Islamic calendar

The Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar (from the Arabic word "hijra" meaning migration), is a lunar calendar used by Muslims for religious purposes. Here's a closer look at its key features:

Structure:

Based on the cycles of the moon, with a new month beginning when a crescent moon is sighted after a new moon phase.
Consists of 12 lunar months in a year, which is 10 or 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year.
Each month has approximately 29 or 30 days.

Years:

Islamic years are numbered consecutively from the Hijra, which marks the Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE.
The current Islamic year is 1445 AH (After Hijra) as of today, May 17, 2024 (Gregorian calendar).

Months:

The Islamic months have their own names and some are significant for Islamic observances:

Muharram
Safar
Rabi' al-Awwal
Rabi' al-Thani
Jumada al-Awwal
Jumada al-Thani
Rajab (considered a sacred month)
Shaban
Ramadan (month of fasting)
Shawwal (Eid al-Fitr falls in this month)
Dhu al-Qadah
Dhu al-Hijjah (Hajj pilgrimage falls in this month)

Islamic Dates and Events:

Islamic dates are used to determine the timings of important Islamic events and observances throughout the year. Here are some examples:

Ramadan (month of fasting)
Eid al-Fitr (festival marking the end of Ramadan)
Eid al-Adha (festival of sacrifice)
Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power - a significant night within Ramadan)
Ashura (Day of Ashura - a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussein)