The astronomical new moon (the conjunction shown above) is the moment the moon passes between the earth and the sun. At that instant the moon's lit face is turned away from us, so it is invisible — and it is not yet the first of the Islamic month. The month begins only once the young crescent (hilal) has grown old enough and moved far enough from the sun to be seen low in the west just after sunset, usually a day or so later.
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Please note: Hijri dates here follow the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar. The actual start of an Islamic month may differ by a day depending on the local sighting of the moon (ru'yah) in your region.
Moon Cycle — start of the lunar month
Next new moon (astronomical conjunction)
Calculating…
The Islamic month begins not at the astronomical new moon but when the young crescent (hilal) is first sighted — and that depends on where you are, so the very same conjunction can begin the month on different evenings around the world. The table below shows the exact conjunction moment in each city's local time; the crescent is usually first visible the following evening at the earliest, when it is old enough and high enough above the sunset horizon.
| City | New moon — local time | Earliest likely sighting |
|---|---|---|
| Calculating… | ||
How the New Moon Is Determined
For the crescent to be visible at sunset it generally needs a few things at once — this is why a month can begin a day earlier in one country than another:
- Moon age — enough hours have passed since conjunction (a very young crescent is too faint).
- Elongation — enough angular distance from the sun, so the sliver isn't lost in the twilight glare.
- Altitude & lag — the moon is high enough above the horizon at sunset, and sets a while after the sun, giving a window to see it.
Ru'yah — sighting
The classical, majority way
Trained observers look for the crescent after sunset on the 29th. If it is seen, the new month starts that evening; if not, the current month is completed as 30 days. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Start fasting on seeing the crescent (of Ramadan), and give up fasting on seeing the crescent (of Shawwal), and if the sky is overcast (and you cannot see it), complete thirty days of Sha'ban"
Sahih al-Bukhari 1909 · Sahih Muslim 1081
Hisab — calculation
Umm al-Qura & astronomical criteria
Saudi Arabia's civil Umm al-Qura calendar (used across this page) fixes each month by calculation: broadly, the month begins if the moon is born before sunset at Makkah and sets after the sun that evening. Some communities follow calculated criteria; many authorities still require an actual sighting to confirm Ramadan, the two Eids, and Hajj.
Scholars also differ on matla' — whether one crescent sighting anywhere binds the whole Ummah, or each region follows its own local sighting. The Quran ties the crescents to timekeeping: "They ask you about the crescent moons. Say: they are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj" (Quran 2:189). Whichever method your country follows, confirm Ramadan and the Eids with your local moon-sighting authority.
Upcoming Islamic Events
Countdowns are computed live from the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar (same as above), not hardcoded — so they stay accurate every year without needing an update. Laylatul Qadr isn't listed with its own countdown since it falls on one of the odd nights in the last ten of Ramadan and isn't fixed to a single date; Mawlid an-Nabi and Nuzul Quran are shown on their most commonly observed commemorative dates (12 Rabi al-Awwal and 17 Ramadan) — actual practice and the historical dates themselves vary by region and scholarly view. As above, treat every date here as a calculated estimate and confirm the moon-sighted date with your local mosque.
Date Converters
Gregorian → Hijri
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Hijri → Gregorian
Enter an Islamic date to find its Gregorian day.
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Age Calculator
Enter your Gregorian date of birth to see your age in both the Gregorian and Hijri (Islamic) calendars, worked out live from your birth date.
Pick your date of birth above to see your age.
Why the Hijri number is bigger. A Hijri (Islamic lunar) year is about 354 days, roughly 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year. Over a lifetime those days add up, so your age in Hijri years will naturally come out higher than your age in Gregorian years — that's expected, not an error.
Just for fun. This calculator is an informational tool only. It is not used to determine any religious ruling that depends on age — for example, puberty (bulugh) and legal majority in fiqh are established by their own physical and Islamic-legal signs, not simply by counting birthdays. Consult a knowledgeable scholar for such matters.
The Twelve Islamic Months
Sacred month
Crescent (hilāl) visibility — for your horizon
The conjunction above is when the new moon is born; whether the young crescent can actually be seen that evening depends on your location. This tool computes the physical circumstances at your local sunset — the moon's age, its distance from the sun, its height above the horizon and how long after sunset it sets — and classifies the sighting chance by Odeh's criterion. It explains why a crescent was or wasn't seen; it does not replace the naked-eye sighting or your moon-sighting authority.
Set a location to compute the crescent.
For study. This tool is provided to help you follow the Islamic year. Always confirm the dates of Ramadan, Eid, and Hajj with your local mosque or authority, as they are established by moon sighting.