Al-Taqwim al-Hijri — The Islamic Lunar Calendar

The Foundation: Why Lunar?

The Islamic calendar is lunar (qamari), not solar (shamsi). The Quran itself establishes this:

“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months — in the register of Allah — [since] the day He created the heavens and the earth.” (9:36)

“They ask you about the new moons. Say: They are times fixed for the people and for Hajj.” (2:189)

The new moon (hilal) is the visual signal that a new month has begun. The crescent moon sighting — by the naked eye, traditionally, or by astronomical calculation in contemporary practice — is the basis for declaring the start of a new month in the Islamic tradition.

Why lunar? Several reasons emerge from the tradition:

1. The moon’s cycle is visible to all people everywhere — no specialized instruments required
2. The lunar calendar is universal — the same moon serves communities across all latitudes
3. Moving through the seasons over 33 years means that every Muslim experiences Ramadan, Hajj, and ‘Ashura’ in summer heat and winter cold — no permanent seasonal privilege

The Hijri Dating System

The name Hijri comes from the Hijra — the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. The Hijri calendar counts years from this event, marking it as Year 1 AH (Anno Hegirae — Year of the Hijra).

The Hijri system was formalized by the second caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, who instituted a standardized dating system for the growing Muslim state.

Conversion formula (approximate): To convert Hijri to Gregorian, multiply the Hijri year by 0.97 and add 622. For example: 1447 AH × 0.97 + 622 ≈ 2025 CE.

The current year 1447 AH corresponds to 2026 CE in the Gregorian calendar.

The Twelve Months

1. Muharram (مُحَرَّم — The Forbidden Month)

One of the four sacred months (al-ashhur al-hurum). ‘Ashura’ falls on the 10th of Muharram — in Sunni tradition, the day Moses was saved from Pharaoh; in Shi’i and Bohra tradition, the day of Imam Husayn’s martyrdom at Karbala.

“Muharram is the best fasting after Ramadan.” — (Muslim)

The name “Muharram” (the forbidden one) comes from the pre-Islamic Arab tradition of prohibiting warfare during this month — a sanctity Islam affirmed.

See also: Ashura Karbala Commemoration, Imam Al Husayn

2. Safar (صَفَر — The Month of Traveling)

The name may derive from safr (travel/emptiness), as early Arabs often left their homes during this month for raids. 20 Safar is Al-Arba’een — the fortieth day after ‘Ashura’.

See also: Arbaeen

3. Rabi’ al-Awwal (رَبِيعُ الأَوَّل — The First Spring)

The most celebrated month: 12 Rabi’ al-Awwal is the Mawlid al-Nabi — the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is also the month of his passing (a disagreement exists: was he born and died on the same day, 12 Rabi’ al-Awwal?).

See also: Mawlid Al Nabi

4. Rabi’ al-Thani (رَبِيعُ الثَّانِي — The Second Spring)

A month without designated major events in the standard Islamic calendar, though many Sufi and regional traditions celebrate various dates within it.

5. Jumada al-Ula (جُمَادَى الأُولَى — The First of the Frozen)

The name is related to jamada (to freeze) — associated with the cold season when the early Arabs named it. 5 Jumada al-Ula is the Milad (birth anniversary) of Sayyidatna Fatima al-Zahra according to some traditions.

See also: Sayyida Fatima Al Zahra

6. Jumada al-Thani (جُمَادَى الثَّانِيَة — The Second of the Frozen)

The month of the passing of Sayyidatna Fatima al-Zahra according to Shi’i tradition — 3 Jumada al-Thani in one narration.

7. Rajab (رَجَب — The Respected)

One of the four sacred months. 27 Rajab is widely observed as the night of the Isra’ wal-Mi’raj — the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascension. The month of Rajab is considered a month of preparation for Ramadan.

See also: Nubuwwa

8. Sha’ban (شَعبَان — The Month of Branches)

The month immediately preceding Ramadan. The Prophet (SAW) was known to fast frequently in Sha’ban. 15 Sha’ban is Laylat al-Bara’a (Night of Forgiveness) in many traditions; in the Shi’i tradition, 15 Sha’ban is the birth anniversary of the Imam al-Mahdi al-Muntazar.

9. Ramadan (رَمَضَان — The Scorching Heat)

The ninth and holiest month of the Islamic year — the month of fasting (sawm), in which the Quran was first revealed:

“The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.” (2:185)

The month concludes with Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Power) in the last ten nights — conventionally 27 Ramadan, though the exact night is uncertain.

See also: Ramadan Guide, Laylat Al Qadr

10. Shawwal (شَوَّال — The Month of the Lifting)

Shawwal begins with Eid al-Fitr — the Feast of Breaking the Fast, one of Islam’s two major festivals. The six optional fasts of Shawwal are highly recommended.

See also: Eid Al Fitr

11. Dhu al-Qa’da (ذُو القَعدَة — The Month of Sitting/Remaining)

One of the four sacred months. The Hajj season begins to approach. Pilgrims traditionally remained home during this month preparing for Hajj.

12. Dhu al-Hijja (ذُو الحِجَّة — The Month of Pilgrimage)

The month of Hajj. The first ten days of Dhu al-Hijja are among the most sacred in the Islamic year. 8-13 Dhu al-Hijja are the days of Hajj proper. 10 Dhu al-Hijja is Eid al-Adha — the Feast of the Sacrifice. 18 Dhu al-Hijja is Eid al-Ghadir — in the Shi’i and Bohra tradition, the most important festival of the year, celebrating the Prophet’s designation of Imam ‘Ali at Ghadir Khumm.

See also: Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Ghadir, Hajj Journey

The Four Sacred Months

The Quran specifically mentions four sacred (haram) months:

“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months… Of these, four are sacred.” (9:36)

The four sacred months are: Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qa’da, Dhu al-Hijja. In the pre-Islamic Arab tradition, warfare was forbidden during these months; Islam affirmed and extended this sanctity.

The Bohra Religious Calendar Highlights

The Dawoodi Bohra religious year follows the Hijri calendar with particular attention to:

The Spiritual Significance of Lunar Time

The lunar calendar’s 33-year cycle means that every Muslim — over a lifetime — experiences the major religious occasions across all seasons. Ramadan is sometimes in summer heat, sometimes in winter cold. Hajj is sometimes in scorching sun, sometimes in temperate air. This universality levels all seasonal advantages and disadvantages.

The crescent moon is also theologically significant as a sign of the divine’s creative power — its regular waxing and waning a visible reminder that time itself is the divine’s creation and gift.

In the Ismaili ta’wil, the new moon (hilal) is understood as a symbol of the Imam — the new moon that brings light into the darkness, whose fullness is the completion of the da’wa cycle, whose disappearance marks the period of sitr before the new hilal of the Imam’s return.

See also: Ashura Karbala Commemoration, Ramadan Guide, Laylat Al Qadr, Eid Al Ghadir, Eid Al Adha, Eid Al Fitr, Mawlid Al Nabi, Hajj Journey, Arbaeen, Sitr And Zuhur, Five Pillars Of Islam