Islamic Festivals
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar which consists of twelve months in a year and 354 days. There are either 29 or 30 days in each month, but they are not in order. It is also known as a Hijri calendar. Islamic festivals or the holidays are celebrated according to the Islamic calendar. The traditional practice is, festival dates are decided and declared by a committee of Muslim leaders in the local country. This practice is followed in majority of Muslim and Non-Muslim countries. Muslim leaders follow the process of first sighting of the crescent moon after sunset to decide first day of each month and then festivals are derived from there.
Islam was founded in the 7th century by Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Today this is the second largest religion in the world with more than 1.2 billion followers. The Quran is the sacred text of Islam. The Arabic word “Islam” means submission. Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is the final messenger from ALLAH (GOD). The goal of a Muslim’s life is to live in a way to please ALLAH so that one may gain enlightenment.
The Five Pillars of Islam are:
SHAHADAAH: Faith - “There is no god except ALLAH, Muhammad (PBUH) is the messenger of ALLAH”.
SALAAH: Prayer - Praying five times a day.
ZAKAAT: Donate - Each year, Muslims are supposed to donate a fixed proportion of their savings for good deeds.
SAWM: Fasting - Fasting during the month of Ramadaan.
HAJJ: Pilgrimage - Making a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in the lifetime of a Muslim, if it is affordable.
Islamic Festivals are the days celebrated by Muslims. Below we have provided the dates of the Islamic religious holidays for the Gregorian calendar year 2015 and 2016. Some dates may vary slightly as they are determined by the lunar calendar.
List days in week, their corresponding english names and significance in Islamic calendar.
Days in Islamic Calendar
| # | Day (Arabic) | English Name | Significance |
| 1 | (Yawm) al-Aḥad الأحد |
Sunday | First Day |
| 2 | (Yawm) al-Ithnayn الإثنين |
Monday | Second Day |
| 3 | (Yawm) ath-Thulāthāʼ الثلاثاء |
Tuesday | Third Day |
| 4 | (Yawm) al-Arbi‘ā’ الأربعاء |
Wednesday | Fourth Day |
| 5 | (Yawm) al-Khamīs الخميس |
Thursday | Fifth Day |
| 6 | (Yawm) al-Jumu‘ah الجمعة |
Friday | Gathering Day |
| 7 | (Yawm) as-Sabt السبت |
Saturday | Day of Rest |
List of Hijri months and their meanings.
| # | Month (Arabic) | Meaning |
| 1 | مُحَرَّم Muḥarram | Forbidden |
| 2 | صَفَر Ṣafar | Void |
| 3 | رَبيع الأوّل Rabī‘ al-Awwal | The First Spring |
| 4 | رَبيع الثاني Rabī‘ ath-Thānī | The Second/ Last Spring |
| 5 | جُمادى الأولى Jumādá al-Ūlá | The First Parched Land |
| 6 | جُمادى الثانية Jumādá ath-Thāniyah | The Second/ Last Parched Land |
| 7 | رَجَب Rajab | Respect/ Honour |
| 8 | شَعْبان Sha‘bān | Scattered |
| 9 | رَمَضان Ramaḍān | Burning Heat |
| 10 | شَوّال Shawwāl | Raised |
| 11 | ذو القِعْدة Dhul Qidah | The One of Truce |
| 12 | ذو الحِجّة Dhul Ḥijjah | The One of Pilgrimage |
