Your Hijri birth date is the day you were born on the Islamic lunar calendar. This guide shows you how to convert your Gregorian birthdate to its Hijri equivalent, why it moves about 10–11 days earlier each year, and how to set reminders and countdowns so you can celebrate your other birthday on time. By the end, you will have a clear date, a plan, and practical tools to honor your lunar birthday annually.

What is a Hijri birth date?

A Hijri birth date records your birth on the Islamic lunar calendar (also called the Hijri calendar). Instead of using solar months like January and February, the Hijri calendar follows the moon, with 12 months that are each 29 or 30 days long. Your Hijri birthday is the month-and-day (for example, 15 Ramadan) that corresponds to the date you were born. Many people treat it as their second birthday, a meaningful tradition to reflect, give thanks, and celebrate.

Hijri months at a glance

  • Muharram
  • Safar
  • Rabi al-awwal (Rabi I)
  • Rabi al-thani (Rabi II)
  • Jumada al-ula (Jumada I)
  • Jumada al-akhirah (Jumada II)
  • Rajab
  • Sha'ban
  • Ramadan
  • Shawwal
  • Dhu al-Qadah
  • Dhu al-Hijjah

Why your Hijri birthday shifts 10–11 days earlier each year

The Islamic lunar year is shorter than the Gregorian solar year. A lunar year has 354 or 355 days, while a solar year has about 365.24 days. That difference of roughly 10.87 days explains why your Hijri birthday moves earlier by about 10 to 11 days each Gregorian year.

  • Lunar year: about 354.37 days (with 11 leap years adding a day in a 30-year cycle)
  • Solar year: about 365.24 days
  • Annual shift: roughly 10–11 days earlier on the Gregorian calendar

Over a lifetime, your lunar birthday will cycle through all seasons. A good rule of thumb is that every 33 Gregorian years is approximately 34 Hijri years, so your Hijri birthday returns to roughly the same spot in the solar year after about three decades.

How to find your Hijri birth date

You do not need to do any complex math. Use a reputable Hijri date converter to map your Gregorian birthdate to the lunar calendar in seconds. Then record the result and decide which calendar method you prefer (civil, astronomical, or local moon-sighting).

Quick start: 5-minute method

  • Find a Hijri date converter (for example: IslamicFinder Hijri Date Converter, Timeanddate Islamic Calendar Converter, or an Umm al-Qura based converter).
  • Enter your Gregorian birthdate, birthplace, and (if the tool allows) approximate birth time.
  • Note the output: your Hijri day and month (for example, 2 Rajab) and your Hijri year (Anno Hegirae, AH).
  • Write it down exactly as given, including the month name and whether your tool uses the Umm al-Qura civil calendar or moon-sighting assumptions.

Important choices: calendar basis

  • Umm al-Qura (civil) calendar: A widely used Saudi-standard, precomputed calendar. Most apps and phones default to this. It is stable and convenient but may differ by a day from local sighting.
  • Astronomical calculation: Uses precise moon visibility models. Very consistent, often aligned with global-use apps.
  • Local moon-sighting: The traditional method where each month starts when the new crescent is sighted locally or regionally. This can shift dates by one day depending on where you live.

Pick a standard that suits your practice. If your community follows local sighting, use that for your personal observance. If you want a predictable, app-friendly date, Umm al-Qura is a practical choice.

Edge cases: time of day and sunset

In the Hijri calendar, the new day starts at sunset, not at midnight. If you were born close to sunset, your Hijri date can differ by a day depending on your birthplace time zone and whether the moon had been sighted. When in doubt, run the conversion with and without a birth time, and check an alternate tool to confirm. If you are still unsure, note both possible Hijri dates and choose the one you prefer to celebrate.

How to find this year’s Gregorian date for your Hijri birthday

After you have your Hijri month and day, you can map it to the present Gregorian year. Many converters and calendar apps let you input a Hijri date and output the corresponding Gregorian date for a specific year.

  • Look up the current Islamic year (AH) in your calendar app or a Hijri calendar.
  • Search the month you need (for example, Shawwal) and find the day (for example, 5 Shawwal).
  • Record the matching Gregorian date to plan your celebration and countdown.

Because the lunar year is shorter, your celebration will arrive earlier each Gregorian year. If your birthday fell on 20 October last year, expect early October or late September this year, drifting by about 10–11 days.

Set reminders, countdowns, and calendar alerts

Once you know the date for this year, lock it in with reliable reminders. Here are easy ways to keep your lunar birthday on your radar.

On iPhone

  • Enable Islamic calendar display: Settings > Calendar > Alternate Calendars > Islamic (Umm al-Qura).
  • Create an event on the Gregorian date matching your Hijri birthday for this year and add alerts.
  • Note: Standard iOS recurrence is Gregorian. Because the date shifts each year, update it annually or use an Islamic calendar app that supports Hijri recurrence.

On Android and Google Calendar

  • Enable Alternate calendar: Google Calendar app or web > Settings > General > Alternate calendar > Islamic or Islamic (civil).
  • Create this year’s event on the matching Gregorian date, then set reminders.
  • For automatic Hijri-based recurrence, use a dedicated Islamic calendar app that supports repeating events by Hijri date.

Apps and tools that help

  • Hijri calendar apps: Muslim Pro, Athan, Hijri Calendar, and other regional apps that include converters and widgets.
  • Web converters: IslamicFinder, Timeanddate, and other calculators that can show current-year mappings.
  • APIs and automation: Aladhan, custom shortcuts, or IFTTT-style automations that ping you when your Hijri date approaches.

