Hijri calendar
Islamic calendar 1448 AH for Sri Lanka
Today's Hijri date, the dates to plan around in 1448 and 1449, and what each of the twelve months is called. Every Gregorian date here is expected: in Sri Lanka the month begins when the crescent is sighted.
Today in Sri Lanka
Key dates
Dates to plan around
Ordered by Gregorian date. Every row is an expected date from the Umm al-Qura calendar, not a confirmed one.
1448 AH
| Occasion | Hijri | Gregorian | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamic New Year1 Muharram, the first day of the Hijri year 1448. | 1 Muharram 1448 AH | Tuesday 16 June 2026 | expected |
| Day of Ashura10 Muharram. | 10 Muharram 1448 AH | Thursday 25 June 2026 | expected |
| 12 Rabi' al-AwwalMarked in Sri Lanka as Milad un-Nabi. Practice varies between communities. | 12 Rabi' al-Awwal 1448 AH | Tuesday 25 August 2026 | expected |
| 27 RajabAssociated with al-Isra wal-Mi'raj. | 27 Rajab 1448 AH | Tuesday 5 January 2027 | expected |
| 15 Sha'banLaylat al-Bara'ah in some communities. Practice varies. | 15 Sha'ban 1448 AH | Saturday 23 January 2027 | expected |
| First day of RamadanFasting begins. In Sri Lanka the start is announced on local moon sighting. | 1 Ramadan 1448 AH | Monday 8 February 2027 | expected |
| 27 RamadanWidely observed as Laylat al-Qadr, though it is sought across the odd nights of the last ten: the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th. | 27 Ramadan 1448 AH | Saturday 6 March 2027 | expected |
| Eid al-Fitr1 Shawwal, the day Ramadan ends. | 1 Shawwal 1448 AH | Tuesday 9 March 2027 | expected |
| First day of Dhul HijjahThe first ten days of Dhul Hijjah begin. Hajj falls in this month, so Umrah is suspended around it. | 1 Dhul Hijjah 1448 AH | Friday 7 May 2027 | expected |
| Day of Arafah9 Dhul Hijjah. Pilgrims stand at Arafah; those not on Hajj commonly fast. | 9 Dhul Hijjah 1448 AH | Saturday 15 May 2027 | expected |
| Eid al-Adha10 Dhul Hijjah, the day of sacrifice. | 10 Dhul Hijjah 1448 AH | Sunday 16 May 2027 | expected |
1449 AH
| Occasion | Hijri | Gregorian | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamic New Year1 Muharram, the first day of the Hijri year 1449. | 1 Muharram 1449 AH | Sunday 6 June 2027 | expected |
| First day of RamadanFasting begins for 1449 AH. | 1 Ramadan 1449 AH | Friday 28 January 2028 | expected |
Sri Lanka confirms by moon sighting
Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Dhul Hijjah begin here when the new crescent is actually seen. The announcement is made by the ACJU Hilal Division with the Colombo Grand Mosque and the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, on the evening of the 29th. A date above can move by a day, and usually only the night before.
Hijri dates follow the Umm al-Qura calendar, which is calculated in advance. They are expected dates; the start of each month in Sri Lanka is confirmed by local moon sighting and announced by the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama.
The twelve months
A lunar year, eleven days shorter
Twelve lunar months of 29 or 30 days make 354 or 355 days, so every Hijri date moves about eleven days earlier in the Gregorian year. That is why Ramadan travels through the seasons.
- MuharramمُحَرَّمMonth 1 · sacred month“Forbidden”. One of the four sacred months.
- SafarصَفَرMonth 2“Empty”. The houses stood empty when people went out to fight or to travel.
- Rabi' al-Awwalرَبِيع الأَوَّلMonth 3“The first spring”, from when the calendar still tracked the seasons.
- Rabi' al-Akhirرَبِيع الآخِرMonth 4“The second spring”, also written Rabi' al-Thani.
- Jumada al-Ulaجُمَادَى الأُولَىMonth 5“The first of the dry months.” Classical sources also derive the root from water freezing or hardening.
- Jumada al-Akhirahجُمَادَى الآخِرَةMonth 6“The second of the dry months.”
- RajabرَجَبMonth 7 · sacred month“To revere”. One of the four sacred months.
- Sha'banشَعْبَانMonth 8“To scatter.” The tribes scattered and dispersed.
- RamadanرَمَضَانMonth 9“Scorching heat”. The month of fasting.
- ShawwalشَوَّالMonth 10“To lift”. Eid al-Fitr falls on its first day.
- Dhul Qa'dahذُو القَعْدَةMonth 11 · sacred month“The one of sitting”. A sacred month, in which they rested from fighting and travelling.
- Dhul Hijjahذُو الحِجَّةMonth 12 · sacred month“The one of the pilgrimage”. Hajj, the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha fall in it.
The meanings are the traditional Arabic senses of the names, from before the calendar was fixed to the lunar year. They describe where a name came from, not a ruling, and the classical sources offer more than one explanation for several of them.
Questions
Calendar questions
1 Ramadan 1448 AH is expected on Monday 8 February 2027, so the first night of Taraweeh would be the evening before. That is the Umm al-Qura calculation. Sri Lanka begins the month on the local sighting of the new moon, announced by the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, so it can start a day later.
1 Shawwal 1448 AH is expected on Tuesday 9 March 2027. Again this is the expected date. Eid is confirmed on the evening of 29 Ramadan, when the ACJU Hilal Division announces whether the crescent was sighted, so the day is known only the night before. The gazetted public holiday for 2027 is Wednesday 10 March.
10 Dhul Hijjah 1448 AH is expected on Sunday 16 May 2027, with the Day of Arafah the day before, on Saturday 15 May 2027. In Sri Lanka the day is confirmed on local crescent sighting, and the gazetted public holiday for 2027 is a day later, on Monday 17 May.
Saudi Arabia runs the Umm al-Qura calendar, which is calculated years in advance, and confirms the start of Ramadan and Dhul Hijjah by sighting in Saudi Arabia. Sri Lanka begins each month on a sighting made here, roughly 4,600 km further east, and a crescent visible in Makkah at sunset may not yet be visible from Colombo. A difference of one day is normal, and it is not a mistake on either side.
More on the standing at Arafah in the Day of Arafah, and today's prayer times for Sri Lanka.
Pick a month, and we will work back
Umrah is suspended around Hajj, and Ramadan fills up early. Tell us roughly when you want to go and we will tell you what is realistic.