The Islamic calendar (or Hijri calendar) is a lunar calendar based on the positions of the moon.

• In every year there are 12 months.
• In each month there are either 29 or 30 days.
• Therefore each year has either 354 or 355 days.
• Each new year falls 10 or 11 days earlier (annual drift) according to the 365 day solar calendar.
• A month begins by the sighting of the new moon (i.e. first visible crescent).
• The western convention in designating Islamic dates is by the abbreviation AH, which stands for the Latin anno hegirae, or “Year of the Hijrah“.
• The 12 months of the Islamic calendar are as follows:

#	Name of Month	Arabic	Pronunciation
1	Muharram
2	Safar
3	Rabi’ al-Awwal (Rabi’ I)
4	Rabi’ al-Thani (Rabi’ II, Rabi’ al-Akhir)
5	Jumada al-Ula (Jumada I, Jumada al-Awwal)
6	Jumada al-Thani (Jumada II, Jumada al-Akhira)
7	Rajab
8	Sha’ban
9	Ramadan
10	Shawwal
11	Dhul-Qa’dah
12	Dhul-Hijjah

Ref:

1. “Islam in Focus”. By Hammudah Abdalati. Da’wah Academy International Islamic University. Pg 202
2. “Understanding the Islamic Calendar”. By Mountain of Light [Link]
3. “Islamic calendar”. (2012, June 29). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:24, July 1, 2012, from [Link]
4. “Tafsir ibn Kathir (Abridged) Volume 4” – Second Edition. By Imam Abu Al-Fida Ismail Ibn Kathir. Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, July 2003, pg 421.

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