Muslims worldwide use the Islamic Calendar (also known as the Hijri calendar) to determine the dates of religious events and observances.
The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is 12 months long. However, it differs from the Gregorian calendar, which follows the orbit of the Earth around the sun. Rather, the Hijri calendar follows the lunar cycle, the moon’s orbit around the Earth. As such, each Islamic month begins when a new moon is sighted.
Find your Hijri Calendar dates for 2026
The dates of the Hijri determine significant events in Islam, including Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Isra al Mi’raj, Islamic New Year, Ashura and more.
Key Dates within the 2026 Islamic Calendar
KEY ISLAMIC DATE
GREGORIAN DATE IN 2026*
HIJRI DATE
Al Isra’ wal Mi’raj (The night journey and ascension)
**Scholars of Hadith recommend focusing on the last 10 nights of Ramadan, especially the odd nights, as it is most likely to have occurred on one of these odd nights based on a Hadith.
Muslims use the Islamic Hijri Calendar (also known as the Islamic Lunar Calendar) to determine the dates of religious events and observances. This includes the timings for important Islamic dates such as Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and more.
The calendar is based on a cycle of 12 lunar months. Each Islamic month begins when a new moon is sighted.
The moon cycle also typically lasts 29 or 30 days. This makes dates for the coming year occur approximately 10 or 11 days earlier on the conventional Gregorian calendar than the previous year.
This is why important events, such as the beginning of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, change every year.
The Islamic Calendar measures its years/eras in Hijri. Hijri is a word that comes from the Arabic word hijra, meaning migration.
It refers to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)’s migration from the city of Makkah (Mecca), his birthplace, to Madina (Medina) in 622 CE to escape persecution by his tribe, the Quraysh.
