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IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES About Islam | Important Islamic Dates 2009-2013 CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES Recognizing these holy days not only brings awareness of the diversity within the student population, but also instills pride in Muslim students who celebrate them. Muslim students may be embarrassed or shy to acknowledge these practices or holy days, which are not yet a part of the greater culture. A major benefit of living in such an open and multi-cultural region as the Bay Area is that people of all backgrounds and cultures can share and enjoy each other's similarities as well as differences. We hope this information will be useful. About the Islamic Calendar The Islamic calendar (or Hijri calendar) is a purely lunar calendar. It contains 12 months that are based on the motion of the moon, and because 12 synodic months are only 12 x 29.53= 354.36 days, the Islamic calendar is consistently shorter than a tropical year, and therefore it shifts approximately 10-12 days every year with respect to the Gregorian calendar. December 29, 2008 Islamic New Year (1430 A.H.*) Marks the beginning of a New Year in the Islamic calendar. There are an estimated 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, making Muslims one of the world's largest religious group in the United States. There are an estimated 6-8 million Muslims in America, making Muslims the second largest religious group in the United States. While the majority of American Muslims were born in this country, they are from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds: African-American, South Asian, Arab, African, Persian, and the remaining are European, Southeast Asian and Turkish. January 7, 2009 Aashura Ashura falls on the 10th of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. For Sunnis, Ashura commemorates the exodus of Moses from Egypt, and is usually observed by completing an optional fast as practiced by the Prophet Muhammad. For Shi'as it marks the tragic anniversary of the death of the Prophet's grandson, Husain at the hands of Ummayyad ruler, Yazid. The day is marked with mourning and even enactments of the tragic event. August 21 - September 19, 2009 Ramadan (Islamic month of Fasting) Ramadan is an Islamic month during which Muslims (believers in Islam) fast daily from dawn to sunset as part of an effort towards self-purification and moral excellence. Ramadan is believed to be the month, in which, the first verses of the Quran (divine Scripture & Final Testament) were revealed by God to Prophet Mohammad between 610 and 633 CE. September 20, 2009 Eid ul-Fitr (Festival of the Breaking of the Fast) Holiday occurring after the completion of Ramadan, lasting three days during which Muslims celebrate with special prayers followed by community celebrations. November 25 - November 28, 2009 Hajj (Annual Pilgrimage to Mecca) The Hajj, or annual pilgrimage to Mecca, consists of several ceremonies meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, such as submission, brotherhood, and unity, and to commemorate the trials of the Prophet Abraham and his family. Required once in a Muslim’s lifetime, over two million Muslims perform the pilgrimage annually. November 27, 2009 Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice) Holiday occurring on the third day of the Hajj, lasting four days. It commemorates the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, who was replaced by a lamb. UPCOMING IMPORTANT ISLAMIC DATES 2010 Calendar Islamic New Year: December 18, 2009 (1431 A.H.*) Aashura: December 27, 2009 Ramadan: August 11 - September 8, 2010 Eid ul-Fitr: September 9, 2010 Hajj: November 14 - November 17, 2010 Eid ul-Adha: November 16, 2010 2011 Calendar Islamic New Year: December 7, 2010 (1432 A.H.*) Aashura: December 16, 2010 Ramadan: August 1 - August 29, 2011 Eid ul-Fitr: August 30, 2011 Hajj: November 4 - November 7, 2011 Eid ul-Adha: November 6, 2011 2012 Calendar Islamic New Year: November 26, 2011 (1433 A.H.*) Aashura: December 5, 2011 Ramadan: July 20 - August 18, 2012 Eid ul-Fitr: August 19, 2012 Hajj: October 24 - October 27, 2012 Eid ul-Adha: October 26, 2012 2013 Calendar Islamic New Year: November 15, 2012 (1434 A.H.*) Aashura: November 24, 2012 Ramadan: July 9 - August 8, 2013 Eid ul-Fitr: August 9, 2013 Hajj: October 13 - October 16, 2013 Eid ul-Adha: October 15, 2013 Islamic New Year: November 4, 2013 (1435 A.H.*) *After Hijrah. (Hijrah means "migration" in Arabic. This refers to the migration that the Prophet Muhammad made from Mecca to Medina in the year 610 C.E., which marks the beginning of the Islamic Calendar.) Please Note: Dates are subject to local sightings of the new moon. For more information, please contact ING at 408-296-7312. |
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