Islamic calendar & Hijri date today

Today's date in the Hijri calendar, a free date converter, upcoming Ramadan and Eid dates, and the names of all the Islamic and Arabic months.

Today's Islamic date

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    Dates use the Umm al-Qura calendar. Many communities start Ramadan and the Eids by local moon sighting, so the actual day can differ by one day.

    The 12 Islamic months

    Islamic months in order

    The Hijri calendar is lunar: each month begins with the new crescent moon and lasts 29 or 30 days, so the year is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year.

    #MonthArabicMeaning & key dates
    1Muharram
    مُحَرَّمmuḥarram
    Forbidden: one of the four sacred months
    Islamic New Year (1st), Ashura (10th)
    2Safar
    صَفَرṣafar
    Empty or void
    3Rabi' al-Awwal
    رَبِيع الأَوَّلrabīʿ al-awwal
    The first spring
    Mawlid an-Nabi (12th, widely observed)
    4Rabi' al-Thani
    رَبِيع الآخِرrabīʿ al-ākhir / ath-thānī
    The second spring
    5Jumada al-Ula
    جُمَادَى الأُولَىjumādā al-ūlā
    The first month of dry land
    6Jumada al-Akhirah
    جُمَادَى الآخِرَةjumādā al-ākhira
    The last month of dry land
    7Rajab
    رَجَبrajab
    Respect: one of the four sacred months
    Isra and Mi'raj (traditionally the 27th)
    8Sha'ban
    شَعْبَانshaʿbān
    Scattering: the month before Ramadan
    Mid-Sha'ban (15th)
    9Ramadan
    رَمَضَانramaḍān
    Scorching heat: the month of fasting
    Laylat al-Qadr (last ten nights)
    10Shawwal
    شَوَّالshawwāl
    Lifted or raised
    Eid al-Fitr (1st)
    11Dhu al-Qa'dah
    ذُو القَعْدَةdhū al-qaʿda
    The month of sitting (truce): sacred
    12Dhu al-Hijjah
    ذُو الحِجَّةdhū al-ḥijja
    The month of pilgrimage: sacred
    Hajj (8th–13th), Day of Arafah (9th), Eid al-Adha (10th)
    Arabic months

    The Gregorian months in Arabic

    Arabic has two sets of names for January to December. Egypt, the Gulf and North Africa use names borrowed from the Latin months; Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq use the old Syriac names.

    EnglishEgypt, Gulf & North AfricaLevant & Iraq
    January
    ينايرyanāyir
    كانون الثانيkānūn ath-thānī
    February
    فبرايرfibrāyir
    شباطshubāṭ
    March
    مارسmāris
    آذارādhār
    April
    أبريلabrīl
    نيسانnīsān
    May
    مايوmāyū
    أيارayyār
    June
    يونيوyūnyū
    حزيرانḥazīrān
    July
    يوليوyūlyū
    تموزtammūz
    August
    أغسطسaghusṭus
    آبāb
    September
    سبتمبرsibtambir
    أيلولaylūl
    October
    أكتوبرuktūbar
    تشرين الأولtishrīn al-awwal
    November
    نوفمبرnūfambir
    تشرين الثانيtishrīn ath-thānī
    December
    ديسمبرdīsambir
    كانون الأولkānūn al-awwal

    Morocco and Algeria often use French-style forms, for example ماي (may) for May, يوليوز (yulyūz) for July and غشت (ghusht) for August in Morocco.

    How the Hijri Calendar Works

    How the Islamic calendar works

    1. It follows the moon

      Each Islamic month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon (hilāl) and lasts 29 or 30 days. Twelve lunar months make a year of about 354 days.

    2. It starts with the Hijra

      Year 1 AH ("after Hijra") marks the Prophet Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. The Arabic abbreviation هـ follows Hijri dates.

    3. Dates move through the seasons

      Because the Hijri year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan and the Eids arrive roughly 11 days earlier each Gregorian year, cycling through every season over 33 years.

    4. Calculated vs sighted

      Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura calendar is calculated in advance. Many communities still begin Ramadan and the Eids by local moon sighting, so dates can differ by a day between countries.

    FAQ

    Questions, answered.

    Can't find what you're looking for? Email our team, we read everything.

    What is today's Hijri date?

    The date at the top of this page updates automatically using the Umm al-Qura calendar. It may differ by one day from your local mosque, which may follow moon sighting.

    What are the 12 Islamic months?

    Muharram, Safar, Rabi' al-Awwal, Rabi' al-Thani, Jumada al-Ula, Jumada al-Akhirah, Rajab, Sha'ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah.

    What are the four sacred months in Islam?

    Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qa'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah are the four sacred months (al-ashhur al-ḥurum), in which fighting was traditionally forbidden.

    What does AH mean?

    AH stands for Anno Hegirae, "in the year of the Hijra." In Arabic, Hijri years are followed by هـ, short for هجري (hijrī).

    How do you say the months in Arabic?

    There are two systems for the Gregorian months: يناير، فبراير، مارس… in Egypt, the Gulf and North Africa, and the Syriac names كانون الثاني، شباط، آذار… in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Iraq. Both are listed above.

    Why does Ramadan start on different days in different countries?

    Some countries follow astronomical calculations while others wait for the crescent moon to be seen locally. Weather and location can make a one-day difference.

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