Islamic Calendar

This Calendar is based on lunar calculations from Mecca. Download daily 5-times a day prayer timing Azaan (Athaan) software by clicking here.

The Islamic Calendar, which is based purely on lunar cycles, was first introduced in 638 A.D. by the close companion of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him) and the Second Caliph, `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (592-644 A.D.). He (May ALLAH be pleased with him) did it in an attempt to rationalize the various, and at times conflicting, dating systems used during his time.

`Umar consulted with his advisors on the starting date of the new Muslim chronology. It was finally agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic calendar was the Hijrah. The Hijrah, which chronicles the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Makkah to Madinah in September 622 A.D., is the central historical event of early Islam. It led to the foundation of the first Muslim city-state, a turning point in Islamic and world history.

The Islamic (Hijri) Calendar consists of 12 months, starting with Muharram and ending with Zul-Hijja. The sequence of Hijri months are listed below :-

• 1st Month - Muharram
• 2nd Month - Safar
• 3rd Month - Rabi-Ul-Awwal
• 4th Month - Rabi-Ul-Akhir
• 5th Month - Jumada-Awwal
• 6th Month - Jumada-Akhir
• 7th Month - Rajab
• 8th Month - Sha`baan
• 9th Month - Ramadhan
• 10th Month - Shawwaal
• 11th Month - Zul-Qaidah
• 12th Month - Zul-Hijjah

Almighty ALLAH says in the Holy Quran :-

"The number of months in the sight of ALLAH is twelve (in a year), so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred: that is the straight usage. So wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the Pagans all together as they fight you all together. But know that ALLAH is with those who restrain themselves." (At-Tauba / 36)

Furthermore, Almighty ALLAH, the Lord of the Universe, refers to the lunar cycles as follows :-

"It is He who made the sun to be a shining glory and the moon to be a light (of beauty), and measured out stages for it; that ye might know the number of years and the count (of time). Nowise did ALLAH create this but in truth and righteousness. (Thus) doth He explain His Signs in detail, for those who understand." (Yunus / 5)

Each of the Hijri month has its own SIGNIFICANCE and bears testimony to IMPORTANT events in the Biography of the Life of the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him). They serve as a reminder to Muslims (men and women) of the STRUGGLE of the Blessed Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him) to accomplish his task of conveying the MESSAGE of ISLAM (Submission to ALLAH). Moreover, the Hijri months are closely linked with the SUNNAH (tradition) of Muhammad (Peace and Blesings be upon him) and his TEACHINGS to Mankind.

There is no doubt that anyone who believes in Almighty ALLAH and His Last Messenger, Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him) has at heart the observance of the SUNNAH (tradition) of the Blessed Prophet, as concerns the events in each of the Hijri month. This observance is indeed a great FAVOUR that Almighty ALLAH has bestowed on believers in order to mould the life of the muslim.

A list of important events in the Islamic (Hijri) Calendar is given below :-

 Public Holidays and Bank Holidays for Pakistan

This list of 2005 and 2006 bank holidays, national holidays, legal holidays and public holidays for Pakistan, was generated using holidays recurrence rules that were last revised on July 27, 2005.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to present an accurate list of 2005 and 2006 bank holidays, legal holidays and public holidays for Pakistan, we cannot accept any responsibility for any error or omission in the data presented above. Some of the bank holidays, legal holidays and public holidays for Pakistan are based on calendars whose determination is inherently approximate, as described in the footnotes below, which we strongly urge you to read. In addition, in many parts of the world, holidays are subject to arbitrary, last minute, changes by the local authorities and you are therefore advised to verify the above dates with the embassy or consulate of Pakistan, before planning any trip to Pakistan. You should also read all the specific comments and footnotes below, as well as the general footnotes whose links appear to the left of this page. Finally, the dates on this page were calculated using recurrence rules that were found to match available data on July 27, 2005; they are neither official announcements for the future, nor historical record of the past.

Specific comments on bank and public holidays in Pakistan

Additional information is available, free of charge, concerning the occurrence of bank holidays, public holidays and legal holidays in Pakistan. This information usually relates to the observance of regional holidays in Pakistan, or what happens when a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, or any recent, or upcoming, change to the rules for holidays in Pakistan.

Footnotes

** Religious Holidays : Bank holidays, legal holidays and public holidays based on certain religious calendars are subject to local variations due to differing interpretations between different religious authorities, or to seemingly arbitrary changes in the date a holiday is celebrated because it conflicts with another holiday that is based on another calendar, or because the day of the holiday is deemed inauspicious (bad luck), To find out more about these uncertainties, see the specific footnote, if any, for each holiday.

(d) Duplicated Holidays : Holiday occurs more than once in 2006.

(h) Fridays (Muslim) : Muslim holidays that occur on a Friday may, in Pakistan, be observed on the following Saturday, either officially, or by some individuals and/or businesses independently of any official national policy regarding bank holidays, legal holidays and public holidays.

Courtesy: http://pages.intnet.mu/islam/dates.htm and http://www.islamicfinder.org/prayer_search.php

Ramadan 2011 Calendar (Orlando, FL. USA)