The Hijri Months in Order: Lengths and Sacred Months

Hijri calendar · 7 min read · Last updated: 29 October 2026

There are twelve Hijri months, the year beginning with Muharram and ending with Dhu al-Hijjah. Here are their order, how long each lasts and what falls in them, with a clear line between what is calculated and what is disputed.

The months and their lengths

These are the lengths of 1448 AH by the Umm al-Qura calendar (computed with the site's engine). They change from year to year because a month follows the crescent.

The same comparison for 1447 AH

To see that lengths vary, the months of 1447 AH from Muharram are 30, 29, 30, 30, 30, 29, 30, 29, 30, 29, 30 and 29 days (total 355). In 1448 they are 29, 30, 29, 30, 30, 29, 30, 30, 29, 30, 29 and 30 (total 355). Sha'ban has 29 days in 1447 and 30 in 1448; Ramadan has 30 in 1447 and 29 in 1448.

The sacred months

God Almighty says: "Indeed, the number of months with God is twelve months in the register of God, from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred" (Quran 9:36). The four are Dhu al-Qi'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah and Muharram (three in a row) and Rajab (standing alone). They are sometimes described as three that follow one another and one that stands apart.

The months one by one

Muharram: the start of the year and one of the sacred months. Muslims commonly fast Ashura (10 Muharram), reported in the Sunnah. In 1448 AH Ashura falls on 25 June 2026 by Umm al-Qura.

Safar: no fixed observance is tracked here.

Rabi' al-Awwal: linked to the Prophet's birthday on its 12th by the traditional date; in 1448 AH that is 25 August 2026. Scholars differ on observing it, a matter we do not take up here.

Rabi' al-Thani, Jumada al-Ula, Jumada al-Thani: consecutive months without festivals. The name "Jumada" is linked by linguists to the freezing of water in winter, one of the commonly cited explanations.

Rajab: a sacred month, before Sha'ban and Ramadan.

Sha'ban: the month before Ramadan, when people begin preparing for fasting.

Ramadan: the month of fasting. By Umm al-Qura it starts on 8 February 2027 in 1448 AH and lasts 29 days.

Shawwal: opens with Eid al-Fitr; some people fast six days of it.

Dhu al-Qi'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah: sacred months; Dhu al-Hijjah has Hajj, the Day of Arafah (9) and Eid al-Adha (10). In 1448 AH Arafah falls on 15 May 2027 and Eid al-Adha on 16 May 2027 by calculation.

What the names mean

Language scholars report that month names have roots in Arabic usage: Muharram from the sanctity of fighting in it, Ramadan from "ramda'", intense heat, Rajab from "tarjeeb", showing reverence, and Sha'ban from "tasha'ub", branching out. These are commonly cited linguistic explanations, not rulings.

Events the site tracks

hijriGO computes these from the Hijri day and month, not from fixed Gregorian dates, so they update by themselves every year: 1 Muharram (new year), 10 Muharram (Ashura), 12 Rabi' al-Awwal (the Prophet's birthday, by the traditional date, with scholarly disagreement about observing it), 1 Ramadan, 1 Shawwal (Eid al-Fitr), 9 Dhu al-Hijjah (Arafah) and 10 Dhu al-Hijjah (Eid al-Adha). All are "expected" because they depend on sighting or official announcement in your country, as explained in Moon Sighting or Calculation.

Using months for planning

On 29 October 2026 the Hijri date is 18 Jumada al-Ula 1448 AH. By Umm al-Qura, Rajab begins on 10 December 2026, Sha'ban on 9 January 2027 and Ramadan on 8 February 2027, which leaves 102 days until Ramadan. Anyone preparing for fasting can divide that time into stages: organising work and study, adjusting sleep, making up missed fasts and planning family arrangements. The Ramadan countdown shows the remaining days live.

The White Days

The White Days are the 13th, 14th and 15th of each Hijri month. In Ramadan 1448 AH they fall between 20 and 22 February 2027 by Umm al-Qura. Fasting them is recommended for those who follow the practice; we issue no rulings and only calculate the dates. See The White Days.

Common questions

Which is the longest Hijri month? None has a fixed length; any month may have 29 or 30 days depending on the year.

Is the order of long and short months fixed? No. It follows the crescent each year, so tables differ from year to year.

How do I find the current Hijri month? The date card on the home page shows today's Hijri day, month and year with the Gregorian equivalent. In the monthly Hijri calendar you can pick any month from 1440 to 1470 AH and see its days in both calendars.

Hijri and Gregorian months: how they overlap

No Hijri month matches a Gregorian month; it overlaps it. February 2027 (28 days) starts on 24 Sha'ban 1448 AH and ends on 21 Ramadan 1448 AH, so February holds the last week of Sha'ban and three weeks of Ramadan. January 2027 starts on 23 Rajab and ends on 23 Sha'ban, and March starts on 22 Ramadan and ends on 23 Shawwal. A Gregorian month therefore usually passes through two Hijri months.

If you contract by the month (rent, a subscription or a salary), say in the contract which calendar you mean, because a Hijri month is 29 or 30 days while a Gregorian month is 28 to 31. This is also why twelve Hijri months are about eleven days shorter than a Gregorian year.

Rajab, Sha'ban and Ramadan over three years

For anyone planning ahead, these are the start dates of the three months leading to and including Ramadan by Umm al-Qura; each moves about eleven days earlier every Gregorian year:

As with every calculated date, your country's announcement may differ from this table by a day.