sacred, thereby subverting the divine command and making "lawful what Allah has forbidden" (fa-yuḥillū mā ḥarrama Allāh, فَيُحِلُّوا مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ). This act of self-deception is a result of their evil deeds being "made pleasing to them" (zuyyina lahum sūʾu aʿmālihim, زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ), a common Quranic motif where sin becomes attractive to the sinner. The verse concludes that this willful distortion of divine law places them outside of God's guidance. <br> Reference and Exegesis: This verse directly follows 9:36 to specify and condemn the primary way the divine calendar was being corrupted. An-Nasī’ was the institutionalized practice of certain Arab tribes (notably Kinānah) of arbitrarily postponing the sanctity of a month, usually Muharram, to the following month (Safar) to avoid the prohibition on fighting when it was convenient for them. Cross-References: 1. Altering God's Law: The essence of Nasī’ is the usurpation of God's legislative authority. This is a recurring theme of disbelief in the Qur'an. Qur'an 16:116 warns: "And do not say about what your tongues assert of falsehood, 'This is lawful and this is unlawful,' to invent falsehood about Allah. Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allah will not succeed." Nasī’ is a prime example of such an invention. Similarly, Qur'an 6:140 speaks of those who "have forbidden what Allah has provided for them, inventing a lie against Allah." 2. Increase in Disbelief ( ziyādatun fī l-kufr): The Qur'an posits that faith and disbelief are not static; actions can increase them. Just as faith increases with good deeds (Qur'an 8:2: "...and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith..."), disbelief increases with transgressions that challenge God's sovereignty. Tampering with the sacred months is not just a violation but an act of legislation, a function reserved for God, thus compounding their kufr. <br> 3. The Deception of Matching the Number: The verse critiques the superficial logic of the practitioners: "to correspond to the number (liyuwāṭiʾū ʿiddata) of what Allah has forbidden." They maintained the number four but violated the identity of the sacred months. This highlights a legalistic loophole that preserves the letter of the law while destroying its spirit. This is akin to the condemnation of the People of the Book in Qur'an 2:75 who "hear the word of Allah and then distort it knowingly after they have understood it." 4. Evil Made to Seem Pleasing ( zuyyina lahum): This psychological state is a consequence of persistent sin. Qur'an 35:8 asks: "Then is he to whom the evil of his deed has been made attractive so he considers it good [like one rightly guided]?" The practitioners of Nasī’ did not see their act as a grave sin; it had been rationalized and beautified for them by tradition and self-interest. Early and Classical Exegesis: Mujahid ibn Jabr (d. 722), as reported by al-Tabari (d. 923), provides a clear account: The pre-Islamic Arabs would perform Hajj in Dhul-Hijjah. Then, for the next year, they might declare Muharram (a sacred month) to be profane (naming it Safar) and instead sanctify the original Safar (calling it Muharram), thus having two "Safars" in a row to allow for raids and warfare immediately after the pilgrimage season. Maqatil ibn Sulayman (d. 767) explains that a man from the tribe of Kinānah, known as the qalammas, would announce the postponement at the end of the pilgrimage season. This act is an "increase in disbelief" because, as Ibn Kathir (d. 1373) clarifies, while they were already disbelievers for their polytheism, this added transgression of altering God's law compounded their state of kufr. Al-Qurtubi (d. 1273) stresses that the prohibition of Nasī’ is absolute and there is scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ) on its unlawfulness. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 1210) analyzes the psychology, arguing that when they made the sacred profane, they fell into the sin of profanation. When they made the profane sacred, they fell into the sin of innovation (bidʿah). Both are acts of disbelief because they are a direct contradiction and challenge to God's command. Al-Zamakhshari (d. 1144) highlights the linguistic trickery in liyuwāṭiʾū (to make it agree), seeing it as a sophist attempt to justify a blatant violation under a guise of conformity. | Ancient Literature: The manipulation of the calendar for political and military purposes was not unique to pre-Islamic Arabia. In the Roman Republic, the calendar was lunisolar and required regular intercalation managed