Hijri Calendar — Today's Date & Islamic Calendar for 1448 AH

The Hijri Calendar and Its Significance

The Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar based on the moon's cycle. It consists of 12 months alternating between 29 and 30 days, making the Hijri year roughly 11 days shorter than the Gregorian (solar) year.

The Hijri calendar is directly linked to core Islamic worship: the fasting month of Ramadan, the Hajj pilgrimage and its timings, the annual Zakat calculation, and the celebrations of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. That is why Muslims worldwide follow it, regardless of language or nationality.

We built hijrii.com to be a reliable digital reference for both calendars. You can convert dates between Hijri and Gregorian, calculate your age in both calendars, find the difference between two dates, and track countdowns for Ramadan and Eid al-Adha.

The Hijri Months: Order and Meaning

The Hijri year consists of 12 months whose names originated from ancient Arab seasons and customs, later becoming deeply connected to Islamic rites. Their established order is:

1. Muharram: The first month and one of the four sacred months, named so because fighting was forbidden during it.
2. Safar: Named because Arab homes would be empty (ṣafira) as people left for battle after Muharram ended.
3. Rabi' al-Awwal: Named for the arrival of spring at the time of naming; the Prophet ﷺ was born in this month.
4. Rabi' al-Akhir: (Also known as Rabi' al-Thani).
5. Jumada al-Ula: Named because water would freeze (jumūd) during the cold winter when it was first named.
6. Jumada al-Akhirah: (Also known as Jumada al-Thani).
7. Rajab: The lone sacred month standing apart from the other three consecutive ones; its name means "to revere."
8. Sha'ban: Named for the scattering (tasha''ub) of tribes in search of water; deeds are elevated to God during this month.
9. Ramadan: The month of fasting and the Quran, derived from "ramaḍā'" meaning intense heat.
10. Shawwal: Begins with Eid al-Fitr; named after the she-camels raising their tails (shālat) during mating season.
11. Dhul-Qa'dah: One of the sacred months, named because Arabs would sit (qu'ūd) and cease warfare and travel.
12. Dhul-Hijjah: The final month, containing the Hajj pilgrimage and Eid al-Adha; one of the sacred months.

When Did the Hijri Calendar Officially Begin?

It is commonly assumed that Hijri dating began on the day of the Prophet's migration itself. In reality, Muslims during the Prophet's ﷺ era and Abu Bakr's caliphate did not use a numerical calendar—they named years after major events (e.g., the Year of Sorrow, the Farewell Year). In the seventeenth year after the Hijra, during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him), the need arose to properly date official correspondence for the expanding Islamic state.

Umar consulted the Companions, and they agreed to make the Prophet's migration to Madinah the starting point of the new calendar—rather than the birth or the first revelation—because the Hijra distinguished truth from falsehood and established the Islamic state. Although the migration itself took place in Rabi' al-Awwal, they chose Muharram as the first month of the year, since it follows directly after the Hajj season, making it a natural beginning for a new annual cycle.