Convert any date between the Gregorian calendar and the Hijri (Islamic) calendar — both directions, with full Hijri month names, based on the Umm al-Qura system.
Hijri date
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Based on the tabular Islamic calendar which closely follows Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura system. Because Islamic months begin with the crescent moon sighting, converted dates may differ by ±1 day from officially announced dates in your country.
The Hijri (Islamic) calendar is a lunar calendar of 12 months and about 354 days per year, beginning from the Hijrah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in 622 CE. It sets the dates of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha and Hajj, and is the official calendar of Saudi Arabia.
The 12 Hijri months
Muharram, Safar, Rabi' al-awwal, Rabi' al-thani, Jumada al-awwal, Jumada al-thani, Rajab, Sha'ban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah — the month of Hajj. Four of these are sacred months in Islam.
Why dates can differ by a day
Each Hijri month starts when the new crescent moon is sighted, which depends on location and weather. Calculated calendars like Umm al-Qura predict this astronomically and are usually exact, but local moon-sighting announcements can shift a date by one day — always confirm religious dates with your local authority.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a Gregorian date to Hijri?
Enter the day, month and year above and the converter instantly shows the equivalent Hijri date with the Islamic month name. Conversion runs both ways.
What is the Umm al-Qura calendar?
Umm al-Qura is the official Islamic calendar of Saudi Arabia, based on astronomical moon-sighting calculations for Mecca. This converter uses the standard tabular algorithm which matches Umm al-Qura very closely, usually within one day.
Why might the Hijri date differ by one day?
Islamic months begin with the sighting of the new crescent moon, which can vary by location and weather. Calculated calendars (including Umm al-Qura) may differ from locally announced moon-sighting dates by ±1 day.
Is this Hijri date converter free?
Yes. It is 100% free with no signup required.
Why does the Hijri date differ between countries?
Some countries start months on local moon sighting while others follow Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura announcements. When the crescent is visible in one region but not another, the month begins a day apart — so the 'correct' date legitimately varies by location.
How long is a Hijri year, exactly?
354 days in a common year and 355 in leap years (11 leap years per 30-year cycle) — roughly 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. That's why Ramadan arrives about 11 days earlier each Gregorian year and cycles through every season over three decades.
Can I accurately convert Hijri dates from before 1900?
Only approximately — the Umm al-Qura algorithm is calibrated for the modern era, and historical month starts depended on actual moon sightings that weren't recorded uniformly. For pre-1900 dates, treat results as estimates within a day or two.
Why does this converter sometimes differ by one day from other calendars?
Converters use different methods. This tool uses the tabular Islamic calendar — a fixed arithmetic cycle — while Saudi Arabia's official Umm al-Qura calendar uses astronomical calculations for Makkah, and many countries announce Ramadan and Eid by local moon sighting. These methods can legitimately differ by one day, so always confirm religious dates with your local authority.
How can I find my Hijri birthday?
Enter your Gregorian date of birth in the Gregorian to Hijri converter above. The result is the Hijri date you were born on; your Hijri birthday falls on that same day and month every Hijri year — about 11 days earlier in each Gregorian year, which is why it moves through the seasons.
How Gregorian–Hijri conversion works
The Hijri calendar is lunar: 12 months alternating 29 and 30 days give a 354-day year (355 in leap years) — about 11 days shorter than the solar Gregorian year. That 11-day gap is why Ramadan and Eid drift earlier each Gregorian year, cycling through all seasons over ~33 years. The Umm al-Qura calendar, Saudi Arabia's official system, determines month starts from astronomical new-moon calculations for Mecca rather than physical sighting alone.
Conversion runs through the Julian Day Number: Gregorian → JDN (a continuous day count), then the Umm al-Qura algorithm maps the JDN onto the Hijri year/month/day. In the tabular form: year = floor((30 × (JDN − 1948439) + 10646) ÷ 10631), with month and day derived from the remainder — month lengths follow the lunar cycle, not fixed civil rules, and leap years (11 per 30-year cycle) add a day to Dhu al-Hijjah.
Worked example:19 October 2026 → JDN 2461333 → the tabular calculation lands on 9 Jumada al-Ula 1448; the Umm al-Qura tables may place it a day on either side. That ±1-day wobble is inherent — lunar months begin with the crescent, and crescent visibility depends on geography and weather, not just arithmetic.
Practical tips: use the converter for planning — Ramadan estimates, Islamic birthdays, document conversions — but treat official moon-sighting announcements as authoritative for religious observances like fasting and Eid. Limitation: the algorithm is calibrated for the modern era; dates deep in the past (or far future) are approximations within a day or two, since historical month starts depended on actual sightings.
The 30-year leap cycle and the drifting Ramadan: the Hijri calendar inserts 11 leap years per 30-year cycle — years 2, 5, 7, 10, 13, 16, 18, 21, 24, 26, and 29 get 355 days (Dhu al-Hijjah gains a day). This keeps the average year at 354.3667 days, tracking the true lunar year (354.3671 days) to within seconds per cycle — remarkable precision for a 7th-century system. The 11-day annual shortfall against the solar year means Ramadan advances through the seasons on a ~33-year cycle: anyone fasting in summer heat now will fast in winter cool within 16–17 years. Historically, the pre-Islamic Arabs used nasi' (intercalation, adding a 13th month) to keep festivals seasonal — explicitly abolished in the Qur'an (9:37), fixing the calendar as purely lunar. That's why Islamic months, unlike Jewish or Chinese lunisolar months, never realign with seasons.
Worked examples
Conversions produced by the tool above (tabular Islamic calendar):
Gregorian date
Hijri date
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
8 Jumada al-awwal 1448 AH
1 January 2026
12 Rajab 1447 AH
18 February 2026
1 Ramadan 1447 AH
17 June 2026
1 Muharram 1448 AH (Islamic New Year)
8 February 2027
1 Ramadan 1448 AH
17 May 2027
10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1448 AH (Eid al-Adha)
Officially announced dates in your country may differ by one day — see the FAQ below.