Rabi' al-awwal
Encyclopedia
Rabi' al-awwal is the third month in the Islamic calendar
. During this month, Muslims around the world 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.
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):
Other events:
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
. During this month, Muslims around the world celebrate Mawlid
Mawlid
Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,...
- the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. Sunni Muslims believe the exact date of birth of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
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
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
, referring to its position in the pre-Islamic Arabian calendar.
Celebrations
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 Rabiul Awal 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.Timing
The Islamic calendarIslamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
is a lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon
New moon
In astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth...
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):
| AH | First day (CE Common Era Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era... / AD Anno Domini and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars.... ) |
Last day (CE Common Era Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era... / AD Anno Domini and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars.... ) |
|---|---|---|
| 1431 | 15 February 2010 | 16 March 2010 |
| 1432 | 4 February 2011 | 5 March 2011 |
| 1433 | 24 January 2012 | 22 February 2012 |
| 1434 | 13 January 2013 | 10 February 2013 |
| 1435 | 2 January 2014 | 31 January 2014 |
| 1436 | 23 December 2014 | 20 January 2015 |
| 1437 | 12 December 2015 | 10 January 2016 |
| Rabī‘ al-Awwal dates between 2010 and 2015 | ||
Islamic events
- 06 Rabī‘ al-Awwal 1404 AH, death of Hazrat Khwaja Allah Bakhsh Abbasi Naqshbandi
- 08 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, death of Twelver Imām, Hasan al-‘AskarīHasan al-AskariHasan al-‘Askarī was the eleventh of the Twelve Imams. His given name was Hasan ibn ‘Alī ibn Muhammad...
(see: Chup TaziaChup TaziaChup Tazia is the name in India and Pakistan given to an annual religious procession held by Twelver Shia Muslims to commemorate the death of Imam Hasan al-Askari.The processions are held on the 8th of Rabi' al-awwal, according to the Islamic calendar...
) - 08 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, death of Ghawth al-Atham, Sheikh Abd al-Qadir Al-Jilani
- 09 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, Eid e shujaEid e shuja9th Rabi-al-Awwal 1429 A.H. - Eid-e-Zahra. Also known as Eid-e-Shuja.This is the day of Eid for Shia Muslims and marks the end of the mourning period after the events of the Battle of Karbala. According to Ulema, this is the day when the key murderers of Imam Hussain, Umar ibn Sa'ad and Ubaidullah...
- 12 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, traditional Sunni's observe Mawlid in commemoration of MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
's birthday - 17 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, Shi‘ah Muslims celebrate the birthday of MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
and the Shī‘ah ImāmImamah (Shi'a doctrine)Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...
, Ja‘far al-SādiqJa'far al-SadiqJaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq was a descendant of Muhammad and a prominent Muslim jurist. He is revered as an Imam by the adherents of Shi'a Islam and as a renowned Islamic scholar and personality by Sunni Muslims. The Shi'a Muslims consider him to be the sixth Imam or leader and spiritual...
. - 18 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, birth of Umm Khultum bint Ali
- 26 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, death of Abu Talib ibn Abdul Muttalib
- 26 Rabī‘ al-Awwal 1333 AH, death of Khwaja Sirajuddin NaqshbandiKhwaja Sirajuddin NaqshbandiKhwaja Muhammad Sirajuddin Naqshbandi was a prominent Islamic scholar and Sufi shaikh of Naqshbandi sufi order in South Asia . He was born in 1879/1880 and died in 1915 at Mussa Zai Sharif, Dera Ismail Khan...
, a NaqshbandiNaqshbandiNaqshbandi is one of the major Sufi spiritual orders of Sufi Islam. It is considered to be a "Potent" order.The Naqshbandi order is over 1,300 years old, and is active today...
Sufi shaykh
Other events:
- The HijraHijra (Islam)The Hijra is the migration or journey of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Alternate spellings of this Arabic word are Hijrah, Hijrat or Hegira, the latter following the spelling rules of Latin.- Hijra of Muhammad :In September 622, warned of a plot to...
(migration) took place in this month - Eid-e-Zahra (a.k.a. Eid e shujaEid e shuja9th Rabi-al-Awwal 1429 A.H. - Eid-e-Zahra. Also known as Eid-e-Shuja.This is the day of Eid for Shia Muslims and marks the end of the mourning period after the events of the Battle of Karbala. According to Ulema, this is the day when the key murderers of Imam Hussain, Umar ibn Sa'ad and Ubaidullah...
), a celebration of Shi‘ah Muslims - Marriage of MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
to Khadijah bint KhuwaylidKhadijah bint KhuwaylidKhadījah bint Khuwaylid or Khadījah al-Kubra was the first wife of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. She was the daughter of Khuwaylid ibn Asad and Fatimah bint Za'idah and belonged to the clan of Banu Asad. She is important in Islam as Muhammad's first wife, and one of the "mothers of the believers"... - Building of the Quba MosqueQuba MosqueThe Quba Mosque in the outlying environs of Medina in Saudi Arabia, is the oldest mosque in the world. Its first stones were positioned by the Islamic prophet Muhammad on his emigration from the city of Mecca to Medina and the mosque was completed by his companions...
(1st mosque in Islam)