Islamic calendar | Months, Definition, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

Islamic calendar | Months, Definition, & Facts? ›

The Islamic year has twelve months that are based on a lunar cycle. Islamic months begin at sunset of the first day, the day when the lunar crescent is visually sighted. Since sighting of the crescent new moon can vary based on atmospheric conditions, actual dates can vary by 1 or 2 days from when predicted.

It is based on a year of 12 months: Muḥarram, Ṣafar, Rabīʿ al-Awwal, Rabīʿ al-Thānī, Jumādā al-Awwal, Jumādā al-Thānī, Rajab, Shaʿbān, Ramaḍān (the month of fasting), Shawwāl, Dhū al-Qaʿdah, and Dhū al-Ḥijjah. Each month begins approximately at the time of the new moon.

A tabular Islamic calendar has been established for some non-religious purposes in which the lengths of the months alternate between 29 and 30 days. This calendar consists of a 30-year cycle in which 11 of the 30 years are leap years. In leap years, an extra day is added to the last month, Dhú'l-Hijjab.

Every year, Muslims around the world anticipate the sighting of the new crescent moon that signifies the official first day of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the most sacred month in Islamic culture.

In the Islamic religion, the sacred months or inviolable months include Dhu al-Qadah, Dhu'l-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab, the four months of the Islamic calendar during which war is considered forbidden except in response to aggression.

The Hijri calendar, also known as the Islamic calendar, is a lunar calendar widely used in the Muslim world to determine Islamic holy days and events. It is based on the cycles of the moon. Each month begins with the first sighting of a new crescent moon which appears after the new moon phase.

Muhammad is quoted as saying "The best day the sun rises over is Friday; on it Allah created Adam. On it, he was made to enter paradise, on it he was expelled from it, and the Last Hour will take place on no other day than Friday." [Ahmad and at-Tirmithi].

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar and begins with the sighting of the crescent moon. For many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims, fasting began Monday, after an announcement from officials in Saudi Arabia, which is home to the holiest places in Islam.

What does the Quran say about calendar? ›

7 Qur'an 9:36. Allah refers to the lunar calendar as purpose (ḥaqq) and the upright religion (al-dīn al-qayyim), words typically used in reference to the Qur'an, God (Allah), and belief, pointing to the calendar's significance. See: Qur'an 43:30, 10:32, and 12:40. 8 There is no Year Zero.

It takes the moon 29.5 days to orbit around the earth, therefore, all 12 months in the Islamic calendar are either 29 or 30 days long. This results in the Hijri Calendar being roughly 10 days shorter than the Gregorian Calendar every year. The 1st of Muharram marks the beginning of the year 1444 Hijri.

The Islamic Hijri calendar was created during the rule of the third caliph of the Muslim world, Umar ibn al-Khattab, as a means to mark the beginning of the Muslim community's prominence on the world scene and establish Islamic names for months in a calendar year.

Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, marked by fasting, reflection, charity and prayer. Ramadan, Islam's holiest month, began for most Muslim communities at sundown on Sunday, March 10 in the U.S. It's expected to end with Eid al-Fitr on Tuesday, April 9.

Ramadan is a much revered and blessed month for Muslims all over the world, it is one of the five pillars of Islam which Muslims regard very highly.

The four sacred months of the Hijri calendar are Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram. These months are considered to be of great importance in Islamic tradition and culture, and have a special importance in comparison to the other months.

What is Ramadan? Ramadan is a holy month of worship, study of the Quran, prayer, and fasting. Ramadan occurs during the month in which Muslims believe the Quran began to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is a joyous celebration for Muslims.

Because the Hijri calendar is about 11 days shorter than the 365-day-ish Gregorian calendar, the month of Ramadan moves around every year in Gregorian terms. That means the fasting day in the Northern Hemisphere will get shorter between now and 2031, when Ramadan coincides with the winter solstice, Al Jazeera reported.

A lunar cycle lasts for 29 days, which makes one month in the Hijri calendar while a Gregorian calendar month has 30-31 days. This shortage of 1-2 days every month results in the Hijri calendar having only 354-355 days as opposed to 365-366 days in a Gregorian calendar.

Muslims believe Rajab is the month in which 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, the fourth Rashidun caliph, was born. Rajab is also the month during which Isra and Mi'raj (Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and then through the seven Heavens) took place. Rajab and Shaʿbān are a prelude to the holy month of Ramaḍān.