The 12 Islamic Months in Order

The Islamic, or Hijri, calendar has twelve lunar months of 29 or 30 days. A year is about 354 or 355 days long.

  1. 1. Muharram محرم

    Month 1 of the Hijri year. One of the four sacred months. Ashura falls on the tenth day.

    Muharram 1448

  2. 2. Safar صفر

    Month 2 of the Hijri year.

    Safar 1448

  3. 3. Rabi' al-Awwal ربيع الأول

    Month 3 of the Hijri year.

    Rabi' al-Awwal 1448

  4. 4. Rabi' al-Thani ربيع الآخر

    Month 4 of the Hijri year.

    Rabi' al-Thani 1448

  5. 5. Jumada al-Awwal جمادى الأولى

    Month 5 of the Hijri year.

    Jumada al-Awwal 1448

  6. 6. Jumada al-Thani جمادى الآخرة

    Month 6 of the Hijri year.

    Jumada al-Thani 1448

  7. 7. Rajab رجب

    Month 7 of the Hijri year. One of the four sacred months.

    Rajab 1448

  8. 8. Sha'ban شعبان

    Month 8 of the Hijri year.

    Sha'ban 1448

  9. 9. Ramadan رمضان

    Month 9 of the Hijri year. The month of the Ramadan fast.

    Ramadan 1448

  10. 10. Shawwal شوال

    Month 10 of the Hijri year. Eid al-Fitr falls on its first day.

    Shawwal 1448

  11. 11. Dhu al-Qi'dah ذو القعدة

    Month 11 of the Hijri year. One of the four sacred months.

    Dhu al-Qi'dah 1448

  12. 12. Dhu al-Hijjah ذو الحجة

    Month 12 of the Hijri year. One of the four sacred months. The month of Hajj; Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth day.

    Dhu al-Hijjah 1448

What is the Hijri era?

The Hijri era counts years from Prophet Muhammad's migration from Makkah to Medina in 622 CE. AH means Anno Hegirae, or the year of the Hijrah. This lunar calendar differs from the Solar Hijri calendar used in Iran and Afghanistan.

Why do Islamic months move through the year?

Twelve lunar months are shorter than a Gregorian solar year. A Hijri date therefore usually falls ten or eleven days earlier each Gregorian year, while the month names remain in the same order.

Which are the sacred months?

Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qi'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah are the four sacred months. Ramadan is the month of fasting; these are different designations.

Dates use the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar. Local moon sighting may differ by a day. Civil dates change at midnight; Islamic religious days begin at sunset.

References: Calendar overview · Quran 9:36