Islamic Events

Islamic events throughout the Hijri year

Allah the Exalted has placed among the days of the year seasons of goodness in which rewards are multiplied and the Muslim's zeal for obedience is renewed. Knowing the dates of these occasions in advance helps one prepare for them and plan for fasting, night prayer, Hajj, Umrah and maintaining family ties. This page shows the most prominent Islamic events with a countdown to each, and their expected date in both the Hijri and Gregorian calendars.

The month of Ramadan and Laylat al-Qadr

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri year; fasting it is one of the pillars of Islam, and it is the month in which Allah revealed the Quran:

﴿شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ﴾“The month of Ramadan is that in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.”Surah Al-Baqarah: 185

Its beginning is established by sighting the crescent moon on the night of the thirtieth of Sha'ban, or by completing thirty days of Sha'ban. In Ramadan is Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree), about which Allah said:

﴿لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ﴾“The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.”Surah Al-Qadr: 3

It falls in the last ten nights of Ramadan, most likely on the odd nights among them, as the Prophet ﷺ said:

"Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten of Ramadan."Narrated by al-Bukhari

"Whoever stands in prayer on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and seeking reward, his previous sins will be forgiven."Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim)

No specific night has been definitively fixed, and the wisdom in that is that the Muslim should strive throughout all ten nights. The Prophet ﷺ used to observe i'tikaf in the last ten nights and strive in them as he did not strive at other times.

Eid al-Fitr and six days of Shawwal

Eid al-Fitr falls on the first of Shawwal. It is a day of joy and of thanking Allah for completing the fast, and fasting on it is forbidden by consensus of the scholars. Among its sunnahs are: paying Zakat al-Fitr before the Eid prayer, the takbir, bathing and dressing well, and eating an odd number of dates before going out to the prayer ground. For calculations related to zakat in general, you can use the zakat calculator.

After Eid it is recommended to fast six days of Shawwal, consecutively or separately, as the Prophet ﷺ said:

"Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime."Narrated by Muslim

The first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah

The Day of Tarwiyah (8 Dhul-Hijjah)

This is the day on which pilgrims performing tamattu' enter ihram for Hajj from Makkah and head to Mina, where they spend the night and pray Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr, shortening the prayers without combining them. It was named so because people used to supply themselves with water (yatarawwawn) on it in preparation for what followed.

The Day of Arafah (9 Dhul-Hijjah)

It is the greatest day of Hajj, and standing at Arafah is the greatest pillar of Hajj. For those not performing Hajj, fasting it is recommended because of its great reward:

"Fasting the Day of Arafah, I hope from Allah that it expiates the year before it and the year after it."Narrated by Muslim

As for the pilgrim, it is better for him not to fast so that he has strength for supplication and remembrance, following the example of the Prophet ﷺ, who was not fasting on the Day of Arafah during his Hajj.

Eid al-Adha and the Days of Tashriq (10–13 Dhul-Hijjah)

Eid al-Adha falls on the tenth of Dhul-Hijjah, the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr), on which the pilgrims stone Jamrat al-'Aqabah, offer their sacrifice, shave their heads and perform tawaf of the House. For those not on Hajj, the Eid prayer is prescribed, as is slaughtering the udhiyah for whoever is able. It is followed by the Days of Tashriq, the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth of Dhul-Hijjah, about which the Prophet ﷺ said:

"The Days of Tashriq are days of eating, drinking and remembrance of Allah."Narrated by Muslim

Therefore it is not permissible to fast them except for the pilgrim performing tamattu' or qiran who cannot find a sacrificial animal (hady), according to the view of a group of scholars. The restricted takbir after the prayers is prescribed during them until Asr of the last of the Days of Tashriq.

The Hijri New Year and the Day of Ashura

The first of Muharram

It is the beginning of the new Hijri year. It was adopted during the caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), when he made the Hijrah the starting point of the calendar and made Muharram the first month. Nothing has been reported in the Sunnah singling out this day for a specific act of worship, but it is a good occasion for self-reckoning and renewing one's resolve. To find the Gregorian equivalent of any date, use the Hijri date converter.

Ashura (10 Muharram)

It is the day on which Allah saved Musa (peace be upon him) and his people from Pharaoh. The Prophet ﷺ fasted it and commanded that it be fasted, and he explained its virtue in the same hadith in which he mentioned the virtue of fasting Arafah:

"And fasting the Day of Ashura, I hope from Allah that it expiates the year before it."Narrated by Muslim

It is recommended to fast the ninth day along with it, to differ from the People of the Book, as the Prophet ﷺ said:

"If I live until next year, I will certainly fast the ninth."Narrated by Muslim

The White Days

It is recommended to fast three days of every month, and it is best that they be the White Days (Ayyam al-Bid): the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of every Hijri month. They are called white because their nights are bright with moonlight. The Prophet ﷺ advised Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) to fast three days of every month, as reported in the two Sahihs, and the specification of the White Days came in the hadith of Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him):

"If you fast three days of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth."Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa'i

The thirteenth of Dhul-Hijjah is excluded from this because it is one of the Days of Tashriq.

Brief table of events

How to use the page

The page shows the next event at the top with a countdown in days, followed by a list of events in chronological order with their Hijri date and its Gregorian equivalent. You can use the digital tasbih for the adhkar of these days, and read more in the articles section.