• About the Islamic Calendar
• Islamic Calendar 1445 AH
• Islamic Calendar 1446 AH
• The Four Sacred Months
• Important Islamic Dates

About The Islamic Calendar

The Islamic Calendar (or Hijri Calendar), is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to determine the proper days of Islamic holidays and rituals, such as the annual fasting and the annual season for Hajj (or the great pilgrimage). In almost all countries where the predominant religion is Islam, the civil calendar is the Gregorian calendar but the religious calendar is the Hijri one.

This calendar enumerates the Hijri era, whose epoch was established as the Islamic New Year in 622 CE. During that year, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (PBUH) and his companions migrated from Mecca to Medina and established the first Muslim community (ummah), an event commemorated as the Hijrah. In the West, dates in this era are usually denoted AH (Latin: Anno Hegirae, “in the year of the Hijrah”).

The Islamic Calendar is comprised of twelve lunar months with the first Month being called Muharram. The long-term average duration of a lunar month is 29.53 days. Thus the average lunar year (or twelve new moons) is 354.36 Days. The lunar year is therefore 10.88 days shorter than the duration of a solar year (365.24 days). This difference causes the months of the Hijri calendar to advance by about eleven days earlier each year.

As a result if we are experiencing Ramadaan during the spring of this year, we can expect that as the years progress, Ramadaan will cycle through all the seasons, returning to this same season approximately 33 solar years from now. Therefore all muslims, wherever they are located on earth, will get to experience Ramadaan during all the seasons, over a 33 year period, or a single generation.

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Note that the Gregorian Dates are as determined by the Fiqh Council of North America. The dates for Dhul-Hijja may change since they are to be determined by the Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

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The Four Sacred Months

In the Islamic religion, there are four sacred months or inviolable months of the Islamic calendar. Fighting is forbidden during these months except in response to aggression.

These four sacred months of the Islamic calendar are:

     1. Muharram   – First month.

     2. Rajab      – Seventh month.

     3. Dhul-Qidah – Eleventh.

     4. Dhul-Hijja – Twelfth month.

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Important Islamic Dates

Note that the Gregorian Dates are as determined by the Fiqh Council of North America. The dates for Dhul-Hijja may change since they are to be determined by the Hilal of Saudi Arabia.

• 1 Muharram: The Islamic New Year 1446 AH. July 07, 2024 (Sun)

• 10 Muharram: Day of Ashura. July 16, 2024 (Tue)

For Sunnis, the crossing of the Red Sea by Prophet Moosa (May Allah be Pleased with Him) occurred on this day, along with many other significant events in the lives of prophets (May Allah be pleased with them all).

• 12 Rabi al-Awwal: Mawlid or Birth of the Prophet ﷺ (PBUH) . September 15, 2024 (Sun)

• 27 Rajab: Isra and Mi’raj. February 8, 2024 (Thu)

Ascension starts on Thursday, February 8, and ends on the evening of Friday, February 9.

During the Isra and Miraj celebration, Muslims remember the occasion when the Prophet (SAW) rode the back of the buraq from Mecca to the Holy Land before ascending to the seven levels of heaven. In his Isra and Miraj chronicles, The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (PBUH) met the Prophets who came before him. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (PBUH) then returned home with the instructions of the five daily prayers.

Muslims conduct sermons and read the Surat al-Isra from the Holy Quran to celebrate this occasion.

• 1 Ramadan: The first day of fasting in Islam March 11, 2024 (Mon)

Ramadan, the holiest month for all muslims, is the most anticipated month for all Muslims. We all wait for the next Ramadaan to return as soon as we say goodbye to the current one.

Aside from the delightful spirit of this holy month, each new Ramadaan is an opportunity to get closer to Allah through praying the Taraweeh, by paying one’s zakat, giving charity, rigorous Quran study, and spiritual introspection.

Ramadaan is a temporal school that teaches us the art of living according to the standards of Islam.

• 27 Ramadaan: Start of the Revelation of the Quran. Begins on night of April 5, 2024 (Fri)

The most probable day Prophet Muhammad (SAW) received the first verses of the Quran.

• Last third of Ramadaan which includes Laylat al-Qadr Begins on night of March 30 2024 (Sat) and ends on night of April 8, 2024 (Mon)

    Last third of Ramadan which includes Laylat al-Qadr, which is widely believed to be one of the odd-numbered nights of Ramadaan during this last third of the month. These nights are considered the most sacred nights of the Islamic calendar.

• Last friday of Ramadaan: Jumu’atul-Wida April 5, 2024 (Fri)

    The final Jumuah for the month of Ramadaan

• 1 Shawwal: Eid ul-Fitr. April 10, 2024 (Wed)

    A day of celebration, marking the end of the month of fasting. Fasting is prohibited on this day.

• 1-10 Dhul-Hijjah: the Most Sacred Days of the year. June 07 (Fri) – June 16, 2024 (Sun)

• 8-13 Dhul-Hijjah: The Hajj or Pilgrimage to Mecca. June 14 (Fri) – June 19, 2024 (Wed)

   

• 9 Dhul-Hijjah: Day of Arafa. June 15, 2024 (Sat)

   

• 10 Dhul-Hijjah: Eid al-Adha. June 16, 2024 (Sun)