A Guide to the Hijri Calendar and the Sacred Months

The Hijri calendar begins from the migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah. It is a purely lunar calendar of twelve months, each lasting 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the new moon.

The Twelve Months

Muharram, Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Thani, Jumada al-Ula, Jumada al-Akhirah, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul-Qadah, and Dhul-Hijjah. Because the lunar year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Islamic occasions rotate through all the seasons over a 33-year cycle.

The Four Sacred Months

Allah declared four months sacred: Dhul-Qadah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. In these months, good deeds carry greater weight and wrongdoing is more serious.

Key Dates in the Year

Ramadan is the month of fasting and the Quran. The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah include the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha. The day of Ashura (10 Muharram) is recommended to fast. Laylatul Qadr, hidden in the last ten nights of Ramadan, is better than a thousand months.

Living by the Lunar Rhythm

Knowing the Hijri date helps you catch recommended fasts — the white days (13th, 14th, 15th of each month), Mondays and Thursdays — and prepare for the great seasons of worship before they arrive.