Islamic Calendar 2026: Hijri Months and Key Dates (1448 AH)
The Islamic calendar for 2026 straddles two Hijri years: 1447 AH runs through mid-June, and 1448 AH begins on June 16, 2026 with 1 Muharram. Below is the full 1448 AH month table with Gregorian start dates, what each month is known for, and the worship dates worth putting in your planner now.
How to read these dates
All dates below follow the Umm al-Qura calendar used in Saudi Arabia — the most widely referenced Hijri calendar worldwide. Because Islamic months begin with the sighting of the new crescent moon, actual observance may vary by ±1 day depending on whether your community follows local sighting, global sighting, or calculation. For fasting days and Eid, your local mosque's announcement is the one to follow. If you just need to know the Hijri date today, a prayer app with a built-in Hijri calendar (Hayya includes one, offline) saves the mental math.
The 1448 AH calendar (June 2026 – June 2027)
| Hijri month | Begins (Gregorian) | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Muharram | Jun 16, 2026 | Sacred month; new Hijri year; Ashura on the 10th |
| 2. Safar | Jul 15, 2026 | An ordinary month — a good test of steady habits |
| 3. Rabi al-Awwal | Aug 14, 2026 | Birth month of the Prophet ﷺ; Mawlid on the 12th |
| 4. Rabi al-Thani | Sep 12, 2026 | Quiet month; consolidate Rabi al-Awwal's momentum |
| 5. Jumada al-Ula | Oct 12, 2026 | Ordinary month in the heart of the year |
| 6. Jumada al-Akhirah | Nov 11, 2026 | Last stretch before the sacred months resume |
| 7. Rajab | Dec 10, 2026 | Sacred month; Isra & Miraj commemorated on the 27th |
| 8. Shaban | Jan 9, 2027 | The Prophet's ﷺ month of increased fasting before Ramadan |
| 9. Ramadan | Feb 8, 2027 | Obligatory fasting; the Quran's month; Laylat al-Qadr |
| 10. Shawwal | Mar 9, 2027 | Eid al-Fitr on the 1st; six recommended fasting days |
| 11. Dhul-Qadah | Apr 8, 2027 | Sacred month; travel season for Hajj pilgrims |
| 12. Dhul-Hijjah | May 7, 2027 | Hajj; Day of Arafah on the 9th; Eid al-Adha on the 10th |
Key worship dates ahead
- Ashura — June 25, 2026 (10 Muharram). Fasting Ashura is a beloved sunnah; many also fast the 9th alongside it.
- Mawlid al-Nabi — August 25, 2026 (12 Rabi al-Awwal). The traditional date of the Prophet's ﷺ birth; see our Rabi al-Awwal guide for how communities observe it.
- Isra & Miraj — January 5, 2027 (27 Rajab). Commemorating the night journey in which the five daily prayers were given.
- 1 Ramadan — February 8, 2027. Winter Ramadan for US Muslims again — short fasts, long nights.
- Eid al-Fitr — March 9, 2027.
- Day of Arafah — May 15, 2027, with Eid al-Adha on May 16, 2027. Fasting Arafah (for non-pilgrims) is among the most rewarded voluntary fasts of the year.
Every one of these dates carries the same moonsighting caveat: expect your mosque to confirm the night before.
What the Hijri months mean for your worship year
The Islamic year has a rhythm the Gregorian year hides. Four months are sacred — Muharram, Rajab, Dhul-Qadah and Dhul-Hijjah — in which good deeds are traditionally given extra weight. Two Eids anchor the year's celebrations. Ramadan rebuilds the fasting habit annually, and Shaban exists partly to warm up for it: the Prophet ﷺ fasted more in Shaban than in any month outside Ramadan. If you track fasting, the stretch from Rajab through Shawwal (December 2026 – April 2027 this cycle) is where a fasting tracker earns its keep.
The quiet months matter too. Safar, the two Jumadas, Rabi al-Thani — nothing headline happens in them, which is precisely the test. Anyone prays well in Ramadan; the calendar's ordinary months are where five-daily-prayer consistency is actually built. That's a habit question more than a knowledge question, and it's the problem trackers exist to solve.
Hijri calendar in your pocket, offline
Hayya shows today's Hijri date alongside prayer times, fasting tracker and your salah streak — free, no ads, 9.4 MB.
Download Hayya FreeWhy Hijri dates drift through the Gregorian year
The Hijri year is purely lunar — twelve lunar months of 29 or 30 days, totaling about 354 days. That makes it roughly 11 days shorter than the solar year, so every Islamic date arrives about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year. This is why Ramadan slowly walks backward through the seasons (February 2027, late January by 2028) and why "Islamic calendar 2026" really means parts of two Hijri years. It's also why no printed table survives contact with the moon: calculated calendars like Umm al-Qura are excellent for planning, but the month itself begins when the crescent is sighted.
FAQ
What Islamic year is 2026?
January through June 15, 2026 falls in 1447 AH. The new year 1448 AH begins June 16, 2026 (1 Muharram, Umm al-Qura), and runs into June 2027.
When is Ramadan in the 1448 AH calendar?
Expected to begin around February 8, 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around March 9, 2027 — subject to moonsighting.
Why do Islamic calendar dates vary by a day?
Months begin at the sighting of the new crescent, and communities differ on local sighting vs. global sighting vs. calculation. Treat every printed date as ±1 day and follow your local mosque's announcement.