New Year's night
Saturday 5 June, after Maghrib
The Islamic day begins at sunset, so the night comes before its day.
Islamic New Year 1449, 1 Muharram 2027
The Hijri year 1449 is expected to begin on Sunday 6 June 2027, from sunset on Saturday 5 June. Here is what the new year marks and how Muslims welcome Muharram.
1449 AH begins in
--Days
--Hours
--Minutes
--Seconds
Counting to 6 pm your time on Saturday 5 June 2027. The night begins at Maghrib where you are.
Umm al-Qura date
Sunday 6 June 2027
The date in Saudi Arabia and the countries that follow its calendar.
If the month starts a day later
Night of Sunday 6 June
Where the month began a day later by local moon sighting, as often in South Asia.
Guide
The Islamic New Year, the Hijrah and Muharram
The Islamic New Year is the 1st of Muharram, the first month of the Hijri calendar. The year 1449 AH is expected to begin on Sunday 6 June 2027, by the Umm al-Qura calendar, with the night beginning at sunset on Saturday 5 June. 1448 AH ends on Saturday 5 June. The next new year, 1450 AH, is expected on Thursday 25 May 2028.
Why the calendar counts from the Hijrah
The Hijri calendar counts years from the Hijrah, the Prophet's ﷺ migration from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE. The Muslims began dating their letters by it in the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab, about 17 years after the Hijrah. Umar consulted the Companions: counting from the Hijrah was suggested by Ali, and starting the year with Muharram, the month people returned from Hajj, was the view of Uthman and others. The Hijrah itself took place in Rabi al-Awwal.
Muharram, a sacred month
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًۭا فِى كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ وَقَٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ كَآفَّةًۭ كَمَا يُقَٰتِلُونَكُمْ كَآفَّةًۭ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
Inna 'iddatash shuhoori 'indal laahis naa 'ashara shahran fee Kitaabil laahi yawma khalaqas samaawaati wal arda minhaaa arba'atun hurum; zaalikad deenul qaiyim; falaa tazlimoo feehinna anfusakum; wa qaatilul mushrikeena kaaaf fattan kamaa yuqaati loonakum kaaaffah; wa'lamooo annal laaha ma'al muttaqeen
"Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him]."
Quran 9:36, translation by Sahih International.
Muharram is one of the four sacred months, with Rajab, Dhul Qadah and Dhul Hijjah. The Prophet ﷺ called it "the month of Allah" and said: "The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah, Muharram."1 Its 10th day is Ashura, expected on Tuesday 15 June 2027.
Is there a special worship for the new year?
Hanafi position
No specific prayer, fast or dua for the first night or day of Muharram is established in the Sunnah. It is good to begin the year with repentance, to set intentions for the year ahead, and to fast in Muharram, especially Ashura with the 9th or 11th. Greeting one another with a general dua for a blessed year is allowed by many scholars, as long as it is not treated as a ritual.
Other madhhabs
- Shafi'i, Maliki, Hanbali
- The same: no specific worship for the new year. Scholars differ on new year greetings; some allow them as a general good wish, others prefer to avoid them as they were not the practice of the early Muslims.
A dua for the new month
اللَّهُمَّ أَهْلِلْهُ عَلَيْنَا بِالْيُمْنِ وَالإِيمَانِ، وَالسَّلَامَةِ وَالإِسْلَامِ، رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللَّهُ
Allāhumma ahlilhu ʿalaynā bil-yumni wal-īmān, was-salāmati wal-islām, rabbī wa rabbukallāh
"O Allah, bring it over us with blessing and faith, with safety and Islam. My Lord and your Lord is Allah."
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3451, from Talhah ibn Ubaydullah, graded hasan. Said on seeing the new crescent of any month.
A longer dua for the start of a new year or month is often shared online. It is reported from some Companions in al-Tabarani's al-Mujam al-Awsat, and scholars differ on its chain, so we do not present it as a sunnah.
Ideas for the first days of 1449
- Make a plan to fast Ashura on Tuesday 15 June, with Monday 14 June or Wednesday 16 June.
- Pick one habit for the year: a daily page of Quran, praying on time with the prayer times, or morning and evening adhkar.
- Teach your children the story of the Hijrah and the friendship of Abu Bakr with the Prophet ﷺ in the cave of Thawr.
- Sahih Muslim 1163, from Abu Hurayrah.
- Al-Tabari, Tarikh, on the start of the Hijri calendar under Umar; Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, Kitab Manaqib al-Ansar.
- The positions of the schools are summarised from their standard manuals.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know
When is the Islamic New Year 2027?
1 Muharram 1449 is expected on Sunday 6 June 2027. The night begins at sunset on Saturday 5 June 2027. Where Muharram begins by local sighting, it may be a day later.
What year is it in the Islamic calendar?
Until Saturday 5 June 2027 it is 1448 AH. From Sunday 6 June 2027 it is 1449 AH.
Is Islamic New Year a holiday?
It is a public holiday in several Muslim countries, such as the UAE, Egypt, Malaysia and Indonesia. It is not one of the two Eids, and there is no special worship tied to it.
What do Muslims say on the Islamic New Year?
Many say a general dua such as "May Allah make it a blessed year." Scholars differ on set new year greetings. The sunnah dua on seeing any new crescent is shown above.
Why is the Islamic New Year on a different date each year?
The Hijri year has 354 or 355 days, about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so 1 Muharram moves about 11 days earlier every year.