Jumada

Jumada is a term used in the Islamic lunar calendar to denote two consecutive months: Jumada al-Awwal, the fifth month, and Jumada al-Thani, the sixth month. The name Jumada derives from the Arabic root jamada, meaning dryness or aridity, a reference to historical weather conditions associated with the period in parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

Each Jumada lasts 29 or 30 days, depending on lunar sightings. The months are part of the Hijri calendar, which is strictly lunar and does not use intercalary days. The start of Jumada, like other months, begins with the sighting or calculation of the new crescent moon, and its dates drift earlier by about 10 to 11 days each year relative to the Gregorian calendar. As a result, Jumada can fall in different seasons in different years.

Jumada itself is not tied to a fixed religious festival, but it is one of the months during which Muslims may observe fasting and prayers according to personal or communal practice. In Islamic historical accounts, various events have been dated to Jumada in different years, but there is no universally defining event associated with the month.

See also: Hijri calendar; Islamic months.