*medan*

a. [ From Mohammed, fr. Ar. muhámmad praiseworthy, highly praised. ] Of or pertaining to Mohammed, or to Islam, the religion and institutions founded by Mohammed; in the latter sense, synonymous with Islamic, the term preferred by Moslems. [ Written also Mahometan, Mahomedan, Muhammadan, etc. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. A follower of Mohammed, the founder of Islam (also called Islamism or Mohammedanism); an adherent of Islam; one who professes Islam; a Muslim; a Moslem; a Musselman; -- this term is used mostly by non-Moslems, and some Moslems find it offensive. [ Written also Muhammadan, Mahometan, Mahomedan, etc. ] [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

. The Muslim calendar, a lunar calendar reckoning from the year of the hegira (hejira), 622 a. d. Thirty of its years constitute a cycle, of which the 2d, 5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 26th, and 29th are leap years, having 355 days; the others are common, having 354 days. By the following tables any Mohammedan date may be changed into the Christian date, or vice versa, for the years 1900-1935 a. d.

Months of the Mohammedan year.

 1 Muharram . . . .. 30 2 Safar . . . . . . .. 29 3 Rabia I . . . . . . 30 4 Rabia II . . . .. 29 5 Jumada I . . . .. 30 6 Jumada II . . . . 29 7 Rajab . . . . . . .. 30 8 Shaban . . . . . . . 29 9 Ramadan . . . . . . 30 10 Shawwal . . . . . . 29 11 Zu'lkadah . . . . 30 12 Zu'lhijjah . . . 29* * in leap year, 30 days

 a. h. a. d. a. h. a. d.
 --------------------------------------------------------------
 1317 begins May 12, 1899 1336* begins Oct.17, 1917
 1318 May 1, 1900 1337 Oct. 7, 1918
 1319* Apr.20, 1901 1338* Sept.26, 1919
 1320 Apr.10, 1902 1339 Sept.15, 1920
 1321+ Mar.30, 1903 1340 Sept.4, 1921
 1322* Mar.18, 1904 1341* Aug.24, 1922
 1323 Mar. 8, 1905 1342 Aug.14, 1923
 1324 Feb.25, 1906 1343 Aug. 2, 1924
 1325* Feb.14, 1907 1344* July 22, 1925
 1326 Feb. 4, 1908 1345 July 12, 1926
 1327* Jan.23, 1909 1346* July 1, 1927
 1328 Jan.13, 1910 1347 June 20, 1928
 1329 Jan. 2, 1911 1348 June 9, 1929
 1330* Dec.22, 1911 1349* May 29, 1930
 1331 Dec.11, 1912 1350 May 19, 1931
 1332 Nov.30, 1913 1351++ May 7, 1932
 1333* Nov.19, 1914 1352* Apr.26, 1933
 1334 Nov. 9, 1915 1353 Apr.16, 1934
 1335 Oct.28, 1916 1354 Apr. 5, 1935
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 * Leap year + First year of the 45th cycle
 ++ First year of the 46th cycle
 

The Mohammedan calendar is one of the most primitive. It is strictly a Lunar calendar, the year consisting of twelve lunar months, which retrograde through the seasons in about 321/2 years. To reconcile the lunar cycle to a given number of complete days, a leap year is introduced on the 2nd, 5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 26th and 29th years of a thirty year cycle, making these years consist of 355 days instead of 354. The names of the months and the number of days are: 1, Muharram (30); 2, Saphar (29); 3, Rabia I (30); 4, Rabia II (29); 5, Jomada I (30); 6, Jomada II (29); 7, Rajah (30); 8, Shaaban (29); 9, Ramadan (30); 10, Shawaal (29); 11, Dulkasda (30); and 12, Dulheggia (29 or 30). The years are calculated from July 16, 622 A.D., the day following the Hegira, the flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina after an attempted assassination. The beginning of the 46th cycle, with the first day of Muharram, in the year 1351, compares to May 7, 1932 of the Gregorian calendar; continuing: 1365 Dec. 6, 1945 1366 Nov. 25, 1946 1367 Nov. 15, 1947 1368 Nov. 3, 1948 1369 Oct. 24, 1949 1370 Oct. 13, 1950 1371 Oct. 2, 1951 1372 Sept. 21, 1952 1373 Sept. 10, 1953 1374 Aug. 30, 1954 To find the Gregorian equivalent to any Mohammedan date multiply 970, 224 by the Mohammedan year, point off six decimal places and add 621.5774. The whole number will be the year A.D., and the decimal multiplied by 365 will be the day of the year. https://web.archive.org/web/20040112151506/http://www.arsakeio.gr/universe/timeref1.htm [ PJC ]

prop. n. The era in use in Moslem countries. See Mohammedan year, below. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

prop. n. The year used by Muslims, consisting of twelve lunar months without intercalation, so that they retrograde through all the seasons in about 321/2 years. The Mohammedan era begins with the year 622 a. d., the first day of the Mohammedan year 1332 being Nov. 30, 1913, according to the Gregorian calendar. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ } prop. n. The religion, or doctrines and precepts, of Mohammed, contained in the Koran; Islamism; Islam. The term Islam is preferred by most Moslems, and some find the term Mohammedanism to be offensive, as they worship Allah, not Mohammed. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

{ } prop. v. t. To make conformable to the principles, or customs and rites, of Islam. [ Written also Mahometanize. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. A Muslim. [ 1913 Webster ]