Islam has a distinct culture and identity. This is why Muslims follow a unique Islamic calendar called the Hijri Calendar based on lunar dates.
Currently, we’re in the final days of the Hijri Islamic Year 1444. As soon as the Month of Dhul Hijjah ends, we’ll enter the month of Muharram, and with that, the New Islamic Hijri Year 1445 will begin.
In this article, we’ll tell you the exact dates of the Islamic Year in 2023, share the list of the major events and their dates in 1445 Hijri, and a brief history of how the Hijri calendar began.
Let’s get started.
- What Date Is The Islamic New Year 1445 (2023-2024) Starting?
- Islamic New Year 1445 Hijri Calendar | Islamic Month Names
- The Major Events & Holidays In Islamic Year 1445 Hirji (Expected Dates)
- Islamic Year History | When Did The Hijri Dates Start?
- Who Started The Islamic Hijri Calendar?
- Muslim New Year Celebrations And Traditions
What Date Is The Islamic New Year 1445 (2023-2024) Starting?
The new Islamic year starts with the month of Muharram. Since the Islamic months and dates are determined by moonsighting, their dates vary across regions.
The Islamic Year 1445 is expected to start on 01 Muharram ul Haram Wednesday, 19th July 2023, in Saudi Arabia.
Here are the expected dates for the start of the Islamic New Year in other countries with large Muslim populations.
| Country | Expected Islamic New Year Date |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | Wed, July 19, 2023 |
| Pakistan | Thur, July 20, 2023 |
| India | Thur, July 20, 2023 |
| Bangladesh | Thur, July 20, 2023 |
| UAE | Wed, July 19, 2023 |
| USA | Wed, July 19, 2023 |
| UK | Wed, July 19, 2023 |
| Australia | Thur, July 20, 2023 |
| Canada | Thur, July 20, 2023 |
| Indonesia | Wed, July 19, 2023 |
| Egypt | Wed, July 19, 2023 |
Islamic New Year 1445 Hijri Calendar | Islamic Month Names
The Islamic Hijri calendar has 12 months. Each month can be of 29 or 30 days, depending on moonsighting.
For example, if the moon for the next month is sighted on the 29th of this month, the new month will start immediately.
Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the dates in the Islamic calendar change at sunset. This means that in an Islamic day, the night comes before the day. For example, if today is the 21st of Dhul Hijjah, the date will change to the 22nd of Dhul Hijjah after sunset.
With this background, here’s the Islamic Hijri Calendar 1445 (expected – with a possible variation of 1 day among different regions)
1445 Hijri Calendar (2023 – 2024) With Islamic Month Names
| Islamic Month | Start Date | End Date | Gregorian Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muharram | 19 July 2023 | 17 Aug 2023 | Wed |
| Safar | 18 Aug 2023 | 15 Sep 2023 | Fri |
| Rabi al-awwal | 16 Sep 2023 | 14 Oct 2023 | Sat |
| Jumada al-Thani | 15 Oct 2023 | 12 Nov 2023 | Mon |
| Jumada al-awwal | 13 Nov 2023 | 11 Dec 2023 | Tue |
| Jumada al-thani | 12 Dec 2023 | 9 Jan 2024 | Thur |
| Rajab | 10 Jan 2024 | 7 Feb 2024 | Fri |
| Sha’ban | 8 Feb 2024 | 6 Mar 2024 | Sun |
| Ramadan | 7 Mar 2024 | 4 April 2024 | Mon |
| Shawwal | 5 April 2024 | 3 May 2024 | Wed |
| Dhu al-Qadah | 4 May 2024 | 2 June 2024 | Thur |
| Dhu al-Hijjah | 3 June 2024 | 1 July 2024 | Saturday |
The Major Events & Holidays In Islamic Year 1445 Hirji (Expected Dates)
The Islamic Hijri Calendar includes several important days. Muslims across the globe observe these days according to the lunar dates in their respective countries.
Here’s the list of all the important Islamic events and religious holidays in the Hijri Year 1445. These are estimated dates for Saudi Arabia. There can be a difference of 1-2 days in your region, depending on your local moon sighting.
| Islamic Hijri Calendar Year 1445 Major Events & Dates | ||
| Islamic Event Day | Hijri Date | Gregorian Date |
| Islamic New Year | 1 Muharram | Wed, 19 July 2023 |
| Ashura | 10 Muharram | Friday, 28 July 2023 |
| Mawlid an-Nabi | 12 Rabi al-awwal | Wed, 27 Sep 2023 |
| Isra’ and Mi’raj | 27 Rajab | Thur, 8 Feb 2024 |
| Laylatul Bara’ah | 15 Shabaan | Sat, 24 Feb 2024 |
| Ramadan | 01 Ramadan | Sun, 10 March 2024 |
| Laylat al-Qadr | 27 Ramadan | Sat, 6 April 2024 |
| Eid al-Fitr | 1 Shawwal | Tue, 9 April 2024 |
| Ashra e Dhul Hijjah | 01 Dhul Hijjah | Fri, 7 June 2024 |
| Arafah Day | 09 Dhul Hijjah 1445 AH | Sat, 15 June 2024 |
| Eid al-Adha | 10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1445 AH | Sun, 16 June 2024 |
Islamic Year History | When Did The Hijri Dates Start?
Islam is not just a set of rituals like other religions. It is an ideology, a system, and a way of life. It has its own set of values, legislature, and even a dedicated calendar.
The Islamic Hijri Calendar is based on the date of Hijrah (migration). Hijrah is the event when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated from his hometown of Makkah to the city of Madinah.
This Hijrah (migration) was done on the instructions of Allah SWT because the tribes in Makkah had become hostile towards Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, while the people of Madinah were more welcoming. They not only accepted Islam but also helped the Prophet ﷺ lay the foundations of the first Islamic State.
Here’s a video that beautifully describes the event of Hijrah.
Because of the significance of this event in Islamic history, the Hijri calendar started from this day.
So, for example, when we say we’re in the year 1444 Hijri, it means the Prophet migrated to Madinah 1444 years ago.
The months in the Hijri calendar existed before Islam. But they were organized in the Hijri calendar after the Hijrah event.
Who Started The Islamic Hijri Calendar?
Umar Ibn ul Khattab رضي الله عنه formally designed the Islamic Hijri Calendar in the 17th Hijri and made it a part of the Muslim state’s day-to-day affairs.
He intentionally started the Hijri calendar from 01 Muharram because once it was decided in his Shura that Muslims would follow the Hijri calendar, they believed the best place to announce this was the Hajj Pilgrimage that comes in Zil Hajj, right before Muharram.
So, when the Muslims gathered for Hajj that year, it was announced that the new Islamic Hijri Calendar would start from Muharram in the coming month.
This way, the news was quickly spread far across the Muslim world, and the Hijri calendar was swiftly adopted by all Muslims.
Muslim New Year Celebrations And Traditions
Muslims do not believe in celebrating the Islamic New Year like people celebrate the Gregorian New Year.
Why? Because Rasoolullah ﷺ and his companions, Sahaba, never did so.
However, several traditions narrate a Dua for Islamic New Year that Sahaba used to read.
اللَّهُمَّ أَدْخِلْهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالْأَمْنِ وَالْإِيمَانِ ، وَالسَّلَامَةِ وَالْإِسْلَامِ ، وَرِضْوَانٍ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ ، وَجِوَارٍ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ
This Dua is not specific to the new year, and Muslims read it at the start of every new Islamic month.
So, you can read it at the beginning of Muharram (the first month of the new Islamic year) as well.