---
title: "The 12 Islamic Months — Names & Sacred Months"
description: "The 12 Hijri months, four sacred months, and key fasts. Skip this page for a converter, a city’s Maghrib, or the Ramadan fasting hub."
url: https://globalprayertimes.org/islamic-months/
canonical: https://globalprayertimes.org/islamic-months/
updated: 2026-08-13
publisher: Global Prayer Times (Elite Digital AI Solutions Ltd)
licence: Free to quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL
---

> Source: https://globalprayertimes.org/islamic-months/ — updated 2026-08-13. Generated at build time from the same content the HTML page serves. Prayer start times are calculated; confirm congregation (iqamah) times with the mosque.

📅 Islamic Calendar

# The 12 Islamic Months

Quick Answer
Twelve lunar months from Muharram to Dhu al-Hijjah. Four are sacred: Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qi’dah
and Dhu al-Hijjah. Skip this page for a date converter or for Ramadan fasting rules.

Who this is not for

Not a moon-sighting announcement. Month lengths follow the crescent; this page explains names and
events, not tonight’s hilal.

Desk-reviewed 2026-08-13.

🌙 A lunar calendar — 354 days, 12 months

The Islamic calendar is purely lunar — each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon. The Hijri year is 10–11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, meaning Islamic dates cycle through all seasons over 33 years.

## Which four months are sacred?

Allah says: "Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve... of these, four are sacred." (Quran 9:36)

Muharram (1st) Rajab (7th) Dhu al-Qi'dah (11th) Dhu al-Hijjah (12th)

## What happens in each of the 12 months?

1

### Muharram

Sacred Month

مُحَرَّم

Meaning: Forbidden (sacred)

- • Day of Ashura (10th Muharram) — fasting recommended (Sahih Muslim)
- • New Hijri year begins
- • Fasting on the 9th and 10th, or 10th and 11th

2

### Safar

صَفَر

Meaning: Empty / Yellow

- • No specific major events
- • Some ignorant pre-Islamic superstitions associated — all rejected in Islam
- • Regular month — full worship continues

3

### Rabi' al-Awwal

رَبِيعُ الأَوَّل

Meaning: First spring

- • Birth of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (12th, widely observed)
- • Death of the Prophet ﷺ (12th)
- • Hijra to Madinah (1st) — some scholars place it here

4

### Rabi' al-Thani

رَبِيعُ الثَّانِي

Meaning: Second spring

- • No major obligatory events
- • Month of continued regular worship

5

### Jumada al-Ula

جُمَادَى الأُولَى

Meaning: First of frozen ground

- • Battle of Mu'tah occurred (8 AH)
- • No obligatory fasts or major dates

6

### Jumada al-Thani

جُمَادَى الثَّانِيَة

Meaning: Second of frozen ground

- • Death of Fatimah al-Zahra ؓ (some accounts)
- • No obligatory fasts

7

### Rajab

Sacred Month

رَجَب

Meaning: Respect / Reverence

- • One of the 4 sacred months
- • Isra wal-Mi'raj (Night Journey) — 27th Rajab (widely observed)
- • Increased voluntary worship recommended

8

### Sha'ban

شَعْبَان

Meaning: Scattered / Dispersed

- • Prophet ﷺ fasted most of Sha'ban (Sahih Muslim 1156)
- • Night of Bara'ah (15th Sha'ban) — significance debated among scholars
- • Preparation month before Ramadan

9

### Ramadan

رَمَضَان

Meaning: Scorching heat / Burning

- • Fasting — obligatory (Fard) for all adult Muslims
- • Night of Power — Laylat al-Qadr in the last 10 nights
- • First revelation of the Quran began
- • Eid al-Fitr on 1 Shawwal marks its end

10

### Shawwal

شَوَّال

Meaning: Raised / Uplifted

- • Eid al-Fitr — 1st Shawwal
- • 6 days of fasting in Shawwal — equivalent to fasting the full year (Sahih Muslim 1164)
- • No obligatory fasting

11

### Dhu al-Qi'dah

Sacred Month

ذُو الْقَعْدَة

Meaning: Month of sitting / resting

- • One of the 4 sacred months
- • Hajj season begins — pilgrims travel toward Mecca
- • Warfare was forbidden in pre-Islamic and early Islamic tradition

12

### Dhu al-Hijjah

Sacred Month

ذُو الْحِجَّة

Meaning: Month of Hajj

- • First 10 days: greatest days of the year (Sahih al-Bukhari 969)
- • Day of Arafah — 9th: fasting highly recommended
- • Eid al-Adha — 10th: Day of Sacrifice
- • Days of Tashreeq — 11th–13th: continued Qurbani

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What are the 12 Islamic months in order?

The 12 months of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar in order are: (1) Muharram, (2) Safar, (3) Rabi' al-Awwal, (4) Rabi' al-Thani, (5) Jumada al-Ula, (6) Jumada al-Thani, (7) Rajab, (8) Sha'ban, (9) Ramadan, (10) Shawwal, (11) Dhu al-Qi'dah, (12) Dhu al-Hijjah. The Islamic calendar is lunar — each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent moon, making the Hijri year approximately 354 days (10-11 days shorter than the Gregorian year).

### What are the four sacred months in Islam?

The four sacred months (Ashhur al-Hurum) mentioned in the Quran (9:36) are: Muharram (1st), Rajab (7th), Dhu al-Qi'dah (11th), and Dhu al-Hijjah (12th). Allah says: 'Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and earth; of these, four are sacred.' Sin in these months is more serious, and worship is more rewarded.

### Which Islamic month has fasting?

Ramadan (the 9th Islamic month) is the only obligatory fasting month. Additional recommended fasting includes: 6 days of Shawwal (10th month) for a year's equivalent of fasting, the Day of Ashura (10th Muharram), the Day of Arafah (9th Dhu al-Hijjah), Mondays and Thursdays year-round, and the 13th, 14th and 15th of each month (the White Days).

### What is the first month of the Islamic calendar?

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar. The Islamic New Year begins on 1 Muharram. Muharram is also one of the four sacred months. The most important date in Muharram is the 10th — Yawm Ashura — which the Prophet ﷺ fasted and recommended fasting on, noting it expiates the sins of the previous year.

### Why is Dhu al-Hijjah special?

Dhu al-Hijjah is the month of Hajj and contains the greatest days of the year. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'There are no days in which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these ten days (of Dhu al-Hijjah).' (Sahih al-Bukhari 969). Key events: the first 10 days are the most virtuous days of the year, the Day of Arafah (9th) is recommended for fasting, and Eid al-Adha (10th) is the Festival of Sacrifice.

[📅 Islamic Calendar](https://globalprayertimes.org/islamic-calendar/) [🌙 Ramadan Guide](https://globalprayertimes.org/ramadan/) [🎉 Eid al-Fitr](https://globalprayertimes.org/eid-al-fitr/) [🐑 Eid al-Adha](https://globalprayertimes.org/eid-al-adha/) [🌙 Hijri Date Converter](https://globalprayertimes.org/hijri-date/)

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— Global Prayer Times. Cite as: The 12 Islamic Months — Names & Sacred Months, Global Prayer Times, https://globalprayertimes.org/islamic-months/