What are the sacred months in Islam?
The four sacred months in Islam are Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. Allah made them special in the Quran: fighting was forbidden in them, and Muslims are told to take extra care not to wrong themselves by sinning during these months.
What the Quran says
The Islamic calendar has twelve lunar months, and four of them are called sacred (hurum):
The Prophet ﷺ named them in his Farewell Sermon: three in a row, Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab, which comes between Jumada al-Akhirah and Sha'ban (Sahih al-Bukhari 3197).
Where they fall in the year
- Dhul Qa'dah (11th month): the month before Hajj.
- Dhul Hijjah (12th month): the month of Hajj, the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha. See What are the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah?
- Muharram (1st month): the start of the Islamic year, with the fast of Ashura on the 10th. See What is Ashura and should I fast on it?
- Rajab (7th month): on its own, two months before Ramadan.
Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, these months move about 11 days earlier each year in the Western calendar. See How does the Islamic calendar work?
Why they are sacred
Even before Islam, the Arabs respected these months as a time of truce, so pilgrims and traders could travel safely to Makkah. Islam confirmed this. Starting a war in them was a grave matter (Quran 2:217). Many scholars hold that this ban on fighting was later lifted or limited, but all agree the months keep their special status.
Ibn Abbas and other early scholars explained "do not wrong yourselves during them" to mean that sins in these months are more serious, and good deeds are more rewarded. It's like a sacred place: doing wrong in the Haram of Makkah is worse than elsewhere.
What should I do in them?
There is no special prayer or ritual for the sacred months as a whole. Instead, try to:
- Stay away from sins, arguments and harming people.
- Do more good: extra fasting, charity, Quran and dhikr.
- Make the most of the special days inside them, such as the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, Arafah and Ashura.
- The four sacred months are Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab.
- They are named in Quran 9:36 and in the Prophet's ﷺ Farewell Sermon.
- Sins weigh heavier and good deeds count for more in them.
- There is no special ritual, just extra care and extra good deeds.
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