Faith
The Islamic calendar in Somalia: months, Ramadan and Eid dates
Somalis use the Islamic (Hijri) lunar calendar for religious dates and the Gregorian calendar for daily life. A Hijri year has 12 moon months and about 354 days, so Ramadan and Eid move about 11 days earlier each year. By calculation, Ramadan 1448 begins about 8 February 2027, Eid al-Fitr falls about 9 March 2027 and Eid al-Adha about 16 May 2027. The exact day in Somalia depends on the moon sighting announced by the authorities.
Two kinds of calendar
The Somali writer Said M-Shidad Hussein explains that Somalis use both a lunar and a solar calendar. "The lunar calendar is used for religious observations as well as social, economic, and legal contracts", while the solar calendar is used for weather, sea travel and the seasons (Said M-Shidad Hussein, "The Somali Calendar: An Ancient, Accurate Timekeeping System", 2011, via PDRC Somalia). The lunar one is the Islamic, or Hijri, calendar. Government and business use the Gregorian calendar.
The Hijri calendar counts years from the Prophet Muhammad's move from Mecca to Medina in 622. Its year of about 354 days is some 11 days shorter than the solar year, so each religious date comes earlier every year (same source).
On 12 November 2026 the Hijri date was 2 Jumada al-Akhira 1448 (AlAdhan calendar conversion).
The 12 months
Somalis use the Arabic month names, written in Somali spelling. Some months also have a Somali name.
| No. | Month (Somali spelling) | Arabic | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muxarram | Muharram | One of the four sacred months. The 10th is Ashura. |
| 2 | Safar | Safar | |
| 3 | Rabiicul Awal | Rabi' al-Awwal | Mawliid, the Prophet's birthday, on the 12th |
| 4 | Rabiicul Aakhir | Rabi' al-Thani | |
| 5 | Jumaadal Uulaa | Jumada al-Ula | |
| 6 | Jumaadal Aakhira | Jumada al-Akhira | |
| 7 | Rajab | Rajab | Sacred month |
| 8 | Shacbaan | Sha'ban | |
| 9 | Ramadaan | Ramadan | The month of fasting (soon) |
| 10 | Shawaal, also called Soonfur | Shawwal | Ciidul Fitri on the 1st |
| 11 | Dul Qacda | Dhu al-Qa'da | Sacred month |
| 12 | Dul Xijja | Dhu al-Hijja | Hajj; Ciidul Adxa on the 10th; sacred month |
The four sacred months are Muxarram, Rajab, Dul Qacda and Dul Xijja (Kalandarka Islaamka, Somali Wikipedia). Somali news outlets call Shawwal "Bisha Soonfur", the month that breaks the fast (Wadani, report on the Soonfur moon sighting).
Key dates for 1448 and 1449
These are calculated dates. In Somalia, as across the Muslim world, a month starts when the new moon is seen, so the real day can be one day later than shown.
| Event | Hijri date | Calculated Gregorian date |
|---|---|---|
| Mawliid (Prophet's birthday), 1448 | 12 Rabiicul Awal 1448 | Tuesday 25 August 2026 (AlAdhan) |
| First day of Ramadaan 1448 | 1 Ramadaan 1448 | Monday 8 February 2027 (AlAdhan) |
| Ciidul Fitri 1448 | 1 Shawaal 1448 | Tuesday 9 March 2027 (AlAdhan) |
| Ciidul Adxa 1448 | 10 Dul Xijja 1448 | Sunday 16 May 2027 (AlAdhan) |
| Islamic New Year 1449 | 1 Muxarram 1449 | Sunday 6 June 2027 (AlAdhan) |
| Ashura 1449 | 10 Muxarram 1449 | Tuesday 15 June 2027 (AlAdhan) |
| First day of Ramadaan 1449 | 1 Ramadaan 1449 | Friday 28 January 2028 (AlAdhan) |
Who decides when Eid starts
At the end of Ramadaan, people watch for the new moon of Soonfur on the evening of the 29th day. When it is seen, the government announces Eid. Reports from Somali news outlets describe the moon being sighted in towns such as Jowhar and Cadaado before the federal government declared the first day of Shawaal (Wadani). Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court makes its own call on the same evening, which Somali outlets also report (Wadani).
The federal Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs organises Hajj travel; it supported 9,043 pilgrims in 2023 (US State Department, International Religious Freedom Report 2023, via ecoi.net).
The Somali solar calendar
Beside the Hijri calendar, Somalis keep an old solar calendar (Amin-tiris or Taqwiim) of four seasons and 365 days. Its new year, marked by the Dabshid fire festival, falls on or around 20 July. Said M-Shidad Hussein writes that Dabshid mixes Islamic prayers with older customs such as a large fire, the slaughter of goats, games and old songs (Said M-Shidad Hussein, 2011). He names the four seasons as Xagaa, Dayr, Diraac and Gu': Xagaa and Diraac are dry, called Jiilaal, and Dayr and Gu' are the rains, called Nur (same source).
Read further
Sources
- Said M-Shidad Hussein, "The Somali Calendar: An Ancient, Accurate Timekeeping System", 2011, via PDRC Somalia · pdrcsomalia.org
- AlAdhan calendar conversion · api.aladhan.com
- Kalandarka Islaamka, Somali Wikipedia · so.wikipedia.org
- Wadani, report on the Soonfur moon sighting · wadani.com
- AlAdhan · api.aladhan.com
- AlAdhan · api.aladhan.com
- AlAdhan · api.aladhan.com
- AlAdhan · api.aladhan.com
- AlAdhan · api.aladhan.com
- AlAdhan · api.aladhan.com
- AlAdhan · api.aladhan.com
- Wadani · wadani.com
- US State Department, International Religious Freedom Report 2023, via ecoi.net · ecoi.net
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