Islamic calendar guide · Guide
The 12 Islamic Months: Names, Meanings and Key Dates
The Islamic year has 12 lunar months, from Muharram to Dhu al-Hijjah. Here is each month with its Arabic name, the meaning usually given for it and the main days observed in it, plus upcoming dates estimated with the Umm al-Qura calendar.
Quick answer
The 12 Islamic months are Muharram, Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Akhir, Jumada al-Ula, Jumada al-Akhira, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qadah and Dhu al-Hijjah. Each lasts 29 or 30 days and begins with the new crescent moon. Four are sacred: Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah and Dhu al-Hijjah.
Key takeaways
- The Hijri year has 12 months of 29 or 30 days, 354 or 355 days in all.
- Four months are sacred: Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah and Dhu al-Hijjah.
- Ramadan is the ninth month; Eid al-Fitr falls on 1 Shawwal.
- The Hajj and Eid al-Adha take place in Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth month.
- Every month starts about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year.
Upcoming dates
Dates are estimated with the Umm al-Qura calendar; local announcements may differ by a day.
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1
Muharram مُحَرَّم
Muḥarram Sacred month
Meaning: "Forbidden" or "sacred": it is one of the months in which fighting was forbidden.
- 1Islamic New YearThe first day of the Hijri year, usually marked quietly with reflection rather than celebration.
- 10AshuraMany Sunni Muslims fast on this day (often with the 9th), while for Shia Muslims it is a day of mourning for Imam Husayn, killed at Karbala in 680.
- 1
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2
Safar صَفَر
Ṣafar
Meaning: Often linked to "empty": one common explanation is that homes stood empty as people left to travel or fight, though accounts differ.
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3
Rabi al-Awwal رَبِيع الأَوَّل
Rabīʿ al-Awwal
Meaning: "First spring", a name thought to date from a time when the month fell in spring.
- 12Mawlid al-NabiMany Muslims mark the Prophet Muhammad's birthday on this date, while Shia Muslims often observe the 17th, and some Muslims do not celebrate it at all.
- 12
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4
Rabi al-Akhir (Rabi al-Thani) رَبِيع الآخِر
Rabīʿ al-Ākhir
Meaning: "Last spring" or "second spring", following Rabi al-Awwal; it is also called Rabi al-Thani.
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5
Jumada al-Ula جُمَادَى الأُولَى
Jumādā al-Ūlā
Meaning: "The first Jumada". The word is usually tied to dryness or parched land, while some link it to water freezing; explanations differ.
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6
Jumada al-Akhira جُمَادَى الآخِرَة
Jumādā al-Ākhira
Meaning: "The last Jumada", the second of the two Jumada months; it is also called Jumada al-Thani.
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7
Rajab رَجَب
Rajab Sacred month
Meaning: From a root meaning "to respect" or "to hold in awe"; it is the only sacred month that stands on its own.
- 27Isra and MirajThe commonly observed date of the Prophet's Night Journey to Jerusalem and ascension to the heavens; scholars differ on the exact date.
- 27
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8
Shaban شَعْبَان
Shaʿbān
Meaning: From a root meaning "to branch out" or "to scatter", often explained as tribes dispersing in search of water; accounts vary.
- 15Mid-ShabanThe night before the 15th is observed in many communities with prayer and remembrance, and for many Shia Muslims it also marks the birth of the twelfth Imam.
- 15
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9
Ramadan رَمَضَان
Ramaḍān
Meaning: From ramad, "scorching heat", a name often said to date from a time when the month fell in the hot season.
- 1Start of Ramadan fastingMuslims fast from dawn to sunset throughout the month, which many communities begin only after the new crescent is sighted or announced.
- 27Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Decree)The night the revelation of the Quran began, sought in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan and often marked on the night before the 27th.
- 1
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10
Shawwal شَوَّال
Shawwāl
Meaning: Commonly linked to "lifting" or "raising", often explained by she-camels raising their tails in this season; explanations differ.
