Guide
The Islamic (Hijri) Calendar Explained
Alongside the Gregorian date, MawaqitGo shows the Hijri date — the Islamic calendar used to mark religious months and festivals. It is a purely lunar calendar, which is why Ramadan and Eid fall on different Gregorian dates each year. This guide explains how it works and why.
A lunar calendar
The Hijri calendar follows the phases of the moon. Each month begins with the new crescent and lasts either 29 or 30 days, giving a year of about 354 days — roughly 11 days shorter than the 365-day solar year. Because it is not adjusted to the seasons, the whole calendar drifts earlier by about 11 days each Gregorian year.
Where the count begins
Year 1 of the calendar marks the Hijra — the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Dates are written “AH” (Anno Hegirae, “in the year of the Hijra”), just as Gregorian years use CE.
The twelve months
The twelve lunar months are Muharram, Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Thani, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada al-Thani, Rajab, Sha'ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qi'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah. Several carry special weight: Ramadan is the month of fasting; Dhu al-Hijjah contains the Hajj pilgrimage and Eid al-Adha; and Shawwal opens with Eid al-Fitr.
Moon sighting and month length
Because a lunar month is not a whole number of days, the start of each month depends on when the new crescent is first seen. Some countries rely on physical moon sighting, others on astronomical calculation, which is why the first day of Ramadan or Eid can differ by a day between regions. The Hijri date shown on a timetable is a calculated estimate; your local authority's announcement is what determines the religious start of a month.
How it connects to prayer times
Prayer times themselves are solar — they track the sun, not the moon — so they do not depend on the Hijri date. But the calendar tells you which days are special: when Ramadan's fast applies, when the white days fall, or when a festival prayer is due. That is why we show both dates side by side.