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Faith

Welcoming the start of Dhul Hijjah 2025/1446

27 May 2025

The crescent moon has been sighted, and the blessed month of Dhul Hijjah will begin on Wednesday 28th May 2025.

The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are the holiest in the whole year, and the most beloved days to Allah.

Dhul Hijjah is the final month of the Islamic calendar and marks the period in which Hajj is performed, Qurbani is offered, and Eid al-Adha is celebrated.

Hajj as one of the five pillars of Islam, is the sacred pilgrimage performed by Muslims at the holy mosque of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

We pray the journey of those performing Hajj this year are accepted and for those who are unable to, may pray the opportunity to perform Hajj is granted one day. May Allah (SWT) accept your good deeds, and make this spiritual times an chance to reflect and draw closer to Him – ameen.

There are no days on which righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than these 10 days.

[Hadith | Sahih al-Bukhari]

Key dates in Dhul Hijjah 2025

The month of Dhul Hijjah marks several key dates of spiritual significance, especially the first ten days that are better than all the other days of the year.

The key dates for 2025 are:

1st of Dhul Hijjah – Wednesday 28th May
Day of ‘Arafah (9th Dhul Hijjah) – Thursday 5th June
Eid al-Adha (10th Dhul Hijjah) – Friday 6th June
Days of Hajj (8th-13th Dhul Hijjah) – 4th-9th June

How do you determine the start of Dhul Hijjah?

The appearance of the hilal, the new crescent moon, signifies the start of the new Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah – but not everyone in the world is able to sight it at the same time.

In the Qur’an Allah says:

They ask you [O Prophet] about the phases of the moon. Say, “They are a means for people to determine time and pilgrimage.

[Qur'an | Surah al-Baqarah | 2:189]

This connection between time and the moon’s phases is the key to understanding how and when Muslims around the world welcome and say goodbye to Dhul Hijjah.

Why doesn’t Dhul Hijjah start at a set date each year?

The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used calendar in the world. It is a solar calendar, which means it is based on the position of the sun relative to the stars. Solar calendars are relatively consistent, so Christmas, for example, falls on 25 December each year in the West.

The Islamic ‘lunar visibility’ calendar is different. This calendar is based on the cycles of the moon’s phases, with the beginning of each month based on the sighting of the hilal.

Image: different phases of the moon.

The hilal appears as a slim curve in the sky, as Allah declares:

As for the moon, We have ordained [precise] phases for it, until it ends up [looking] like an old, curved palm stalk.

[Qur’an | Surah Ya-Sin | 36:39]

This image is further popularised by the hilal’s appearance on the flags of several Muslim countries such as Pakistan, Türkiye and Algeria.

How is the hilal sighted?

It takes the moon 29.5 days to complete a lunar cycle. As a month cannot have half a day, some Islamic months will have 29, while others will have 30 – but never 31.

On the 29th day of Dhul Qadah the month preceding Dhul Hijjah, people around the world search the skies. If the thin sliver of the hilal is seen, the next day marks the beginning of Dhul Hijjah. If the hilal is not visible, perhaps due to bad weather, the following day is declared the 30th day of Dhul Qadah, and Dhul Hijjah begins the day after.

While astronomical calculations can determine the position of the moon, they might not directly address the visibility of the hilal from Earth. The scholars have therefore differed as to what method should be given preference when sighting the hilal.

Does the start of Dhul Hijjah vary by location?

Yes, it can do.

Muslim communities have adopted varying methods for sighting the moon. Muslim-majority nations traditionally have a government department dedicated to this.

Because the moon cannot always be sighted from every location, due to the Earth’s spherical shape and atmospheric conditions, some have adopted global moonsighting i.e. beginning Dhul Hijjah as soon as any country in the world declares it. In other countries, Muslim populations often follow either Saudi Arabia or the closest Muslim country (for the UK, this is Morocco).

Local moon sighting i.e. beginning Dhul Hijjah when the hilal has been sighted in your country, is also on the rise.

Dhul Hijjah is a sacred month in which Muslims strive to perform extra good deeds, including giving charity. Please donate today to help save and transform lives around the world.