Islamic New Year🕌

Category: Religious
Islamic New Year around the world in 2026
Image by Abdullah Shakoor , from Pixabay. CC0

About Islamic New Year

How long until Islamic New Year?
Islamic New Year .
Dates of Islamic New Year
2026 InternationalJun 16
International Tue, Jun 16Observances Holiday
2025 InternationalJun 27
International Fri, Jun 27Observances Holiday
2024 InternationalJul 8
International Mon, Jul 8Observances Holiday
2023 InternationalJul 19
International Wed, Jul 19Observances Holiday
2022 InternationalJul 30
International Sat, Jul 30Observances Holiday
Summary
Marks Islamic New Year and the Prophet's journey from Mecca to Medina in 622AD.

When is Awal Muharram?

Awal Muharram or Hijri New Year is celebrated by Muslims as the day symbolises two important events in the Islamic year.

Awal means beginning in English and Muharram is the name of the first month in the Muslim calendar. The first day of Muharram is therefore the Islamic New Year's Day and on this date the Hijra, the historic journey from Mecca to Medina began.

The Islamic Calendar

Islam has a calendar based on the revolutions of the Moon rather than the sun. Thus, it is only 354 days long. Islamic New Year is celebrated on the first day of Muharram, the first Islamic month.

Compared to Western calendars, the Islamic year goes backwards by about 11 days every year.

The date shown on this page is the date that most countries will observe. The date in some countries may vary by up to two days, as some countries use a lunar sighting basis to determine the date. Because of this, the official dates may not be announced until close to the actual day.

Islamic New Year

Islamic New Year represents the starting point of the Muslim era as it coincides with the Hijrah, the Prophet's journey from Mecca to Medina on the first of Muharram in 622 CE.

Prophet Mohammed needed to relocate because somebody had intentions to execute him. Consequently, the Prophet chose to go to a town known as Yathrib, some 320 km north of Mecca. Yathrib is known today as Medina, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, which translates to 'the city'.

Hijrah gave freedom from suffering for the Muslims in Mecca. When the Prophet emigrated to Medina, Muslims there were indirectly saved from further persecution by the Meccan pagans.

After the Hijrah, it was then declared by the Prophet in the Constitution of Medina that Muslims are a universal brotherhood with a unique identity in faith and ideology.

Umar ibn Al-Khattab, a close companion of Prophet Muhammad and the second caliph, subsequently adopted Hijrah as the reference point for the Islamic calendar, either in 638 CE or 639 CE.

The customs of Awal Muharram vary from country to country, though they generally involve attending various religious activities, spiritual singing and religious meetings. The traditions and customs for Muharram also vary between Shia and Sunni Muslims.

For both, the marking of the beginning of the new year is usually quiet, unlike New Year's celebrations associated with other calendars. It is a time for Muslims to reflect on the passing of time and their own mortality.

To mark Muharram, Muslims will recite Koranic verses and hold special prayers and sermons at public halls and mosques.

The New Year itself is known to Muslims as Maal Hijra.

Muharram is the second most holy month of the Islamic year, after Ramadan.

The first 10 days of Muharram hold a considerable significance for Muslims – especially Shia Muslims – who mourn the death of Husayn Ibn Ali al-Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad who died at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

The death of al-Hussein took place on the 10th day of Muharram, known widely as Ashoura. It is commemorated by Shia Muslims in several ways, including with public expressions of mourning and by visiting the shrine of al-Hussein in Karbala, Iraq.

Video made with InVideo.

Similar Observances

Read more about Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah 🕎

The Jewish Holiday of Rosh Hashanah is generally known as the New Year' s Day of the Jewish calendar

Read More
Read more about Diwali

Diwali 🪔

Celebrations revolve around the triumph of good over evil, purity over impurity, light over darkness.

Read More
Read more about All Saints' Day

All Saints' Day

Pope Boniface IV dedicated the day as a holiday to honour the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs

Read More
Read more about All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day

Dedicated to the remembrance of the departed. All Souls' Day follows All Saints' Day.

Read More

Other Observances on June 16th 2026

Read more about International Day of the African Child

International Day of the African Child

An awareness day for the situation of children in African, and on the need for continuing improvement in education.

Read More
Read more about World Refill Day

World Refill Day ♻️

Join the reuse revolution this World Refill Day on June 16th! Discover how you can be part of the solution to plastic pollution and help create a more sustainable future.

Read More
Read more about National Fudge Day

National Fudge Day

Find out the dates, history and traditions of National Fudge Day

Read More
Read more about International Day of Family Remittances 

International Day of Family Remittances 

The day recognizes the contribution of over 200 million migrant workers to improve the lives of their 800 million family members back home.

Read More
All events on June 16th 2026