Al-Nasee-u : Misinterpretation of Verse 9:37


As explained previously, during the pre-Hijra period, Muhammad was clearly following a lunisolar calendar. It was unclear exactly when the shift towards purely lunar had taken place.  Islamic traditions had pointed to the last khutbah of the Prophet on the issue of tampering of the calendar. 

"O men! the unbelievers indulge in tampering with the calendar in order to make permissible that which Allah forbade, and to prohibit what Allah has made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in number. Four of them are holy, there are successive and one occurs singly between the months of Jumada and Shaban."




If we read verse 9:37 carefully, the verse is clearly taking issue on those making permissible what Allah forbade and forbidding what Allah has made permissible from time to time.  This is about changing the laws by those who conceals the scripture, in whatever year or time that suits them.  This verse is not about intercalation of the calendar, because the verse itself is explaining what Al-Nasee means.


9:37  Indeed, Al-Nasee-u is an increase in concealment (al-Kuf’ri), are led astray by it those who conceal (kafaru). They make it lawful one year and make it unlawful another year, to accommodate reckonings which has made unlawful Allah and making lawful what has made unlawful Allah. Is made fair-seeming to them the evil of their deeds. And Allah does not guide the people - the concealers ( al-Kafirin).


Muhammad himself knew that the benefit of lunisolar calendar was to keep the months in season, which had proven to be practical by all communities.  Muhammad should have known the impact of applying purely lunar calendar would render it as an impractical calendar.

 

The text from the last Khutbah which was said in reference to verse 37 from Surah At-Taubah was obviously delivered before the his death.  But according to Islamic traditions, the Surah was revealed two years earlier.  Why didn’t Muhammad made the change to the calendar two years earlier before his death?  The answer was obvious. 

 

Verse 9:37 has nothing to do with the calendar and the concern was to those in charge do not trust the laws of Allah and change their religious edict according to their own interest and purpose.  This according to the Quran will cause them to go further astray.  And it is very common to see this happening among the religions scholars issuing different fatwa’s or religious edict to suit their narrative or political leanings. And they will change them again when it does not suit them.  And this will make them further astray from the straight path.  It has nothing to do with intercalation of calendar.  

 

Religious clerics were very important to the state and they were given a special place in the government, even during the times of the Firaun, whom were the Haman.  Religion was an effective social tool to keep the people in order and constant fear of the Gods.



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