Hijri Calendar

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What is the Hijri Calendar?

The term Hijri derives from Hijrah, the Arabic word for migration, referring specifically to Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ journey from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. The Hijri Calendar, also called the Islamic Calendar, is a purely lunar dating system consisting of twelve months, each beginning with the sighting of a new crescent moon, and is used throughout the Muslim world to mark religious occasions and, in many countries, civil dates as well.

Theologically, the reliance on the lunar cycle is rooted directly in the Qur'an, which describes the moon's phases as signs appointed by Allah for determining time. Unlike solar calendars, the Hijri system does not insert leap days or intercalary months to stay aligned with the seasons, a practice the Qur'an explicitly criticizes as a form of ancient Arab calendar manipulation. This gives the Islamic calendar its distinctive rotating relationship with the seasons over the years.

Historically, the calendar was formally established during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, who convened his companions to decide upon a unified starting point for dating official correspondence and records. They settled on the year of the Hijrah rather than the Prophet's ﷺ birth or the start of revelation, reflecting the historic weight given to the migration as the moment the Muslim community gained the ability to organize and govern itself.

Spiritually, the Hijri Calendar structures the rhythm of Muslim worship throughout the year. Months such as Ramadan, Dhul Hijjah, and Muharram carry deep religious significance, and the lunar cycle's steady, unembellished progression through the seasons is seen by many scholars as a reminder of the natural order Allah has established in creation, undisturbed by human intervention.

In practical and contemporary life, the Hijri Calendar governs the timing of the five daily prayers, the fasting month of Ramadan, the Hajj pilgrimage, and Islamic holidays worldwide, while Muslims living in countries that use the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes typically track both systems side by side using printed calendars, mobile apps, and moon-sighting announcements from local Islamic authorities.

Examples of the Hijri Calendar

• Ramadan: The ninth month of the Hijri Calendar, observed with fasting from dawn to sunset each day.
• Dhul Hijjah: The twelfth month, during which the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah takes place.
• Muharram and Ashura: The first month of the Islamic year, which includes the Day of Ashura, a day of historical and religious significance.
• Islamic New Year: The first day of Muharram marks the new Hijri year, commemorating the Hijrah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

References in Qur'an & Hadith

"Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth." — Surah At-Tawbah 9:36

"They ask you about the new moons. Say, 'They are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj.'" — Surah Al-Baqarah 2:189

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Do not fast until you sight the crescent moon, and do not break your fast until you sight it (again), and if the sky is overcast, complete the number of days." — Sahih al-Bukhari 1909