Ways to celebrate your lunar birthday

Your other birthday is a chance to add meaning and variety to your annual rituals. Consider blending reflection, community, and fun.

  • Gratitude and reflection: Journal highlights from the past year, set intentions for the next Hijri year of your life, or read a favorite passage that grounds you.
  • Acts of kindness: Donate to a cause, volunteer, or perform small acts of service. Many people mark their Islamic birthday with sadaqah.
  • Family and friends: Host a tea, brunch, or dessert night themed by the month you were born (for example, dates and milk for a Ramadan-born celebrant).
  • Food and culture: Prepare a recipe from your family heritage or try a dish popular in your birth month’s traditions.
  • Memory box: Save a memento each lunar birthday to build a timeline of your Hijri-life journey.
  • Digital celebration: Share your Hijri date on social platforms, explain what it means, and invite loved ones to leave wishes on the lunar day.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

  • Forgetting the calendar basis: If you convert with Umm al-Qura but celebrate by local moon-sighting, your date may be off by a day. Choose one standard and stick with it for consistency.
  • Relying on a Gregorian yearly recurrence: Regular yearly events do not follow the lunar shift. Use a Hijri-aware app or update your event each year.
  • Ignoring sunset boundaries: If you were born near sunset, verify whether your Hijri day should be the one before or after sunset in your birthplace.
  • Mixing spellings: Rabi al-awwal vs Rabi I, Dhu al-Hijjah vs Zulhijjah. They refer to the same months, just keep your record consistent.
  • Travel confusion: If you move countries, your community’s moon-sighting may differ. If that matters to you, check local announcements or use a civil calendar for uniformity.

Mini math: rule-of-thumb for planning

You do not have to calculate by hand, but these quick rules help with planning:

  • The lunar birthday arrives about 10–11 days earlier each Gregorian year.
  • In roughly 3 years, it moves about one month earlier in the solar year.
  • In about 33 years, it cycles through all seasons and returns near the same solar date.
  • Hijri leap years occur 11 times in a 30-year cycle, adding a day to Dhu al-Hijjah and slightly adjusting the pattern.

Step-by-step example (no special tools needed)

Suppose you were born on a certain date in July. Here is how you would find and celebrate your Hijri birthday each year:

  • Use any Hijri converter to get your lunar date, for example 12 Safar. Record it as Month Day, AH Year.
  • Open an Islamic calendar for the current AH year and locate 12 Safar to see the corresponding Gregorian date.
  • Create an event on that Gregorian date, add a one-week and one-day reminder, and label it Lunar birthday.
  • Next year, repeat the lookup for 12 Safar and update the event date. Or switch to a Hijri-aware app that can repeat events on the lunar calendar.

Keeping a beautiful record

  • Save both dates: Keep a note with your full Gregorian birthdate, Hijri birth date, and the calendar basis used.
  • Track your Hijri age: Each time your lunar birthday arrives, you turn one year older in AH years. You will reach milestones a bit sooner than in Gregorian years because lunar years are shorter.
  • Create a simple template: Year by year, jot down gratitude, lessons learned, and a favorite photo from your lunar birthday. Over time, you will see your life in lunar chapters.

Choosing between accuracy and convenience

There is no single correct way to observe your Hijri birthday. Some people want exact local moon-sighting. Others prefer the convenience of a civil calendar that all their devices use. The best choice is the one you will consistently apply and feel connected to. If you are celebrating with a community that follows local announcements, align with them. If you are celebrating privately or across time zones, a civil or astronomical calendar can be simpler.

In short: your plan to celebrate your other birthday

  • Convert your Gregorian birthdate to your Hijri date and note the calendar basis.
  • Map that Hijri month-and-day to this year’s Gregorian date.
  • Set reminders and a countdown in a Hijri-aware app or your regular calendar.
  • Prepare a simple, meaningful ritual to mark the day.

Once you set it up, your lunar birthday becomes an annual touchstone—arriving a little earlier each year, inviting reflection, gratitude, and joy.

FAQ

What is a Hijri birth date?

It is the date of your birth on the Islamic lunar calendar. Example: 9 Ramadan 1410 AH. You can find it by converting your Gregorian birthdate with a Hijri date converter.

Why does my Islamic birthday move every year?

The lunar year is about 354–355 days, roughly 10–11 days shorter than the solar year. That difference makes your lunar birthday arrive earlier on the Gregorian calendar each year.

Which calendar should I use—Umm al-Qura or moon-sighting?

Use the standard your community follows if you want local alignment. If you prefer a consistent, device-friendly date, Umm al-Qura (civil) or an astronomical calendar is practical. Expect a possible difference of a day between methods.

Can I set a recurring event that follows the Hijri calendar?

Some Islamic calendar apps support Hijri recurrence directly. Most general calendar apps use Gregorian recurrence, so you will need to update the date each year or use a Hijri-aware app or automation.

Does my birth time or location affect the Hijri date?

Possibly, especially if you were born near sunset, since Hijri days begin at sunset. Run the conversion with your birthplace in mind and consider checking a second tool. If uncertain, note both possible dates and choose one to celebrate.

How do I calculate my age in Hijri years?

Each time your Hijri birthday passes, you complete another lunar year. Because lunar years are shorter, you will reach Hijri milestones earlier than in Gregorian years. Many converters can calculate your Hijri age automatically.

What if my Hijri birthday falls in Ramadan or on Eid?

That makes it extra special. You might celebrate with a simple iftar, extra prayers, or acts of charity. If your community’s Eid date differs by a day, pick the observance that matches your practice and enjoy the moment.