The Islamic months in order

Twelve lunar months, four of them sacred. What each name means, the Sunnah acts of each month, and what happened in it.

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثۡنَا عَشَرَ شَهۡرٗا فِي كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ

Inna 'iddatash-shuhūri 'indallāhith-nā 'ashara shahran fī kitābillāh

"The number of months with Allah is twelve, in the Book of Allah." Qur'an 9:36

1مُحَرَّمMuharram Sacred"Sacred" or "forbidden": fighting was forbidden in it.2صَفَرSafarOften said to mean "empty", as homes emptied when people travelled after the sacred months.3رَبِيع الأَوَّلRabi' al-Awwal"The first spring".4رَبِيع الآخِرRabi' al-Akhir"The last spring". Also called Rabi' ath-Thani.5جُمَادَى الأُولَىJumada al-Ula"The first dry month": the name comes from a season when water froze or dried up.6جُمَادَى الآخِرَةJumada al-Akhirah"The last dry month". Also called Jumada ath-Thaniyah.

7رَجَبRajab Sacred"Respected": one of the four sacred months.

8شَعْبَانSha'banThe month before Ramadan, when the Prophet ﷺ fasted the most.

9رَمَضَانRamadanFrom a word for scorching heat.10شَوَّالShawwalFrom a word for the raising of a camel's tail; the month after Ramadan.11ذُو القَعْدَةDhul Qa'dah Sacred"The month of sitting": Arabs stayed home from fighting and travel in it.12ذُو الحِجَّةDhul Hijjah Sacred"The month of Hajj".

The Islamic year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so each month moves through the seasons. A month begins with the sighting of the new moon; in India and many other countries it often starts a day after Saudi Arabia.

Every month

White days. Fast the 13th, 14th and 15th of every Islamic month (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 761).
Mondays and Thursdays. Deeds are presented to Allah on these days, so the Prophet ﷺ liked to be fasting (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 747).
The new moon. When you see the new crescent, say the dua for the new moon.

Dua on seeing the new moon · Islamic date today · Hijri date converter

For children: The Islamic Months, 12 illustrated pages · Islamic Calendar 2027 PDF

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