Islamic Calendar

The Hijri calendar and its sacred months

"Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred."

— Quran 9:36

About the Hijri Calendar

The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is a lunar calendar of 12 months based on the cycles of the moon. Each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon. A Hijri year is approximately 354 days, making it 10-11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. The calendar begins from the year of the Prophet's ﷺ migration (Hijrah) from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE.

Months per year

12

Days per year

~354

The Four Sacred Months

Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qa'dah, and Dhul Hijjah are the four sacred months in which warfare was traditionally prohibited and good deeds carry extra weight.