Makkah LiveAbout the Hijri calendar
The Hijri calendar is the calendar of the Muslim world — a purely lunar calendar in which each month begins with the new crescent moon and lasts 29 or 30 days. Twelve lunar months make a year of 354 or 355 days, about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar year, which is why Ramadan, Hajj, and the two Eids arrive roughly 11 days earlier on the Gregorian calendar every year.
Its starting point is the Hijrah — the migration of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. The calendar itself was instituted during the caliphate of ʻUmar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who set year 1 to the year of the Hijrah, beginning with Muharram.
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِى كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ
“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred.”
The Umm al-Qura calendar
This converter uses the Umm al-Qura calendar — the official calendar of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, named after one of the names of Makkah, Umm al-Qura (“Mother of Cities”). It is computed astronomically from the lunar cycle as observed from Makkah and is the calendar used for all civil dates in the Kingdom, including in Makkah and Madinah.
One caveat applies to religious occasions: the beginnings of Ramadan, Shawwal (Eid al-Fitr), and Dhuʻl-Hijjah (Hajj and Eid al-Adha) are confirmed by the physical sighting of the crescent moon, which can differ from the pre-computed calendar by a day. For dates of worship, follow the announcement of the authorities in your country.
Today’s Hijri date
Today in Makkah is Thursday, Safar 2, 1448 AH in the Umm al-Qura calendar. See also the live Makkah clock for the current local time alongside the date.
The twelve Hijri months
The four sacred months (Quran 9:36) are marked. The Prophet ﷺ identified them as three consecutive — Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah, Dhuʻl-Hijjah, and Muharram — and Rajab (Sahih al-Bukhari 3197).
| # | Month | Arabic | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MuharramSacred | مُحَرَّم | First month of the year; the day of ʻAshura falls on the 10th. |
| 2 | Safar | صَفَر | |
| 3 | Rabiʻ I | رَبِيع ٱلْأَوَّل | Rabiʻ al-Awwal — the month of the Prophet’s ﷺ birth. |
| 4 | Rabiʻ II | رَبِيع ٱلثَّانِي | Rabiʻ ath-Thani / al-Akhir. |
| 5 | Jumada I | جُمَادَىٰ ٱلْأُولَىٰ | Jumada al-Ula. |
| 6 | Jumada II | جُمَادَىٰ ٱلْآخِرَة | Jumada ath-Thaniyah / al-Akhirah. |
| 7 | RajabSacred | رَجَب | Sacred month of Mudar. |
| 8 | Shaʻban | شَعْبَان | The month before Ramadan. |
| 9 | Ramadan | رَمَضَان | The month of fasting and the revelation of the Quran. |
| 10 | Shawwal | شَوَّال | Begins with Eid al-Fitr on the 1st. |
| 11 | Dhuʻl-QiʻdahSacred | ذُو ٱلْقَعْدَة | |
| 12 | Dhuʻl-HijjahSacred | ذُو ٱلْحِجَّة | The month of Hajj; Eid al-Adha on the 10th. |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hijri calendar?
The Hijri (Islamic) calendar is a purely lunar calendar of 12 months, each lasting 29 or 30 days depending on the lunar cycle. A Hijri year is 354 or 355 days — about 11 days shorter than a Gregorian solar year — so Islamic dates move roughly 11 days earlier each Gregorian year. Its epoch is the Hijrah, the migration of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE.
What is the Umm al-Qura calendar?
The Umm al-Qura calendar is the official calendar of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, computed astronomically from the lunar cycle as observed from Makkah. It is the calendar used for civil purposes in Saudi Arabia and is the reference this converter uses. Umm al-Qura ("Mother of Cities") is itself one of the names of Makkah.
How does this converter work?
Pick any date in either calendar and the converter instantly shows the equivalent in the other, along with the weekday. The conversion uses the Umm al-Qura calendar tables built into your browser and runs entirely on your device — no data is sent to any server.
Why does the converted date sometimes differ from the announced date?
Religious occasions such as the start of Ramadan and the two Eids are confirmed by the physical sighting of the new crescent moon, which can differ from the pre-computed calendar by a day. The Umm al-Qura calendar is the best available civil reference, but the actual observance in any country follows that country’s moon-sighting announcement.
How many days are in a Hijri month and year?
Each Hijri month is either 29 or 30 days, following the lunar cycle of about 29.53 days. Twelve lunar months add up to 354 or 355 days per year — about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year.
When did the Hijri calendar begin?
The calendar was instituted during the caliphate of ʻUmar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), around 17 AH. Its year 1 was set to the year of the Hijrah — the Prophet’s ﷺ migration from Makkah to Madinah, corresponding to 622 CE — beginning with the month of Muharram.
Which years can this converter handle?
The converter covers Gregorian years 1900–2100, which corresponds to roughly 1317–1523 AH. Within this range the official Umm al-Qura tables apply, so the conversion is exact for civil purposes.
Related links
- Ramadan countdown — time remaining until the next Ramadan
- Makkah time now — current local time and Hijri date
- Prayer times — daily schedule for cities across Saudi Arabia
- Makkah Live — Al-Masjid Al-Haram — live HD stream of the Holy Mosque