The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is a lunar calendar of 12 months, each 29 or 30 days long, giving a year of about 354 days. The count of years starts from the Hijra, the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. The first month is Muharram and the ninth is Ramadan, the month of fasting.
You can check today's Hijri date at any time on our Hijri calendar, and convert any date in either direction with the Hijri converter.
The 12 months of the Islamic calendar
Each month starts with the sighting of the new crescent. The names come from Arabian life before Islam, and most describe a season or a custom.
- Muharram (محرّم) means "forbidden". It is the first month and one of the four sacred months. The Islamic New Year and the day of Ashura (10 Muharram) fall here.
- Safar (صفر) means "empty" or "yellow", and is traditionally linked to homes emptied when people left for travel or war.
- Rabi al-Awwal (ربيع الأول) means "the first spring". The Prophet (peace be upon him) was born in this month, and Muslims remember the Mawlid on the 12th.
- Rabi al-Thani (ربيع الثاني) means "the second spring".
- Jumada al-Awwal (جمادى الأولى) means "the first of the dry (frozen) months".
- Jumada al-Thani (جمادى الآخرة) means "the second of the dry months".
- Rajab (رجب) means "to revere". It is one of the four sacred months. The Isra and Mi'raj is remembered on the 27th.
- Sha'ban (شعبان) means "to spread out", because tribes dispersed in search of water. Muslims often increase fasting this month to prepare for Ramadan.
- Ramadan (رمضان) is from a root meaning "scorching heat". It is the month of fasting, and the month in which the Quran was revealed. Laylat al-Qadr falls in its last ten nights.
- Shawwal (شوّال) means "to lift". Eid al-Fitr is on its first day, and six voluntary fasts in Shawwal are recommended.
- Dhul Qa'dah (ذو القعدة) means "the one of rest". It is a sacred month in which fighting was prohibited.
- Dhul Hijjah (ذو الحجة) means "the one of pilgrimage". The Hajj takes place at the start of the month, and Eid al-Adha is on the 10th. It is also a sacred month.
The four sacred months
The Quran says: "Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve in the register of Allah, from the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of them, four are sacred" (Surah at-Tawbah, 9:36). The four are Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qa'dah and Dhul Hijjah. Wrongdoing is a graver sin in them, and good deeds carry great reward.
How the Hijri calendar works
A lunar year of about 354 days
A lunar month is the time between two new moons, about 29.53 days. Months are alternately 29 and 30 days long in the calculated calendar, and in the observed calendar each month lasts 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting. Twelve lunar months make 354 or 355 days.
Why Islamic dates move through the seasons
The Gregorian year is 365 days. The Islamic year is 10 or 11 days shorter, so Islamic dates move about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year. Ramadan, for example, takes place in every season over a cycle of about 33 years. The Islamic calendar has no leap month to correct this, which the Quran confirms by prohibiting the practice of adding a month (nasi', 9:37).
The day begins at sunset
An Islamic day starts at sunset and runs to the next sunset. This is why the night of 27 Ramadan comes before the day of 27 Ramadan, and why Eid is announced the evening before.
When does the Hijri year start counting?
The calendar counts from the Hijra in 622 CE. It was introduced during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), about 17 years after the Hijra, who chose the migration as the event from which to date documents, and set Muharram as the first month. The abbreviation AH means Anno Hegirae, "in the year of the Hijra".
The year 1448 AH began in mid-June 2026, and 1449 AH is expected to begin on 6 June 2027. For the main dates of next year see Islamic holidays 2027.
Sighting or calculation: how a month is decided
Different communities set the start of a month in different ways.
- Moon sighting. The month begins when the new crescent is seen on the 29th evening. If it is not seen, the month completes 30 days. This follows the hadith "Fast when you see it, and break the fast when you see it" (Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
- Astronomical calculation. The month starts by a fixed rule, so dates can be published years ahead. The Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia is one example. Some councils in North America and Europe use their own calculations.
Because of these different methods, a month can begin on different days in different countries. Dates on this website follow the Umm al-Qura calendar, so use them for planning and confirm key dates, such as the start of Ramadan and the two Eids, with your local authority. Our article on Ramadan 2027 shows this in practice.
Why the Hijri calendar still matters
Fasting, Zakat, Hajj and the Eids all follow the lunar calendar. Even if you use the Gregorian calendar day to day, you need to know the Hijri date for Zakat, which is due after one lunar year, for the months of fasting, and for the days of worship. The calendar also gives Muslims a shared sense of time.
Frequently asked questions
How many months are in the Islamic calendar?
Twelve, each of 29 or 30 days.
What is the first month of the Islamic calendar?
Muharram. The Islamic New Year is 1 Muharram.
What is today's Hijri date?
Open our Hijri date today page for the current date, which is calculated for every visit.
Why is the Islamic year shorter than the Gregorian year?
Because it follows the moon, and 12 lunar months total about 354 days compared with 365 days for the solar year.
What is AH?
AH stands for Anno Hegirae, "in the year of the Hijra", the era of the Islamic calendar.
Dates on this page use the Umm al-Qura calendar and may differ by a day from your local announcement.