Time is a creation of Allah (swt). It is one of the greatest blessings of Allah (swt) and the ability to measure it is a sign of Allah (swt) and of His (swt) Divine order:
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ ٱلشَّمۡسَ ضِيَآءً۬ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ نُورً۬ا وَقَدَّرَهُ ۥ مَنَازِلَ لِتَعۡلَمُواْ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلۡحِسَابَۚ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ذَٲلِكَ إِلَّا بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ يُفَصِّلُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لِقَوۡمٍ۬ يَعۡلَمُونَ (٥)
It is He who made the sun radiant, and the moon a light, and determined phases for it—that you may know the number of years and the calculation. Allah did not create all this except with truth. He details the revelations for a people who know. (Quran 10:5).
The Hijri Calendar
The Hijri Calendar is a lunar-based calendar that begins with the Hijrah, the migration of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah. The Hijrah marked a turning point in Islamic history and laid the foundation of the first Muslim community in Al-Madinah. The Hijri calendar was instituted during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) to offer Muslims a distinct system for measuring time—one that aligns with the divine rhythm set by Allah (swt) from the beginning of creation:
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّہُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثۡنَا عَشَرَ شَہۡرً۬ا فِى ڪِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوۡمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِنۡہَآ أَرۡبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ۬ۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلۡقَيِّمُۚ فَلَا تَظۡلِمُواْ فِيہِنَّ أَنفُسَڪُمۡۚ وَقَـٰتِلُواْ ٱلۡمُشۡرِڪِينَ كَآفَّةً۬ ڪَمَا يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ ڪَآفَّةً۬ۚ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ (٣٦)
The number of months, according to Allah, is twelve months—in the decree of Allah—since the Day He created the heavens and the earth, of which four are sacred. This is the correct religion. So do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight the polytheists collectively, as they fight you collectively, and know that Allah is with the righteous. (Quran 9:36).
Integrating the Hijri Calendar in the School Calendar
Using the Hijri calendar as the main blueprint for the school calendar will help us to strengthen the Muslim identity of our students. A Hijri based school calendar will help us to internalize Islamic values and heritage as it will revolve around important Islamic milestones and markers throughout the year. It will also create opportunities for a thematic and value-based learning.
However, simply tacking Eid onto a Gregorian calendar isn’t enough. True integration requires rethinking the structure of school calendars so that Muslim students can live, learn, and grow in harmony with the Islamic worldview and identity. Please see my previous blog post titled “Re-framing the school calendar within the Islamic worldview” for a sociopolitical history of school calendars and an in-depth analysis of its impact on student learning.
2025-2026 School Year Template for the 1447-1448 Hijri Calendar
Template Features
The template can be downloaded in Excel or Google Sheet formats. You can customize the template as follows:
- Insert school name, address, contact information
- Automatically calculate the number of school days per month and yearly total
- Automatically calculate the number of professional development days per month and yearly total
- Include school events
- Mark Islamic events
How do you plan to use the 1447–1448 Hijri Calendar template in your school? Share your thoughts, questions, or suggestions in the comments below — your feedback helps us grow and serve you better!
