Morocco Confirms Jumada al-Awwal Starts October 13 According to the Official Islamic Calendar
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The Arab Post
- . October 12, 2026
- . Update: October 12, 2026 6:54 pm
The Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs said Tuesday, October 13, 2026, is the beginning of the new Hijri month. Jumada al-Awwal Date, After observing a crescent all over the country, Morocco confirms Jumada al-Awwal starts October 13. This important Islamic update is for the nation’s official Islamic calendar for the year 1448 AH.
The public announcement, made late Sunday evening, confirmed the official dates of the fifth month of the lunar year. This news soon got picked up by the state media, finally putting an end to the already high expectations among the public of the definite date of the upcoming month of Rabi al-Thani.
The Moon Sighting in Morocco Results
The initial decision by the government is related to the traditional moon sighting in Morocco, which is tightly controlled by the government. With the assistance of the Ministry, the religious committees were mobilised, and astronomical experts were given permission to keep a watch on the western horizon in the regional provinces on Sunday evening.
All these official observers have reported that the new crescent moon (hilal) was not visible to the naked eye, reports verified by Hespress English. With the absence of the moon, the Islamic jurisprudence is extremely clear that the current month of Rabi al-thani should be 30 days long and must start on Monday, October 12.
Thus, the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) announced that the 1st of Jumada al-Awwal is automatically on Tuesday. This has led to the Kingdom’s system being rather unique from other countries, which use only astronomical computation, because it is strictly based on visual evidence, thus maintaining the religious practices of the local population in close proximity to historical Islamic practice.
Impact on the Official Islamic Calendar – Jumada al-Awwal Date
In order to facilitate public administration and religious activities in the Kingdom, it is necessary to have updated official Islamic calendar. The entry into Jumada al-Awwal (often called Jumada I) can aid all citizens to accurately calculate the prayer times and arrange the days of voluntary fasting, including the White Days (Ayyam al-Bidh).
During the official statement made by the Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs on Sunday, it expressed official prayers for peace, prosperity, and blessings in the new moon. These were the traditional salutations which were extended to His Majesty Mohammed VI, His Royal Highness Moulay Hassan, the extended Royal Family and the Moroccan people in general.
The public is urged to check accurate prayer times in their regions and the Gregorian dates on independent prayer time websites such as Alhabib Islamic Calendar and the official government prayer time website. Finally, it is confirmed that Jumada al-Awwal begins on October 13th, which is the beginning of the current 1448 AH religious year of Islam. Then, Morocco has seamlessly moved to the next phase of the 1448 AH religious year of Islam, which is Jumada al-Awwal, fully guided by verified, transparent astronomical observations.
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