In many traditions, the moon represents the female force and cyclical temporal rhythms. The passage of the moon symbolizes infinity and eternity. The new moon is a symbol of Islam.
For Muslims, it is the year 1420. It will be 1421 on April 5, 2000, 1422 in the spring of 2001, and so on. The Muslim calendar is reckoned from the year 622, when Mohammed emigrated from Mecca and went to Medina.
Muslims use a lunar calendar, so the day of the Hegira, the Islamic New Year, which is observed on the first of Muharram, falls at different times during our year.
