Rabi' al-Awwal

Rabiʽ al-Awwal (رَبِيع ٱلْأَوَّل, also known as Rabi' al-Ula (رَبِيع ٱلْأُولَىٰ), 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.

In the days of the Ottoman Empire, the name of this month in Ottoman Turkish was Rèbi' ulèvvèl, with the abbreviation Ra. In modern Turkish, it is Rebiülevvel.

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.

Celebrations
Although historians and scholars disagree on the exact date of Muhammad's birth, it is celebrated by some Muslims on the 12th or 17th of Rabi' al-awwal, however it can be done on any day at any time of the year.

Mawlid is done across the globe by majority of the Muslim world. A minority of Muslims do not partake as they believe it to be an innovation.

The essence of the Mawlid is from the Sunnah. The sahaba would congregate specifically to thank Allah for blessing them with the prophet, distribute food, read poetry about the prophet as done by Hassan Ibn Thabit, speak about the life and birth of the Prophet and other praiseworthy acts which is what is carried out in Mawlid gatherings today. The Prophet ‎صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم would fast on Mondays as it was the day he ‎صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم  was born (Sahih Muslim)

Although a lot of Muslims make an extra effort in the month of Rabi Ul Awwal, mawlid can be done at any day and time of the year. It is done by all Muslims everyday without realising - simply praising the Prophet or speaking about the seerah (life of prophet) can be a form of mawlid. There does not have to be a set day or time, neither does a venue have to booked or does there need to be a significant number of people to partake in Mawlid. It can simply be two people speaking about the Prophet ‎صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم and praising him.

In some countries, a procession is also conducted on the night and day of the 12th or 17th of Rabi' al-awwal. On these occasions, sweets and drinks are distributed widely from home to home and the general public. In some areas, Muslims also exchange gifts.

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 ):

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 Mohammad.