The Islamic Hijri calendar

A man traveling in a desert. Photo by: On-Islam Website

The Islamic Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months in a year. The 12 months of Islamic calendar are based upon the phases of the moon. The Islamic calendar years begin from 622 AD when the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) emigrated from Mecca to Medina, an event known as the Hijra. This is why it is alternatively called the Hijri Calendar.  Islamic months begin at sunset of the first day, the day when the lunar crescent is visually sighted. The Islamic calendar is the official calendar in countries around the Gulf, especially Saudi Arabia. But other Muslim countries use the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes and only turn to the Islamic calendar for religious purposes like Maldives. However, the Gregorian calendar is still the internationally most widely used civil calendar in the world. Since the Hijri Calendar depends on the moon, the Hijri month is either 29 or 30 days long. The Hijri calendar is always approximately 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar which is also know as Western calendar or Christian calendar. 

The names of the 12 months that comprise the Islamic year are:

1.     Muharram

2.     Safar

3.     Rabi’ Al-Awwal

4.     Rabi’ Al-Aakhir

5.     Jumada Al-Awwal

6.     Jumada Al- Aakhir

7.     Rajab

8.     Sha’aban

9.     Ramadan

10.   Shawwal

11.   Dhu al-Qi’dah

12.   Dhu al-Hijjah