- 1Eid al-FitrThe festival of breaking the fast that ends Ramadan, with morning prayers, family visits and charity (zakat al-fitr) given before the prayer.
- 1
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11
Dhu al-Qadah ذُو القَعْدَة
Dhū al-Qaʿda Sacred month
Meaning: "The month of sitting": a sacred month when people stayed put and refrained from fighting.
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12
Dhu al-Hijjah ذُو الحِجَّة
Dhū al-Ḥijja Sacred month
Meaning: "The month of the pilgrimage": the month of the Hajj to Mecca.
- 8Hajj (8 to 13 Dhu al-Hijjah)The pilgrimage to Mecca, a pillar of Islam for every adult Muslim able to make it, takes place over these days.
- 9Day of ArafahPilgrims gather on the plain of Arafat in prayer, and many Muslims who are not on Hajj fast on this day.
- 10Eid al-AdhaThe Festival of Sacrifice, recalling Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, marked with prayers and the sharing of sacrificial meat with family and people in need.
- 8
How an Islamic month begins
Each Islamic month begins with the new crescent moon, the hilal, which appears low in the western sky shortly after sunset. Because the moon takes about 29.5 days to go through its phases, a month lasts either 29 or 30 days, and the Islamic day itself begins at sunset.
Traditionally, on the evening of the 29th, people look for the crescent. If it is seen, a new month starts the next day; if not, the month runs to 30 days. Some authorities rely on calculation instead, as the Umm al-Qura calendar does, which is why neighbouring countries sometimes start Ramadan or celebrate Eid on different days.
The four sacred months
The Quran states that there are twelve months with God, four of them sacred (9:36). Tradition identifies them as Dhu al-Qadah, Dhu al-Hijjah and Muharram, which run in a row around the Hajj season, and Rajab, which stands alone in the seventh position.
Even before Islam, Arab tribes observed a truce in these months so that pilgrims and traders could travel safely. In Islam, fighting in them was forbidden except in defence, and many Muslims see them as a time to take particular care with their conduct and to do extra good.
Why Ramadan and Eid move through the seasons
Twelve lunar months add up to about 354 days, roughly 11 days fewer than a solar year. Unlike lunisolar calendars such as the Hebrew calendar, the Islamic calendar never adds a leap month to catch up, so every month slips back through the Gregorian year.
As a result, Ramadan can fall during long summer days for several years and during short winter days some years later, and the same holds for Eid al-Fitr, the Hajj and Eid al-Adha. A full cycle through the seasons takes about 33 years, so most people fast Ramadan in every season over their lifetime.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 12 Islamic months in order?
Muharram, Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Akhir (also Rabi al-Thani), Jumada al-Ula, Jumada al-Akhira, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qadah and Dhu al-Hijjah. Spellings vary in English because the names are transliterated from Arabic.
What are the four sacred months in Islam?
Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah and Dhu al-Hijjah. The Quran mentions four sacred months (Surah al-Tawbah, 9:36), and tradition names these four. Fighting was forbidden in them, and wrongdoing in them is considered especially serious.
Which Islamic month is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri calendar. Muslims fast from dawn to sunset for the whole month, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is followed by Shawwal, whose first day is Eid al-Fitr.
Why do Ramadan and Eid move through the seasons?
The Hijri calendar follows the moon, so its year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year and has no correction to keep it aligned with the seasons. Ramadan and both Eids therefore come about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year and cycle through all four seasons in about 33 years.
Are the dates on this page exact?
They are estimates from the Umm al-Qura calendar used in Saudi Arabia. Many countries and communities begin Ramadan, Shawwal and Dhu al-Hijjah after sighting the new crescent or following an official announcement, so the actual date can differ by a day. Check your local announcement for religious observances.
Sources
- Islamic calendar (Wikipedia)
- Ashura (Wikipedia)
- Intl.supportedValuesOf(): calendar identifiers (MDN Web Docs)
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