Understanding the Hijri Calendar: History, Use & Date Conversion
When one searches for a Hijri to Gregorian date converter or needs to go from Gregorian to Hijri, you are not alone.
So whether you are tracking Islamic public holidays or managing personal goals revolving around the Islamic calendar, converting between these two date systems is a key thing many people around the Muslim world find themselves doing. However, what exactly is this Hijri calendar & what is the process around it?
What is the Hijri Calendar?
The calendar, also dubbed as the Islamic calendar, is essentially a lunar calendar mainly used by Muslim communities around the globe to ascertain the dates of religious periods, celebrations & observances such as Eid & Ramadan.
In contrast to the Gregorian calendar, which is solar & focuses on the Earth’s orbit around the sun, the Islamic calendar observes the different stages of the moon.
Therefore, Islamic months are around 29 to 30 days long, making the lunar year approximately 10 to 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year & calendar.
The calendar starts with 1 Muharram, 1 AH, which corresponds to the year 622 AD in the Gregorian calendar—the year of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) move (Hijrah) from the holy city of Mecca to the holy city of Medina. This critical period symbolises the starting point of the Islamic period.
A Bit of History
The Hijri calendar was standardised during the reign of the second Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab in 638 AD. Prior to that, various Arab tribes & groups used different systems to mark the passage of time such as stories or key events.
The Hijrah was selected as the calendar’s beginning stage not only for its religious significance but also for its symbolic representation of a new start and cohesion amongst the Muslim nation.
The calendar is made up of 12 months:
- Muharram
- Safar
- Rabi’ al-awwal
- Rabi’ al-thani
- Jumada al-awwal
- Jumada al-thani
- Rajab
- Sha’ban
- Ramadan
- Shawwal
- Dhu al-Qi’dah
- Dhu al-Hijjah
Contemporary Use and Date Converters
In modern times, the Hijri calendar is still being used for faith based purposes, such as working out the start of Ramadan, the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, Hajj, as well as Eid al-Adha.
In some nations such as Saudi Arabia, it’s also used for official bureaucracy, government & administrative needs.
As the Hijri calendar doesn’t align with the Gregorian calendar used in the majority of the globe, Hijri date converters are tools which are used quite often.
Whether you’re a practicing Muslim keeping a note of crucial dates or a person simply inquisitive about calendar models, understanding the Hijri calendar gives you a wider perspective & feel on how cultures measure & record time.
The Simple Hijri Calendar on this page automatically converts the Gregorian date to the Hijri date on a daily basis.