Rabi' al-awwal

Rabi' al-awwal (ربيع الأوّل) is the third month in the Islamic calendar. During this month, majority of the Muslims celebrate Mawlid - the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims believe the exact date of birth of Muhammad to have been on the twelfth of this month, whereas Shi'a Muslims believe him to have been born on the dawn of the seventeenth day. The name Rabī‘ al-awwal means the first [month] or beginning of spring, referring to its position in the pre-Islamic Arabian calendar. Hence this is considered to be a very blessed month.

Meaning

The word "Rabi" means "spring" and Al-awwal means "the first" in Arabic language, so "Rabi' al-awwal" means "the first spring" in Arabic language. The names seems to have to do with the celebration events in the month as "spring" is the end to winter (symbol of sadness) and consequently the start of happiness. The Arabic calendar being lunar calendar, the month is naturally rotating over years and Rabī‘ al-awwal can be in spring or any other season every now and then, so the meaning can not be related to the actual season.^[1]

Unity Week

The week including 12th and 17th of is called Islamic Unity Week in Islamic countries to address both Sunni and Shia views on the birth date of Prophet Mohammad.^[2]

Celebrations

Indian Muslims with green flags for Mawlid

Although historians and scholars disagree on the exact date of Muhammad's birth,^[3] it is commonly celebrated on 12th or 17th of Rabi' al-awwal. The celebration of the Mawlid is done differently depending on the country. In some areas celebrations begin as early as the first of the month and can continue till the end of the month. Muslims generally put coloured lights on roads, streets, and their homes and put green flags as well to celebrate. In many countries a procession is also conducted on 12th or 17th of Rabi' al-awwal night and day. On these occasions sweets and drinks are also distributed widely from home to home and to the general public. In some areas Muslims also exchange gifts.It is the month of blessings.

However not all Muslims celebrate the birth of Muhammad due to the celebration of birth dates not being conclusively evidenced in either the Qur'an or Hadith and thus consider that to celebrate any other occasion than the two Eid days of al-Fitr and al-Adha (which are clearly evidenced) is an addition of simply tradition and not of the true teachings of Islam.

Timing

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Rabī‘ al-Awwal migrates throughout the seasons. The estimated start and end dates for Rabī‘ al-Awwal are as follows (based on the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia^[4]):

Islamic events

Masjid al-Quba, the first mosque, was built in this month.

• 01 Rabī‘ al-Awwal 897 AH, the fall of the Emirate of Granada, the final Muslim kingdom of al-Andalus
• 06 Rabī‘ al-Awwal 1404 AH, death of Hazrat Khwaja Allah Bakhsh Abbasi Naqshbandi
• 08 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, death of Imam Hassan Al-Askari Twelver Imām, Hasan al-‘Askarī (see: Chup Tazia)
• 09 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, Eid e shuja
• 12 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, Sunni Muslims observe Mawlid in commemoration of Muhammad's birthday
• 17 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, Shi‘ah Muslims celebrate the birthday of Muhammad and the Shī‘ah Imām, Ja‘far al-Sādiq.
• 18 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, birth of Umm Kulthum bint Ali
• 26 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, death of Abu Talib ibn Abdul Muttalib
• 26 Rabī‘ al-Awwal 1333 AH, death of Khwaja Sirajuddin Naqshbandi, a Naqshbandi Sufi shaykh

Other events:

• The Hijra (migration) took place in this month
• Eid-e-Zahra (a.k.a. Eid e shuja), a celebration of Shi‘ah Muslims
• Marriage of Muhammad to Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
• Building of the Quba Mosque (first mosque in Islam)

References

External links

• Rabi Ul Awal Naats
• Islamic-Western Calendar Converter (Based on the Arithmetical or Tabular Calendar)
• Islamic Calendar / Hijri Calendar for Makkah