Dhu Al-Hijjah
/duː əl hɪˈdʒɑː/noun
The twelfth and final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, during which the annual Hajj pilgrimage takes place.
Did you know?Dhu al-Hijjah is one of Islam’s four sacred months, and the Hajj culminates in rites at Mecca, Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḥajj-
“Pilgrimage or journey to a sacred place”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥajja (حَجَّ)
“He made a pilgrimage or undertook a sacred journey”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḥijja (حِجَّة)
“Pilgrimage; particularly the pilgrimage to Mecca”
Early Islamic Arabic
Arabic
dhū al-ḥijja (ذو الحِجَّة)
“The month associated with, or possessing, the pilgrimage”
Medieval Islamic usage
Arabic
Ḏū al-Ḥijjah
“The twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar”
Modern English
English
Dhu al-Hijjah
“The Islamic calendar’s final month and the month of the Hajj”