As a child of around five years old, I remember struggling to understand the passing of time.
An hour felt like an eternity—especially when I was told I had to wait before going out to play.
Years later, as a new Muslim in my late teens and early twenties, I encountered a different kind of difficulty. I was learning how to pray, step by step… but beyond that, I was also trying to understand something I had never really thought about before, nor did I even realize there WAS a difference - the Islamic sense of time itself: the Hijri months, their order, their meaning.
That feeling became even more pronounced when I moved to Saudi Arabia. Much of daily life—news, schedules, official communication—was tied to the Hijri calendar. Dates were often given without reference to the Gregorian equivalent, and I found myself constantly trying to “translate” time just to stay oriented.
Even in the classroom, the rhythm was clear: the teacher would enter and write the date on the board—always in Hijri. No comparison, no explanation. Just a quiet assumption that this was the only time that mattered.
And slowly, I began to realize something:
In Islam, time is not just measured… it is lived differently.
Time in Islam Is Not All the Same
It took me years to begin noticing this—not just intellectually, but in how I moved through my days.
Unlike the way we often experience time—where days blur into one another—Islam teaches us that not all moments are equal.
Some days carry more weight.
Some nights carry more mercy.
And some months are made sacred by Allah Himself.
Allah has given us clear signs to measure time—through the sun and the moon, through the changing of days and nights, and through the phases of the month.
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًۭا فِى كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ وَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ كَآفَّةًۭ كَمَا يُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمْ كَآفَّةًۭ ۚ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ ٣٦
The number of months in the sight of Allah is twelve (in a year)- so ordained by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are sacred: that is the straight usage. So wrong not yourselves therein, and fight the Pagans all together as they fight you all together. But know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves.
S. At-Tawbah: 9:36
يَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِىَ مَوَٰقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلْحَجِّ ۗ وَلَيْسَ ٱلْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا۟ ٱلْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَأْتُوا۟ ٱلْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَٰبِهَا ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ١٨٩
They ask thee concerning the New Moons. Say: They are but signs to mark fixed periods of time in (the affairs of) men, and for Pilgrimage. It is no virtue if ye enter your houses from the back: It is virtue if ye fear Allah. Enter houses through the proper doors: And fear Allah: That ye may prosper.
S. AlBaqarah: 2:189
The Haram Months
In the first verse that was quoted (At-Tawbah: 9:36), we note that not only does one year contain 12 months, but of those 12 months, four of them are “haram”, or sacred (of them four are sacred).
So what does that mean, and what are these four months that are deemed by Allah as sacred?
These months are ordained by Allah as sacred times—periods in which worship is emphasized and wrongdoing carries greater weight. (At-Tawbah, 9:36).
The interpretation and implementation of this is that fighting is forbidden, and acts of worship, peace, and reflection are highly emphasized, as sins or good deeds are multiplied in significance.
This does not mean that if someone or some region is attacked by another during one of these sacred months, that he cannot fight back. Just the opposite. But aggression (initiating a fight, or breaking a previously agreed-upon treaty), which is essentially unaggravated, is prohibited for Muslims during this time.
These months are: Dhul-Qa’adah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. They are the 11th, 12th, 1st and 7th of the Islamic Hijri calendar. Yearly.
If we view quickly the two months of Dhul-Qa’adah and Dhul-Hijah, it appears only logical that these two months be ordained as sacred, due to their relation to the Haj – but with more underlying tones of significance related to each.
As for Dhul-Qa’adah, it is the first (chronologically, when considering the approach of the Haj season), of the sacred months. As it is the month prior to Dhul-Hijjah, during which the Haj occurs, it is the month of preparation for the upcoming Haj and related activities and acts of worship.
Dhul-Qa‘dah begins the season of sacred time, preparing the heart before the days of Hajj in Dhul-Hijjah.
Dhul-Hijjah, the month in which we have the “ten days of Dhul-Hijjah”, i.e. the 9 days preceding the day of the sacrifice which occurs on the 10th, and are known as “the best ten days of the year”. Not only is it known as “the month of forgiveness” but even more importantly “the season of forgiveness”.
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said that “no good deeds are better than those done in the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.” Allah even swears an oath by these days in the Quran, highlighting their sanctity.
Dhul-Hijjah is the month in which the Day of Arafat occurs, during which Allah proclaims to all of His angels that all those present in Arafat on that day are forgiven.
It is also the month in which the Day of the Sacrifice occurs, which we commemorate to this day Ibrahim’s sacrifice to Allah, in which he was prepared to sacrifice his son, but Allah issued for him a ram instead.
Muharram is the 3rd of the sacred months, yet the 1st month of the Islamic hijri calendar. It was named “Muharram” due to its sacred status as “the month of Allah”, and it was designated even by the pre-Islamic Arabs as a sacred month in which fighting was prohibited, and safe travel and trade were established and protected during this month due to the prohibition of fighting and aggression.
