Hijri Calendar

Multiple-Choice Questions

1 Which event marks the beginning of the Islamic Hijri calendar?
(a) Birth of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (b) Migration of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah
(c) First revelation of the Qur’an (d) None of these

2 The Hijri calendar is primarily based on which astronomical cycle?
(a) Solar cycle (b) Lunar cycle
(c) Stellar cycle (d) None of these

3 How many months are there in the Islamic calendar?
(a) 10 (b) 11
(c) 12 (d) None of these

4 Which verse of the Qur’an mentions that the number of months ordained by Allah is twelve?
(a) Al-Baqarah 2:183 (b) At-Tawbah 9:36
(c) Al-Ma’idah 5:3 (d) None of these

5 Which is the first month of the Islamic calendar?
(a) Ramadan (b) Safar
(c) Muharram (d) None of these

6 Which is the last month of the Islamic calendar?
(a) Dhu al-Qadah (b) Dhu al-Hijjah
(c) Shawwal (d) None of these

7 Which month immediately follows Muharram?
(a) Rabi al-Awwal (b) Safar
(c) Rabi al-Thani (d) None of these

8 Which month immediately precedes Ramadan?
(a) Sha’ban (b) Rajab
(c) Shawwal (d) None of these

9 Which month immediately follows Ramadan?
(a) Dhu al-Hijjah (b) Shawwal
(c) Safar (d) None of these

10 Which two months are associated with the Hajj season?
(a) Ramadan and Shawwal (b) Muharram and Safar
(c) Shawwal and Dhu al-Qadah, followed by the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah (d) None of these

11 Which months are known as the four sacred months in Islam?
(a) Ramadan, Shawwal, Safar and Muharram (b) Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah and Dhu al-Hijjah
(c) Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Thani, Rajab and Sha’ban (d) None of these

12 Which of the following is not one of the four sacred months?
(a) Rajab (b) Muharram
(c) Ramadan (d) None of these

13 How many days can an Islamic lunar month have?
(a) Always 30 (b) Always 31
(c) 29 or 30 (d) None of these

14 Approximately how many days are there in a lunar year?
(a) 365 days (b) 354 or 355 days
(c) 360 days (d) None of these

15 Compared with the Gregorian calendar, the Hijri calendar is approximately how many days shorter each year?
(a) 5 days (b) 10 to 11 days
(c) 20 days (d) None of these

16 Why do Islamic months move through different seasons over the years?
(a) The Hijri calendar is lunar and shorter than the solar year (b) The Gregorian calendar changes its months
(c) Islamic months are fixed to the agricultural year (d) None of these

17 Which astronomical event is traditionally used to determine the beginning of an Islamic lunar month?
(a) Solar eclipse (b) Appearance or sighting of the new crescent moon
(c) Full moon (d) None of these

18 What is the Arabic term commonly used for the crescent moon?
(a) Hilal (b) Shams
(c) Najm (d) None of these

19 What is the Arabic term for the sun?
(a) Qamar (b) Hilal
(c) Shams (d) None of these

20 Which companion is traditionally associated with the formal establishment of the Hijri era during his caliphate?
(a) Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA) (b) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA)
(c) Uthman ibn Affan (RA) (d) None of these

21 During whose caliphate was the Hijri calendar formally adopted as an administrative dating system?
(a) Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) (b) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA)
(c) Uthman ibn Affan (RA) (d) None of these

22 The Hijri calendar was formally established during which century CE?
(a) Sixth century (b) Seventh century
(c) Eighth century (d) None of these

23 The Hijrah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ took place in which Gregorian year?
(a) 610 CE (b) 615 CE
(c) 622 CE (d) None of these

24 Which city did Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrate to during the Hijrah?
(a) Ta’if (b) Jerusalem
(c) Madinah (d) None of these

25 What was Madinah known as before the arrival of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
(a) Yathrib (b) Kufa
(c) Basra (d) None of these

26 Which month is generally regarded as the starting month of the Hijri era?
(a) Safar (b) Muharram
(c) Rabi al-Awwal (d) None of these

27 Although the Hijri era is dated from the Hijrah, which month did the actual migration take place in?
(a) Muharram (b) Ramadan
(c) Rabi al-Awwal (d) None of these

28 What does the term Hijrah refer to in Islamic history?
(a) The Night Journey (b) Migration from Makkah to Madinah
(c) The conquest of Makkah (d) None of these

29 Which of the following is the ninth month of the Hijri calendar?
(a) Sha’ban (b) Shawwal
(c) Ramadan (d) None of these

30 Which is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar?
(a) Jumada al-Thani (b) Rajab
(c) Sha’ban (d) None of these

31 Which month is the tenth month of the Hijri calendar?
(a) Shawwal (b) Ramadan
(c) Dhu al-Qadah (d) None of these

32 Which month is the eleventh month of the Islamic calendar?
(a) Dhu al-Hijjah (b) Dhu al-Qadah
(c) Muharram (d) None of these

