# Rabi' al-Awwal

Rabiʽ al-Awwal (Arabic: رَبِيع ٱلْأَوَّل, romanized: Rabīʿ al-ʾAwwal, lit. 'The initial Rabi', also known as Rabi' al-Ula (Arabic: رَبِيع ٱلْأُولَىٰ, romanized: Rabī‘ al-ʾŪlā, lit. 'The first Rabi'), or Rabi' I) is the third month of the Islamic calendar. The name Rabī‘ al-awwal means "the first month or beginning of spring", referring to its position in the pre-Islamic Arabian calendar.

## Meaning

The word "Rabi" means "spring" and Al-awwal means "the first" in the Arabic language, so "Rabi' al-awwal" means "the first spring" in Arabic. The name seems to have to do with the celebratory events in the month, as spring marks the end of winter (a symbol of sadness) and consequently the start of happiness. As the Islamic calendar is a purely lunar calendar, the month naturally rotates over solar years, so Rabīʽ al-awwal can fall in spring or any other season. Therefore, the month cannot be related to the actual season of spring.
And It's mentioned in the Arabic lexicons that Arabs add the word "month" to Rabi' al-Awwal, Rabi' al-Akhir and Ramadan months only, and most of them allow adding the word "month" to the other months too.

## Mawlid

The Mawlid (Arabic: مولد) is an annual festival commemorating the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad on the traditional date of 12 Rabi' al-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic calendar. A day central to the traditions of Sunni Islam, the Mawlid is also celebrated by Shia Muslims.
The history of this celebration goes back to the early days of Islam when some of the Tabi‘un began to hold sessions in which poetry and songs composed to honour Muhammad were recited and sung to crowds in the major cities. The celebration was continued either by the Abbasids and the Fatimids. The Muslim general Gökböri, a deputy of Saladin (r. 1174–1193), is believed to have been the first to publicly celebrate Mawlid, which he did in an impressive ceremony at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. The Ottomans under Murad III (r. 1574–1595) declared it an official holiday.
Celebrants hold mahfils on Mawlid in which religious poetry is recited in praise of Muhammad accompanied by a feast. Other customs affiliated with Mawlid are supererogatory fasting, Islamic music and dhikr. Most denominations of Islam approve of the commemoration of Muhammad's birthday.

## Timing

The Islamic calendar is a purely lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar 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):
Rabī' al-Awwal dates between 2022 and 2026 :
| AH | First day (CE/AD) | Last day (CE/AD) |
| 1444 | 27 September 2022 | 25 October 2022 |
| 1445 | 16 September 2023 | 15 October 2023 |
| 1446 | 04 September 2024 | 03 October 2024 |
| 1447 | 024 August 2025 | 022 September 2025 |
| 1448 | 014 August 2026 | 011 September 2026 |

## Islamic events

* 01 Rabī‘ al-Awwal 897 AH, the fall of the Emirate of Granada, the final Muslim kingdom of al-Andalus
* 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
* 13 Rabi‘ al-Awwal, Death of Umm Rubab (beloved wife of Imam Hussain)
* 17 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, Shia celebrate the birthday of the Imām Ja‘far al-Sādiq.
* 18 Rabī‘ al-Awwal, birth of Umm Kulthum bint Ali
* 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)
* The week including 12th and 17th is called Islamic Unity Week in Iran to address both Sunni and Shia views on the birth date of Muhammad.