what are the 12 months of islam

The Islamic calendar has 12 months, as Allah tells us in the Quran. These months are the foundation of the lunar year that Muslims use for worship, fasting, and pilgrimage.

The 12 months of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar are:

1. Muharram (المحرم) – a sacred month
2. Safar (صفر)
3. Rabi' al-Awwal (ربيع الأول)
4. Rabi' al-Thani (ربيع الثاني)
5. Jumada al-Awwal (جمادى الأولى)
6. Jumada al-Thani (جمادى الآخرة)
7. Rajab (رجب) – a sacred month
8. Sha'ban (شعبان)
9. Ramadan (رمضان) – the month of fasting
10. Shawwal (شوال)
11. Dhul Qa'dah (ذو القعدة) – a sacred month
12. Dhul Hijjah (ذو الحجة) – a sacred month, the month of Hajj

Allah says in the Quran:

> "Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred." [Coran, Sourate At-Tawba:36]

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also confirmed this in a famous hadith, saying:

> "The year consists of twelve months, of which four are sacred; three of them are consecutive: Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab of Mudar, which comes between Jumada and Sha'ban." [Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim]

So the four sacred months are: Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. During these months, fighting is forbidden and their sanctity is to be respected.

A practical tip: You can easily track these months using the Islamic calendar feature in your Al Muslim Plus app. It will show you the current Hijri month and date, helping you stay connected to this beautiful lunar rhythm that Allah has established for His creation.

Sources

Sourate At-Tawba, verset 36

Answers are AI-generated and may contain errors. Consult a scholar for important questions.

About our answers

Answers are generated by our Islamic AI, trained on authentic sources including the Quran, sahih hadiths, and works of recognized scholars. For important jurisprudence questions, we recommend consulting a qualified scholar.

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