33 Which month is the sixth month of the Islamic calendar?
(a) Jumada al-Thani (b) Jumada al-Awwal
(c) Rajab (d) None of these

34 Which pair represents the two months named Rabi in the Hijri calendar?
(a) Rabi al-Awwal and Rabi al-Thani (b) Rajab and Sha’ban
(c) Jumada al-Awwal and Jumada al-Thani (d) None of these

35 What is the meaning of the term Dhu al-Hijjah?
(a) Month of fasting (b) Month of pilgrimage
(c) Month of charity (d) None of these

36 Which month contains the obligatory fasting of Ramadan?
(a) Sha’ban (b) Ramadan
(c) Shawwal (d) None of these

37 Which month contains Eid al-Adha?
(a) Dhu al-Qadah (b) Muharram
(c) Dhu al-Hijjah (d) None of these

38 Eid al-Fitr is celebrated on which date of the Hijri calendar?
(a) 1 Shawwal (b) 10 Dhu al-Hijjah
(c) 10 Muharram (d) None of these

39 Eid al-Adha is celebrated on which date of the Hijri calendar?
(a) 1 Ramadan (b) 10 Dhu al-Hijjah
(c) 12 Rabi al-Awwal (d) None of these

40 Which day is associated with the standing at Arafat during Hajj?
(a) 8 Dhu al-Hijjah (b) 9 Dhu al-Hijjah
(c) 10 Dhu al-Hijjah (d) None of these

41 What is the name of the Islamic calendar’s first month?
(a) Muharram (b) Rajab
(c) Ramadan (d) None of these

42 Which month comes immediately before Dhu al-Hijjah?
(a) Shawwal (b) Dhu al-Qadah
(c) Muharram (d) None of these

43 Which month follows Rabi al-Thani?
(a) Jumada al-Awwal (b) Rajab
(c) Jumada al-Thani (d) None of these

44 Which month follows Jumada al-Thani?
(a) Sha’ban (b) Rajab
(c) Ramadan (d) None of these

45 Which of the following is the fifth month of the Hijri calendar?
(a) Jumada al-Awwal (b) Jumada al-Thani
(c) Rabi al-Thani (d) None of these

46 What is the principal difference between the Hijri and Gregorian calendars?
(a) The Hijri calendar is lunar, while the Gregorian calendar is solar (b) Both are purely lunar
(c) Both have twelve months of equal length (d) None of these

47 Which of the following is a common method of determining the beginning of Ramadan?
(a) Calculating the solar equinox only (b) Moon sighting or an accepted astronomical method
(c) Observing the full moon (d) None of these

48 Why can the beginning of Ramadan differ by one day between Muslim communities or countries?
(a) Different time zones alone (b) Differences in moon-sighting criteria and methods
(c) Different lengths of the Gregorian months (d) None of these

49 What is the Arabic word for a year?
(a) Yawm (b) Shahr
(c) Sanah (d) None of these

50 Which statement about the Hijri calendar is correct?
(a) It has thirteen months (b) Its months are permanently fixed to Gregorian dates
(c) It is based on the lunar cycle and contains twelve months (d) None of these

Answer Key

1 (b) Migration of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah
2 (b) Lunar cycle
3 (c) 12
4 (b) At-Tawbah 9:36
5 (c) Muharram
6 (b) Dhu al-Hijjah
7 (b) Safar
8 (a) Sha’ban
9 (b) Shawwal
10 (c) Shawwal and Dhu al-Qadah, followed by the first ten days of Dhu al-Hijjah
11 (b) Muharram, Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah and Dhu al-Hijjah
12 (c) Ramadan
13 (c) 29 or 30
14 (b) 354 or 355 days
15 (b) 10 to 11 days
16 (a) The Hijri calendar is lunar and shorter than the solar year
17 (b) Appearance or sighting of the new crescent moon
18 (a) Hilal
19 (c) Shams
20 (b) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA)
21 (b) Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA)
22 (b) Seventh century
23 (c) 622 CE
24 (c) Madinah
25 (a) Yathrib
26 (b) Muharram
27 (c) Rabi al-Awwal
28 (b) Migration from Makkah to Madinah
29 (c) Ramadan
30 (b) Rajab
31 (a) Shawwal
32 (b) Dhu al-Qadah
33 (a) Jumada al-Thani
34 (a) Rabi al-Awwal and Rabi al-Thani
35 (b) Month of pilgrimage
36 (b) Ramadan
37 (c) Dhu al-Hijjah
38 (a) 1 Shawwal
39 (b) 10 Dhu al-Hijjah
40 (b) 9 Dhu al-Hijjah
41 (a) Muharram
42 (b) Dhu al-Qadah
43 (a) Jumada al-Awwal
44 (b) Rajab
45 (a) Jumada al-Awwal
46 (a) The Hijri calendar is lunar, while the Gregorian calendar is solar
47 (b) Moon sighting or an accepted astronomical method
48 (b) Differences in moon-sighting criteria and methods
49 (c) Sanah
50 (c) It is based on the lunar cycle and contains twelve months