Islamic calendar months
All twelve months of the Hijri calendar, in order, with their Arabic and Urdu names and traditional meanings.
| # | Month | Arabic | اردو | Traditional meaning | Sacred? |
|---|
"Sacred month" (ashhur al-hurum) is a traditional classification in which warfare was historically forbidden — Quran 9:36 references four such months.
Why fixed names for a moving calendar?
Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the Hijri calendar has no leap months to keep it aligned with the seasons — it's purely lunar. So while the month names are fixed, what season they fall in drifts by about eleven days every year, cycling through all four seasons roughly every 33 years. Ramadan, for instance, has fallen in both summer and winter within living memory.
Other names for this calendar
You'll see it called the Hijri calendar (after the Hijrah, the Prophet's migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, which marks year 1 AH), the Islamic calendar, the Muslim calendar, or the Qamari (قمری, "lunar") calendar — all refer to the same system.
How many months are in the Islamic calendar?
Twelve, the same count as the Gregorian calendar — but each is a lunar month of 29 or 30 days, making the full Hijri year about 354 days rather than 365.
What are the four sacred months?
Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah, and Dhu al-Hijjah — traditionally understood as months in which fighting was forbidden, giving safe passage for pilgrimage and trade.
Which month is Ramadan?
The ninth month. See Ramadan mode for a live countdown, or the converter to find exactly when it falls this year.
What is the Islamic calendar also called?
Most commonly the Hijri calendar, the Islamic calendar, the Muslim calendar, or the Qamari (lunar) calendar — the same system under different names.