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The month of Dhul Hijjah is the 12th month of the Islamic year and one of the holiest periods of the year for Muslims. During this month of increased spirituality, we witness 2 very special events – hajj and Eid al-Adha.
The Islamic calendar is composed of 12 months based on the moon’s cycle. Each month begins with the sighting of a new crescent moon.
The same applies to Dhul Hijjah, once the new crescent moon is sighted, the month of Dhul Hijjah begins.
As the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, the 10 days of Dhul Hijjah fall 10 days earlier each year.
In 2026, Dhul Hijjah is expected to begin on Monday 18 May 2026.
The Day of Arafah (the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah) is expected to be on Tuesday 26 May, with the 10th day of Dhul Hijjah, Eid al-Adha, expected on Wednesday 27 May.
Muslim communities have adopted a number of methods for sighting the hilal (the first crescent moon visible after a new moon).
Some Muslim-majority countries have government departments dedicated to sighting the moon. While other countries simply follow either Saudi Arabia (where Mecca and Medina are) or the geographically closest Muslim-majority country. For the UK, this is would be Morocco.
Some Muslim communities around the world have adopted global moonsighting which means a new month begins as soon as the new moon is spotted and declared by any country in the world.
Another method is local moon sighting with the naked eye. This simply means that the new month begins when the hilal has been sighted in your country.
The sighting of the hilal is important for korban as it determines when Dhul Hijjah begins, what date the first day falls on and consequently determines what dates the 10th, 11th and 12th days of Dhul Hijjah fall on. These days are the only permissible days to perform qurbani sacrifices.
As qurbani is an act of worship restricted to specific days, sighting the crescent moon ensures the ritual follows the lunar and Islamic calendar.
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