by the college of pontifices, headed by the Pontifex Maximus. This power was notoriously abused; intercalation could be delayed or inserted to lengthen the term of a favored political official or shorten that of a rival. Julius Caesar's own Gallic Wars were facilitated by his role as Pontifex Maximus, which allowed him to control the calendar to his military advantage. This politicized control ended with the Julian reform of 46 BCE, which established a standardized solar calendar with a fixed, predictable leap-day rule. The Qur'an's condemnation of Nasī’ as an arbitrary, self-serving manipulation of sacred time finds a strong parallel in the Roman experience. Similarly, in Mesopotamia, while the lunisolar calendar was more systematically regulated, the authority to declare the intercalary month ultimately rested with the king, linking the calendar to sovereign power. Biblical Literature: The biblical and post-biblical Jewish tradition also centered on a lunisolar calendar requiring intercalation (a second month of Adar). However, unlike the arbitrary Nasī’, the Jewish system was rule-based, designed for a specific purpose: to ensure that Passover (which must be in the spring) did not drift into winter. The decision was made by the Sanhedrin based on empirical observation of agricultural and solar conditions. The Qur'an's critique is not against intercalation itself, but against its use to subvert divine prohibitions. The conflict over calendars in Second Temple Judaism is highly relevant. The Book of Jubilees and 1 Enoch fiercely advocate for a 364-day solar calendar, condemning the official lunar-based temple calendar as erroneous and leading people to violate the sanctity of holy days. For these authors, following the correct, divinely revealed calendar was a matter of salvation, and using the wrong one was a profound sin. This parallels the Quranic view that tampering with the divine calendar is an act of kufr (disbelief). The core idea is that God's sacred times are fixed and not subject to human alteration for convenience. <br> Philosophy: The verse presents a classic conflict between divine/natural law (physis) and human convention (nomos). The practitioners of Nasī’ treated God's sacred prohibition as a mere convention that could be rearranged to suit their needs, as long as the total number was superficially maintained. This reflects the arguments of some Sophists in ancient Greece, who taught that laws and moral codes were relative human inventions, not reflections of an objective truth. Plato and Aristotle strongly opposed this view, arguing for a natural justice and order that human laws ought to reflect. The Quranic stance is firmly in the camp of natural/divine law: God's prohibitions ( ḥarrama Allāh) are absolute and grounded in a reality that cannot be altered by human declaration. The verse’s phrase zuyyina lahum sūʾu aʿmālihim ("made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds") is a psychological diagnosis of those who have embraced a self-serving relativism; they have convinced themselves that their transgression is a clever and justifiable solution. This aligns with the Socratic idea that evil is a form of ignorance—a misapprehension of what is truly good. From a legal philosophy perspective, the verse rejects legal positivism (the idea that law is law simply because it is posited by a sovereign) in favor of a natural law theory where any human act that contradicts divine law is inherently illegitimate. Scientific Engagement: Science provides the framework for understanding why calendars need adjustment. A strict 12-lunar-month calendar (approx. 354 days) is about 11 days shorter than a solar year (approx. 365 days). This discrepancy is the basis for the Islamic Hijri calendar's drift through the seasons. Lunisolar calendars (e.g., Hebrew, Chinese) "fix" this by adding an extra month every 2-3 years in a process called intercalation. The Gregorian calendar fixes its alignment with the solar year using a highly precise, rule-based system of leap years. Nasī’ is distinct from these scientific or systematic forms of intercalation. It was not a predictable system to align with seasons but an ad hoc, arbitrary postponement of a sacred prohibition for a specific, self-interested purpose (warfare). Science deals with descriptive, predictable systems. The Qur'an here is not making a scientific critique of intercalation; it is making a moral and theological critique of altering a divine command under a false pretense. It condemns the perversion of timekeeping from a system of ordering life and worship into a tool for circumventing moral responsibility. |