The Hijri calendar is the Islamic lunar calendar, which begins its count from the Islamic New Year in 622 AD/CE. During that year, prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and his followers migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina). This event, known as the Hijra, is commemorated in Islam for its role in the founding of the first Muslim community.

Because the Islamic lunar calendar has only 354 or 355 days in its year, it slowly rotates within the Gregorian year. The year 2018 AD corresponds to the Islamic years AH 1439 – 1440. The first day of the year 1440 is September, 11th 2018.  

Mistakenly some people think that the lunar calendar came with Islam, actually, by the age of prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him), there was already an Arabian lunar calendar, with named months. Likewise, the years of its calendar used conventional names rather than numbers. for example, the year of the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon him) and of Ammar ibn Yasir (May Allah be pleased with him) (570 CE) was known as the "Year of the Elephant".

The first of the Hijri Year is Muḥarram. It is one of the four sacred months of the year. The tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura, a day of fasting for Muslims. The practice of fasting during Ashura stems from the hadith that Musa (Moses) and his people obtained a victory over the Egyptian Pharaoh on the 10th day of Muharram; accordingly prophet  Muhammad asked Muslims to fast on this day and on the day prior, the Day of Tasu'a.

The Hijri calendar has 12 month, they are:

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  Muharram

  
  


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  Safar

  
  


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  Rabi' al-awwal

  
  


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  Rabi' al-Thani

  
  


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  Jumada al-awwal

  
  


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  Jumada al-Thani

  
  


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  Rajab

  
  


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  Sha'ban

  
  


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  Ramadan

  
  


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  Shawwal

  
  


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  Dhu al-Qidah

  
  


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  Dhu al-Hijjah

  
  

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