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About the Hijri Calendar

A practical introduction to the Islamic lunar calendar — where it came from, how it is structured, and why Hijri dates drift through the Gregorian seasons.

What is the Hijri calendar?

The Hijri calendar (also called the Islamic calendar or lunar calendar) is a purely lunar system of timekeeping used by over 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide to mark religious observances such as Ramadan, Hajj, and the two Eid festivals. Years are counted in Anno Hegirae (AH), starting from the migration (Hijrah) of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE.

How the year is structured

A Hijri year contains 12 lunar months, each beginning at the sighting of the new crescent moon. Because 12 lunar cycles total about 354 days, the Hijri year is roughly 11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar year. This is why Ramadan and Hari Raya shift earlier in the Gregorian calendar each year, completing a full cycle through the seasons approximately every 33 years.

Unlike the Hebrew or Persian calendars, the Hijri calendar is never intercalated — no leap month is inserted to align it with the solar year. This was explicitly addressed in the Qur'an (Surah At-Tawbah 9:36–37).

The 12 Islamic months

  1. Muharram — the sacred month, marks the new Hijri year.
  2. Safar — historically the month of travel after Muharram.
  3. Rabi' al-Awwal — birth month of the Prophet ﷺ (Maulidur Rasul).
  4. Rabi' al-Thani — the second spring month.
  5. Jumada al-Awwal — historically a dry, parched month.
  6. Jumada al-Thani — the second Jumada.
  7. Rajab — one of the four sacred months; Isra' and Mi'raj is observed on the 27th.
  8. Sha'ban — month of preparation before Ramadan.
  9. Ramadan — the month of obligatory fasting.
  10. Syawal — opens with Hari Raya Aidilfitri on 1 Syawal.
  11. Dhul-Qa'dah — a sacred month of rest.
  12. Dhul-Hijjah — month of Hajj; Hari Raya Aidiladha falls on the 10th.

Read more in our deep dive on the 12 Islamic months.

How a new month begins: moon sighting vs calculation

Traditionally, a new Hijri month starts when the crescent moon (hilal) is physically sighted after sunset on the 29th day of the preceding month. If the crescent is not visible, the current month completes 30 days.

Modern Muslim-majority countries take three broad approaches:

  • Local sighting — used by many Southeast Asian authorities, often combined with regional coordination.
  • Calculated calendar — used by Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura calendar for civil purposes, derived from astronomical data.
  • MABIMS criteria — adopted by Singapore (MUIS), Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The crescent must meet a minimum altitude and elongation to be accepted.

How Singapore determines Hijri dates

In Singapore, the official Islamic calendar is published by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). MUIS follows the MABIMS criteria — the joint standard used by the religious authorities of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The updated 2021 MABIMS criteria require the new crescent to have a minimum altitude of 3° and an elongation of at least 6.4° from the sun for the month to begin the next day.

This converter lets you view today's date in the MUIS, Wifaq/MABIMS, or Umm al-Qura system — switch between them on the home page to compare.

Why Hijri dates matter in daily life

For Singaporean Muslims, the Hijri calendar is not just historical — it governs the start of fasting, the timing of zakat, the schedule of public holidays gazetted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), and personal milestones such as aqiqah and weddings. Knowing today's Hijri date helps families plan Ramadan, prepare for the Hari Raya celebrations, and observe sunnah fasts on the white days (13, 14, 15 of each lunar month).

Further reading