Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The twelfth month of the Islamic calendar: Dhu'l-Hijjah is the final month in the Islamic lunar calendar.
   • The season of the Hajj: This month is significant because it is the time during which the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, known as the Hajj, takes place.
   • Calendar variation: In the Islamic calendar, which is lunar, Dhu'l-Hijjah has 29 days in a common year and 30 days in a leap year.

Usage

• Dhu'l-Hijjah is used exclusively as a proper noun to refer to this specific Islamic month. It is often mentioned in religious contexts, historical texts, and when discussing Islamic holidays.
• The word is typically preceded by the definite article "the" (e.g., "in the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah").

Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Hajj pilgrimage is performed during Dhu'l-Hijjah.
  • Eid al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, falls on the 10th day of Dhu'l-Hijjah.
  • The Islamic year ends with the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah.

Advanced Usage

• "The first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah": In Islamic tradition, these are considered especially sacred days for worship.
  • Many Muslims increase their good deeds during the first ten days of Dhu'l-Hijjah.
• "In Dhu'l-Hijjah": Used to specify when an event occurs within this month.
  • The pilgrimage rites are completed in Dhu'l-Hijjah.

Variants and Related Words

• Dhu al-Hijjah: An alternative transliteration from Arabic, meaning the same month.
• Hajj (noun): The major Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, which is obligatory for all able Muslims and occurs in Dhu'l-Hijjah.
• Islamic calendar (noun): The lunar calendar used by Muslims, of which Dhu'l-Hijjah is the twelfth month.

Synonyms

• The Month of the Hajj: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the month's primary religious event.
• The Final Month (of the Islamic year): A descriptive term referencing its position in the calendar.

Notes

• There are no phrasal verbs or idioms directly associated with this proper noun, as it is the name of a specific time period. Its usage is fixed within religious, cultural, and calendrical contexts.
• The spelling may vary in English transliteration (e.g., Dhu al-Hijjah, Dhul Hijjah). All variants refer to the same Islamic month.

Noun

1. the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar and the season of the hajj; has one extra day in leap years