With the new Hijri year well and truly underway, many exciting, spiritual events await us in the coming months. But exactly what role does the Islamic Calendar have in our lives?  

The Hijri calendar marks the dates of significant religious events. It helps Muslims observe fasting Ramadan, the Eid days (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) and the period for Hajj in Dhul Hijjah – just to name a few.  

In other words, the Islamic Hijri calendar is a valuable tool. One that can help us fulfil our religious obligations, including the pillars of Islam. 

What is the Islamic Calendar?

The Islamic calendar is also known as the ‘Hijri’ calendar. This is because it starts from the year the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) made Hijrah (migration) from Makkah to Madinah in 622 AD, due to persecution by the Quraysh.  

Currently, in 2024, we are in 1446 AH. AH stands for ‘After Hijrah’. In Latin, AH denotes ‘Anno Hegirae’ which means ‘the year of the Hijrah’. 

When was the Islamic (Hijri) Calendar Created?

The Hijri Calendar wasn’t established until after the passing of the Prophet (ﷺ). It was formalised during the time of the second rightly guided Caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA) as they needed a clear system to identify and document important dates.

However, the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions (sahabah), among whom included Umar (RA), still observed the same twelve lunar months used in the Islamic Calendar.  

The months of Muharram, Safar, Rabi ‘al-Awwal, Rabi ‘al-Thani, Jumada Awwal, Jumada Thani, Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qadah and Dhul Hijjah existed well before the establishment of Islam as a religion. The Qur’an also reference the twelve months in Surah At-Tawbah: 

The Making of the Hijri Calendar

Before the Hijri Calendar, dates would be recorded only using the lunar months without indicating the year itself. This method of recording dates continued until Umar (RA) received a letter from the governor of Basra, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (RA) who questioned the difficulty they had in identifying the exact dates.  

At this, Umar (RA) saw the need to establish a proper dating system. He quickly assembled important and senior figures within the community, including other companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), to establish a formal calendar for the Muslims to use.

How did they choose the year to start the calendar?   

The decision to start the Islamic Calendar from the year of Hijrah was unanimous, but it came after lengthy discussions.

Some council participants suggested adopting various existing calendar models, such as the Roman and Persian calendars. However, Umar (RA) disliked the idea.

Other suggestions included the descent of the first revelation (Nuzul Al-Qur’an), the Prophet (ﷺ)’s birth and his departure. All significant events, however, none of these suggestions were viable.

The exact year of the first revelation was contested among the companions. So was the exact year of the birth of the Prophet (ﷺ).

As for the departure of the Prophet (ﷺ) from this world, it was one of the saddest moments in history for Muslims. They didn’t want to associate the start of the new calendar with renewed grief.

Eventually, there was a suggestion for the calendar to start from the year of Hijrah. Umar, and subsequently, the council, voted in favour of this idea as the time the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions arrived in Madinah after migrating from Makkah had a clear date.

How was Muharram Chosen as the First Month? 

How does the Islamic Calendar work?   

The Islamic calendar follows the movements of the moon – the lunar cycle. That means the placement of each month differs from year to year. Generally, it will move back by about 10 to 11 days on the Western calendar.  

The conventional Gregorian Calendar has 365 or 366 days a year. In turn, each month is around 30 to 31 days. However, a Hijri year only has 354-355 days. This is because each lunar cycle usually lasts 29 or 30 days.

These cycles are described by Allah (SWT) in Surah Yunus:  

The Islamic Months

The Hijri calendar is made up of 12 months. Every month is determined by observing the moon.  

If the new crescent moon is spotted on the twenty-ninth day, then the new month begins on the next day. If the crescent is not spotted, then the new month starts after the thirtieth day.  

The name of each month in the calendar has a particular meaning. Some months reference different seasons or significant events that took place in history.  

Muharram 

This is the first month in the Hijri calendar. Its name means ‘forbidden’. This month came about to prevent the Arabs from fighting.  

‘Ashura also takes place on the 10th day of this month. This day commemorates many significant events in Islamic history, including the day Allah (SWT) saved Musa (AS) and Bani Israil from Fir’aun and his army.

Safar 

The meaning of the second month’s name is ’empty’. This is because, in pre-Islamic times, people from Makkah used to leave their homes in search of food during this month.

Rabi al-Awwal 

The word Rabi means ‘spring’. Al-Awwal means ‘the first’. Together, this month means ‘the first spring’. 

Rabi al-Thani 

The name of this month means ‘the second spring’. It is also sometimes referred to as Rabi al-Akhirah or ‘the last spring’ because it marks the end of the Spring season. 

Jumada al-Awwal 

The word Jumada means ‘dry/parched’. In pre-Islamic times, the land tended to be very dry during this month, either due to intense heat or sources of water being frozen due to cold temperatures. 

Jumada al-Thani 

The first part of this month’s name has the same meaning as the previous month. However, as it marks the end of the land being dry, it is sometimes called ‘Jumada al-Akhirah’ which means ‘the end of the dry season’. 

Rajab 

This month is derived from the word ‘Rajaba’, which means ‘respect.’ Isra and Mi’raj, the “Night Journey” took place on the 27th of the month.  

Isra and Miraj was a miraculous event where the Prophet (ﷺ) travelled from Makkah to Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem before ascending to heaven, all in one night.  

Sha’ban 

This month means ‘scattered’. This was because it would mark the time of year when Arab tribes would disperse to find water and new pastures. 

Ramadan 

The name of this month derives from the root word ‘Ramad’ which means ‘burning’. It references the scorching heat that characterised this month. 

Ramadan is an important month in Islam as it is when Muslims observe sawm (obligatory fasting). It is also an extremely blessed month. One has more opportunities to do good deeds, as Allah SWT has locked all the devils up (Bukhari and Muslim).

We also get more rewards for righteous deeds in Ramadan, especially on the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr), which is better than a thousand months (Quran 97:3).

Shawwal 

The name of this month means to carry or lift because during this time, female camels would carry a new camel fetus, and would produce less milk as a result. 

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first of this month, marking the end of the fasting month (Ramadan). It is a day of celebration, exchanging gifts and spending time with loved ones.  

Dhul Qidah 

The name of this month literally translates to “the one of sitting/truce” because all fighting ceased during this month. 

Dhul Hijjah 

This month is called ‘the one of pilgrimage’ because it is the month in which Hajj is performed. The first 10 days of this month are also extremely blessed, especially the day of Arafah.

Eid al-Adha also falls on the blessed 10 days, on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah. Similar to Eid al-Fitr, it is also a day when Muslims gather to spend time and enjoy festivities with loved ones.  

This celebration also commemorates the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) through Qurban. Qurban is an act of worship that involves slaughtering a sacrificial animal for the sake of God.

Du’a for the New Year and Months

The Sahabah or companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) would say the following du’a when a new month or new year would begin: 

May this year bring with it many blessings and benefits. And may we get even closer to Allah (SWT) this year, ameen!