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Islamic Calendar

The 12 Islamic Months

The Hijri calendar is 11 days shorter than the solar year — meaning each Islamic month rotates through all four seasons over a 33-year cycle. Here are all 12 months and what makes each one significant.

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The Lunar Calendar — How It Works

The Islamic calendar is a purely lunar calendar. Each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon and is either 29 or 30 days long. A lunar year is approximately 354 days, compared to the solar year's 365 — a gap of about 11 days.

This is why Ramadan falls in different seasons over the years — in some decades it comes in summer, others in winter. The same is true for Hajj, Eid, and every other Islamic date. There is no intercalation (adding a leap month) as there is in the Jewish calendar, so the Hijri calendar rotates freely relative to the Gregorian one.

The calendar year counts from the Hijra — the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. The current Hijri year is 1446 AH (Anno Hegirae).

All 12 Months
Month 1
Muharram
مُحَرَّم
Sacred Month
One of the four sacred (Haram) months in which fighting was forbidden. Contains the Day of Ashura (10th Muharram) — a day of fasting observed by Sunni Muslims in gratitude for Moses' salvation, and a day of mourning for Shia Muslims.
Month 2
Safar
صَفَر
Historically considered unlucky in pre-Islamic Arabia — the Prophet ﷺ explicitly rejected this superstition. There are no major Islamic observances in Safar, but Muslims are encouraged to maintain worship throughout.
Month 3
Rabi' al-Awwal
رَبِيع الأَوَّل
Prophet's Birth
The month of the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ birth (12th Rabi' al-Awwal) — known as Mawlid al-Nabi. Whether to celebrate this day is a matter of scholarly disagreement; both positions have serious scholarly support.
Month 4
Rabi' al-Thani
رَبِيع الثَّانِي
Also called Rabi' al-Akhir. No major Islamic observances, though some Sufi orders hold celebrations related to saints who passed away in this month. A generally quiet month in the Islamic calendar.
Month 5
Jumada al-Ula
جُمَادَى الأُولَى
First of the two Jumada months. The name may relate to frozen water, suggesting these were winter months when the calendar was first structured. No major specific observances.
Month 6
Jumada al-Thani
جُمَادَى الثَّانِيَة
Second of the two Jumada months. Contains no obligatory Islamic events but is a good time to prepare spiritually — Rajab and Sha'ban, leading to Ramadan, follow in the next two months.
Month 7
Rajab
رَجَب
Sacred Month
A sacred month and the beginning of the "Ramadan season." The Night of Isra' and Mi'raj (Prophet's nocturnal journey) falls in this month (27th Rajab). Many Muslims increase their worship and begin preparing for Ramadan in Rajab.
Month 8
Sha'ban
شَعْبَان
Ramadan Prep
The month the Prophet ﷺ described as one in which deeds are raised to Allah. He is reported to have fasted more in Sha'ban than any other month outside Ramadan. Contains the Night of Bara'a (15th Sha'ban) — a night of forgiveness, though observances vary by tradition.
Month 9
Ramadan
رَمَضَان
Obligatory Fasting
The holiest month. Fasting (Sawm) from Fajr to Maghrib is obligatory for every adult Muslim. The Qur'an was first revealed in this month. Contains Laylat al-Qadr — the Night of Power — in the last ten nights, which is better than a thousand months.
Month 10
Shawwal
شَوَّال
Eid al-Fitr
The first day of Shawwal is Eid al-Fitr — the festival breaking the Ramadan fast. The Prophet ﷺ recommended fasting six days in Shawwal (after Eid), which carries a reward equivalent to fasting the entire year. Zakat al-Fitr must be paid before the Eid prayer.
Month 11
Dhul Qa'dah
ذُو الْقَعْدَة
Sacred Month
A sacred month and one of the four in which warfare was prohibited. Historically the month in which pilgrims began their journey toward Mecca for Hajj. Many of the Hajj preparation rituals begin in this month.
Month 12
Dhul Hijjah
ذُو الْحِجَّة
Hajj & Eid
The most significant month for worship after Ramadan. The first ten days are described in hadith as the best days of the year. Hajj is performed in the 8th–13th days. Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th. Contains the Day of Arafah (9th) — fasting on this day expiates sins of two years.
The Four Sacred Months

Allah mentions in the Qur'an (9:36) that He designated four months as sacred (Haram): Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qa'dah, and Dhul Hijjah. Three are consecutive and one stands alone.

During these months, certain acts of aggression were forbidden in pre-Islamic Arabia — a social convention Islam confirmed and gave divine sanction to. Scholars differ on whether there are additional acts of worship or restrictions specific to these months beyond what applies year-round. What is agreed is that sins in these months carry greater weight, and therefore so do acts of worship.

For Zakat purposes: The Islamic calendar matters for your Hawl — the one lunar year your wealth must be held above the Nisab before Zakat is due. Since a lunar year is 354 days, the date rolls back each solar year. Use our Hijri Calendar to track your Zakat due date.