Conversion Tables for the Umm al-Qura Calendar (1420 AH to 1434 AH)

The following table lists the Western equivalents for the first day of the month in the Umm al-Qura calendar for the years 1420 AH to 1434 AH (1999/2000 CE to 2012/13 CE). The listed dates are the post-midnight equivalents, the first day of the month actually begins about 6 hours earlier on the previous evening at sunset for Mecca.

All calculations are based on the following coordinates for the Great Mosque of Mecca: longitude = 39° 49.57' East, latitude = 21° 25.34' North. The times of sunset and moonset are the calculated moments of disappearance of the upper limb, accounting for atmospheric refraction and the monthly variation in the lunar parallax, referred to an ideal horizon (i.e. 90° from the zenith).

First day of the Islamic month according to the Umm al-Qura calendar (1420 AH to 1424 AH)
 

Month	1420		1421		1422		1423		1424
Muḥarram	17 Apr 1999	Sa	6 Apr 2000	Th	26 Mar 2001	Mo	15 Mar 2002	Fr	4 Mar 2003	Tu
Ṣafar	16 May 1999	Su	5 May 2000	Fr	25 Apr 2001	We	14 Apr 2002	Su	3 Apr 2003	Th
Rabīʿ al-Awwal	15 Jun 1999	Tu	3 Jun 2000	Sa	24 May 2001	Th	13 May 2002	Mo	2 May 2003	Fr
Rabīʿ al-Ākhir	14 Jul 1999	We	3 Jul 2000	Mo	22 Jun 2001	Fr	12 Jun 2002	We	1 Jun 2003	Su
Jumādā ʾl-Ūlā	12 Aug 1999	Th	1 Aug 2000	Tu	22 Jul 2001	Su	11 Jul 2002	Th	1 Jul 2003	Tu
Jumādā ʾl-Ākhira	11 Sep 1999	Sa	30 Aug 2000	We	20 Aug 2001	Mo	10 Aug 2002	Sa	30 Jul 2003	We
Rajab	10 Oct 1999	Su	28 Sep 2000	Th	18 Sep 2001	Tu	8 Sep 2002	Su	29 Aug 2003	Fr
Shaʿbān	9 Nov 1999	Tu	28 Oct 2000	Sa	17 Oct 2001	We	7 Oct 2002	Mo	27 Sep 2003	Sa
Ramaḍān	9 Dec 1999	Th	27 Nov 2000	Mo	16 Nov 2001	Fr	6 Nov 2002	We	26 Oct 2003	Su
Shawwāl	8 Jan 2000	Sa	27 Dec 2000	We	16 Dec 2001	Su	5 Dec 2002	Th	25 Nov 2003	Tu
Dhu ʾl-Qaʿda	7 Feb 2000	Mo	26 Jan 2001	Fr	15 Jan 2002	Tu	4 Jan 2003	Sa	24 Dec 2003	We
Dhu ʾl-Ḥijja	7 Mar 2000	Tu	24 Feb 2001	Sa	13 Feb 2002	We	2 Feb 2003	Su	23 Jan 2004	Fr
Lunar visibility

First day of the Islamic month according to the Umm al-Qura calendar (1425 AH to 1429 AH)
 

Month	1425		1426		1427		1428		1429
Muḥarram	21 Feb 2004	Sa	10 Feb 2005	Th	31 Jan 2006	Tu	20 Jan 2007	Sa	10 Jan 2008	Th
Ṣafar	22 Mar 2004	Mo	11 Mar 2005	Fr	1 Mar 2006	We	19 Feb 2007	Mo	8 Feb 2008	Fr
Rabīʿ al-Awwal	20 Apr 2004	Tu	10 Apr 2005	Su	30 Mar 2006	Th	20 Mar 2007	Tu	9 Mar 2008	Su
Rabīʿ al-Ākhir	20 May 2004	Th	9 May 2005	Mo	29 Apr 2006	Sa	18 Apr 2007	We	7 Apr 2008	Mo
Jumādā ʾl-Ūlā	19 Jun 2004	Sa	8 Jun 2005	We	28 May 2006	Su	18 May 2007	Fr	6 May 2008	Tu
Jumādā ʾl-Ākhira	18 Jul 2004	Su	7 Jul 2005	Th	26 Jun 2006	Mo	16 Jun 2007	Sa	5 Jun 2008	Th
Rajab	17 Aug 2004	Tu	6 Aug 2005	Sa	26 Jul 2006	We	15 Jul 2007	Su	4 Jul 2008	Fr
Shaʿbān	15 Sep 2004	We	5 Sep 2005	Mo	25 Aug 2006	Fr	14 Aug 2007	Tu	2 Aug 2008	Sa
Ramaḍān	15 Oct 2004	Fr	4 Oct 2005	Tu	24 Sep 2006	Su	13 Sep 2007	Th	1 Sep 2008	Mo
Shawwāl	14 Nov 2004	Su	3 Nov 2005	Th	23 Oct 2006	Mo	13 Oct 2007	Sa	1 Oct 2008	We
Dhu ʾl-Qaʿda	13 Dec 2004	Mo	3 Dec 2005	Sa	22 Nov 2006	We	11 Nov 2007	Su	30 Oct 2008	Th
Dhu ʾl-Ḥijja	12 Jan 2005	We	1 Jan 2006	Su	22 Dec 2006	Fr	11 Dec 2007	Tu	29 Nov 2008	Sa
Lunar visibility

