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🌙 Islamic Calendar

The 12 Islamic Months

The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is a lunar calendar of 12 months, each beginning with the sighting of the new crescent moon. A Hijri year has approximately 354 days — around 11 days fewer than the Gregorian year.

🌙 Four Sacred Months (Al-Ashhur al-Hurum)

Allah designates four months as sacred (9:36): Muharram (1st), Rajab (7th), Dhul Qa'dah (11th), and Dhul Hijjah (12th). These months are marked with a 🔒 below.

1

Muharram

🔒 Sacred

مُحَرَّم · Forbidden / Sacred

One of the four sacred months. The Islamic New Year begins on 1 Muharram. The 10th — Ashura — is a day of significant worship; the Prophet ﷺ fasted on it and encouraged fasting on the 9th and 10th.

  • 📅 1 Muharram: Islamic New Year
  • 📅 10 Muharram: Day of Ashura
2

Safar

صَفَر · Empty / Yellow

The second month has no specific religious events. Some pre-Islamic superstitions associated it with ill fortune — Islam teaches these have no basis.

3

Rabi al-Awwal

رَبِيع الأَوَّل · First Spring

The birth month of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (12 Rabi al-Awwal, 570 CE). This day, known as Mawlid al-Nabi, is observed by many Muslims worldwide with gatherings, lectures, and praise.

  • 📅 12 Rabi al-Awwal: Mawlid al-Nabi (birth of the Prophet ﷺ)
4

Rabi al-Thani

رَبِيع الثَّانِي · Second Spring

No specific religious events. A time of reflection and continuation of worship.

5

Jumada al-Awwal

جُمَادَى الأَوَّل · First of Parched Land

No specific religious events. Part of the non-sacred months in which regular worship is observed.

6

Jumada al-Thani

جُمَادَى الثَّانِيَة · Second of Parched Land

No specific religious events. The month before Rajab — many Muslims use this time to spiritually prepare for the sacred months ahead.

7

Rajab

🔒 Sacred

رَجَب · Respect / To Remove

One of the four sacred months. Al-Isra wal-Mi'raj (the Night Journey of the Prophet ﷺ to Jerusalem and the heavens) is commemorated on 27 Rajab. Fasting is recommended in Rajab.

  • 📅 27 Rajab: Laylat al-Mi'raj (Night Journey)
8

Sha'ban

شَعْبَان · Dispersed / Scattered

The month before Ramadan, often called 'the month of the Prophet ﷺ'. He ﷺ fasted extensively in Sha'ban. The 15th (Laylat al-Bara'ah / Shab-e-Barat) is considered a night of special mercy by many Muslims.

  • 📅 15 Sha'ban: Laylat al-Bara'ah
9

Ramadan

رَمَضَان · Scorching Heat

The holiest month of the Islamic year. Muslims fast from Fajr to Maghrib throughout the month. The Quran was first revealed in Ramadan. The last 10 nights contain Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power), better than 1,000 months.

  • 📅 Full month: Fasting (Sawm)
  • 📅 Last 10 nights: Laylat al-Qadr
  • 📅 1 Shawwal: Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan)
10

Shawwal

شَوَّال · Lifted / Carries

Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on 1 Shawwal — the Festival of Breaking the Fast. Fasting 6 days of Shawwal after Eid is equivalent to fasting the whole year.

  • 📅 1 Shawwal: Eid al-Fitr
  • 📅 2–30 Shawwal: 6 voluntary fasts of Shawwal
11

Dhul Qa'dah

🔒 Sacred

ذُو القَعْدَة · Month of Rest / Truce

One of the four sacred months. A month of rest in which warfare was traditionally forbidden. Used by pilgrims to travel towards Mecca for Hajj.

12

Dhul Hijjah

🔒 Sacred

ذُو الحِجَّة · Month of Pilgrimage

The final and most blessed month. The first 10 days are the best days of the year for worship. Hajj is performed in 8–12 Dhul Hijjah. Eid al-Adha — the Festival of Sacrifice — falls on 10 Dhul Hijjah.

  • 📅 1–9 Dhul Hijjah: Most virtuous days — increase in worship
  • 📅 8 Dhul Hijjah: Yawm al-Tarwiyah (Hajj begins)
  • 📅 9 Dhul Hijjah: Yawm Arafah — fasting expiates two years of sins
  • 📅 10 Dhul Hijjah: Eid al-Adha — Qurbani sacrifice
  • 📅 11–13 Dhul Hijjah: Days of Tashreeq

Why Do Islamic Dates Change Each Year?

The Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar — each month begins with the physical sighting of the crescent moon and lasts 29 or 30 days. A lunar year contains approximately 354 days, which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian (solar) year.

This means Islamic months shift roughly 11 days earlier in the Gregorian calendar each year, rotating through all four seasons over a complete 33-year cycle. Ramadan, for example, falls in summer in some years and winter in others.

Islamic Calendar FAQs

What are the 12 months of the Islamic calendar?
The 12 Islamic months are: 1. Muharram, 2. Safar, 3. Rabi al-Awwal, 4. Rabi al-Thani, 5. Jumada al-Awwal, 6. Jumada al-Thani, 7. Rajab, 8. Sha'ban, 9. Ramadan, 10. Shawwal, 11. Dhul Qa'dah, 12. Dhul Hijjah.
What are the four sacred months in Islam?
The four sacred months are Muharram (1st), Rajab (7th), Dhul Qa'dah (11th), and Dhul Hijjah (12th). Allah mentions these in the Quran (9:36). Sinful acts and fighting are particularly discouraged during these months.
What is Dhul Hijjah?
Dhul Hijjah is the 12th and final month of the Islamic calendar. It contains the Hajj pilgrimage (8–12 Dhul Hijjah), Eid al-Adha (10 Dhul Hijjah), and the Day of Arafah (9 Dhul Hijjah). The first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are considered the most virtuous days of the Islamic year.
Why does Ramadan start on a different date every year?
The Islamic calendar is lunar, with each year approximately 11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar year. This means Ramadan (and all Islamic months) shift about 11 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar, cycling through all seasons over 33 years.
What happened in Muharram?
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic year and one of the four sacred months. On 10 Muharram (Ashura), Allah saved Moses and the Children of Israel from Pharaoh — the Prophet ﷺ fasted on this day and encouraged Muslims to fast on the 9th and 10th. For Shia Muslims, Ashura also commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Husayn at Karbala in 680 CE.
📅 Today's Hijri date 🗓️ Islamic Calendar 2026 🌙 Ramadan times by city

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