It is in the month of Muharram that the day of Ashura occurs – a historic event of its own rite, giving more meaning to the naming of the Islamic calendar as “Hijri” (to be elaborated upon in another article).
Finally, we have the month of Rajab as the 4th month of the sacred haram months. Its significance lies in its position on the calendar, month #7, preceding and preparing us for the coming holy month of fasting – Ramadan, which is the 9th month on the Islamic calendar.
It was during this month, Rajab, that the event of ‘Isra and Mi’raj occurred – when Prophet Mohammed (ﷺ) ascended to the heavens, and was elevated to a level that even Angel Jibreel could not accompany him, and He was met by Allah who gave him the direct command of the prayers.
Even before his ascension to receive the directive of prayer from Allah, he was transported from Makkah to Jerusalem, and led all of the prophets in prayer in the Masjid – alAqsa – a privilege and honor not granted upon any other prophet of any time and place.
The month of Rajab is further honored by the command to change the direction of prayer—from Jerusalem to Makkah—which occurred during prayer itself, one day in the month of Rajab.
One main inter-twining theme for each of the four sacred holy haram months – is that good deeds and acts of worship are promised of greater reward, while sins are considered as more severe, as emphasized by Ibn Kathir.
One of the easiest, yet more powerful methods of seeking greater rewards during these months is to remember Allah much, increase in supplications and prayers and other good deeds of worship such as fasting and giving charity.
For a long time, I would pass through these months without even realizing they had begun.
TODAY – we are in Dhul-Qadah
As of this publication, we are already one week into the month of Dhul-Qa’dah. If we have not yet begun… this is our opportunity—to refrain from wrongdoing and unnecessary conflict, to remember Allah more, and to increase in supplications seeking His forgiveness and pardon.
Be Mindful of the Time and Be Present
Let’s not be of the careless who pay attention only to our worldly lives and physical needs and wants.
This is a time to reflect and look inward more, to concentrate on the next life, building toward the ultimate goal of achieving Allah’s pleasure and forgiveness. Let us prioritize awareness of the time we are in, and give thanks for that time and praise for the ability to notice it.
This is a time to slow down a bit, even if we still keep on with our daily jobs and tasks; when we should be reflecting and returning to Allah in all moments and in all manners.
Learn and Implement the Supplications
This may be a moment to return—gently—to learning again, just as we were when we were new muslims or in our youth.
Remember that learning and re-learning our religion and acts of worship is and should be a life-long effort – not something to be graded upon and then forgotten with the passage of time.
Let the passage of time work in your favor, and not against you. Take the step toward improving yourself and your standing with Allah by seeking His blessings and His forgiveness, and learn the supplications that will help you achieve that.
The Most Beloved and All-Encompassing Supplication at This Time
Although there are many respected and well-established supplications to be learned and can be recited at nearly any time of the year, any time of the day, or for any event, it is helpful to understand (and implement) those supplications that have the strongest effect at any certain time.
One of the most beloved and highly recommended supplications at this time of the year, the advent of the pilgrimage (hajj), is as follows:
لا إلهَ إلاَّ اللَّه وحْدهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لهُ، لَهُ المُلْكُ، ولَهُ الحمْدُ، وَهُو عَلَى كُلِّ شَيءٍ قَدِيرٌ،
La ilaha ill-allah, wahdahu, la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir
(There is no God but Allah, alone, without partner, to Him belongs the kingdom, and to Him belongs all praise, and He is powerful over all things)
This is the most highly recommended supplication to recite on the Day of Arafat, while at Arafat. And it is of course recommended for us all, whether we are blessed to be at Arafat, on the Day of Arafat, or not.
As anyone who has been blessed to perform Hajj understands, standing on the Day of Arafat is a deeply humbling and overwhelming experience.
This phrase is an all-encompassing admission of faith, an admission that there is no being other than Allah who controls all things, and that only Allah controls and guides all things.
When I was once blessed to stand at Arafat, I became overwhelmed—not by confusion alone, but by the sheer weight of that moment. I knew what I was meant to do: to turn to Allah in sincere supplication.
But I didn’t know what to say.
I couldn’t remember the words.
Then I heard a sister nearby, her voice trembling as she repeated:
La ilaha illAllah…
And in that moment, I remembered.
I began repeating those same words—again and again—until the sun began to set. We had stood. We had asked. We had opened our hearts.
And somehow… that was enough.
Let us make the best use of this time—while we are still within it – to learn and implement what has been taught and relayed to us by our beloved Prophet Muhammed (ﷺ).
I pray that you and I may be of the blessed to recite this phrase, to stand at Arafat and be among the forgiven, and to return to our Creator as the day we were born – free from sin and fault.
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