| Calendar: | Islamic calendar |
| Num: | 12 |
| Days: | 29–30 (depends on actual observation of the moon's crescent) |
| Holidays: | |
| Prev Month: | Dhu al-Qadah |
| Next Month: | Muharram |
Dhu al-Hijjah (also Dhu al-Hijja Arabic: ذُو ٱلْحِجَّة|translit=Ḏū al-Ḥijja pronounced as /ar/) is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar. Being one of the four sacred months during which war is forbidden, it is the month in which the Ḥajj takes place as well as Eid al-Adha .
The Arabic name of the month, Dhu al-Hijjah, means "Possessor of the Pilgrimage" or "The Month of the Pilgrimage". During this month, Muslim pilgrims from all around the world congregate at Mecca to visit the Kaaba. The Hajj rites begin on the eighth day and continue for four or five days. The Day of Arafah takes place on the ninth of the month. Eid al-Adha, the "Festival of the Sacrifice", begins on the tenth day and ends on the thirteenth day.
The name of this month is also spelled Dhul-Hijja. In modern Turkish, the name is Zilhicce.
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Dhu al-Hijjah migrates throughout the seasons. The estimated start and end dates for Dhu al-Hijja, based on the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia, are:[1]
| AH | First day (CE/AD) | Last day (CE/AD) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1443 | 30 June 2022 | 29 July 2022 | |
| 1444 | 19 June 2023 | 18 July 2023 | |
| 1445 | 7 June 2024 | 6 July 2024 | |
| 1446 | 28 May 2025 | 25 June 2025 | |
| 1447 | 18 May 2026 | 15 June 2026 |
According to Hadith, great rewards have been mentioned for performing certain Islamic rituals on specific days of Dhu al-Hijja:
One of the wives of Muhammad said: "Allah's Messenger used to fast the [first] nine days of Dhul-Hijjah, the day of 'Ashurah, and three days of each month."[2]
The Prophet said: "There are no days more beloved to Allah that He be worshipped in them than the ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah, fasting every day of them is the equivalent of fasting a year, and standing every night of them (in prayer) is the equivalent of standing on the Night of Qadr."[3]
Abu Qatada narrates that Muhammad was asked about fasting on the Day of Arafah. He said: as for the fasting on the Day of Arafah, I anticipate that Allah will forgive the year (i.e. the sins of the year) after it and the year before it.[4]