First day of the Islamic month according to the Umm al-Qura calendar (1430 AH to 1434 AH)
 

Month	1430		1431		1432		1433		1434
Muḥarram	29 Dec 2008	Mo	18 Dec 2009	Fr	7 Dec 2010	Tu	26 Nov 2011	Sa	15 Nov 2012	Th
Ṣafar	27 Jan 2009	Tu	16 Jan 2010	Sa	5 Jan 2011	We	26 Dec 2011	Mo	14 Dec 2012	Fr
Rabīʿ al-Awwal	26 Feb 2009	Th	15 Feb 2010	Mo	4 Feb 2011	Fr	24 Jan 2012	Tu	13 Jan 2013	Su
Rabīʿ al-Ākhir	28 Mar 2009	Sa	17 Mar 2010	We	6 Mar 2011	Su	23 Feb 2012	Th	11 Feb 2013	Mo
Jumādā ʾl-Ūlā	26 Apr 2009	Su	15 Apr 2010	Th	5 Apr 2011	Tu	24 Mar 2012	Sa	13 Mar 2013	We
Jumādā ʾl-Ākhira	25 May 2009	Mo	15 May 2010	Sa	4 May 2011	We	22 Apr 2012	Su	11 Apr 2013	Th
Rajab	24 Jun 2009	We	13 Jun 2010	Su	3 Jun 2011	Fr	22 May 2012	Tu	11 May 2013	Sa
Shaʿbān	23 Jul 2009	Th	13 Jul 2010	Tu	2 Jul 2011	Sa	21 Jun 2012	Th	10 Jun 2013	Mo
Ramaḍān	22 Aug 2009	Sa	11 Aug 2010	We	1 Aug 2011	Mo	20 Jul 2012	Fr	9 Jul 2013	Tu
Shawwāl	20 Sep 2009	Su	10 Sep 2010	Fr	30 Aug 2011	Tu	19 Aug 2012	Su	8 Aug 2013	Th
Dhu ʾl-Qaʿda	20 Oct 2009	Tu	9 Oct 2010	Sa	29 Sep 2011	Th	17 Sep 2012	Mo	7 Sep 2013	Sa
Dhu ʾl-Ḥijja	18 Nov 2009	We	7 Nov 2010	Su	28 Oct 2011	Fr	17 Oct 2012	We	6 Oct 2013	Su
Lunar visibility

The weekday of the first day of the lunar month is indicated by its two-letter abbreviation (Mo = Monday, Tu = Tuesday, We = Wednesday, Th = Thursday, Fr = Friday, Sa = Saturday, Su = Sunday) and a colour code indicates whether the current lunar month is short/deficit (29 days) or long/full (30 days).

Detailed information on the relative position of the lunar crescent with respect to the horizon of Mecca, its orientation and its age at sunset, at moonset and at the ‘best time’ for observing the lunar crescent on the first three evenings of the lunar month can be images/downloaded as a pdf file (c. 48 kb in size) by clicking on the images/download button on the bottom of the table. In order to read these files, your computer must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. All times are in Saudi Arabian standard time (time zone 3 hours ahead of Universal Time).

The visibility of the lunar crescent (based on Yallop’s criterion) on the first evening of the lunar month is indicated by the following colour scheme:

As can be seen in the above table, sequences of two, three or even four short or long months are not uncommon in the present version of the Umm al-Qura calendar. During the interval 1420 AH to 1434 AH a month that commences with a visible lunar crescent is nearly always short and is nearly always preceded by a long month.