Birth Month of Prophet Muhammad

Almost all the scholars/historians agree that the Holy

was born in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal, however, some people state that it is not possible, as some narrations state the pregnancy was established in the month of Zil Hajj. Thus, the birth is not possible in Rabi Al-Awwal.

The answer to this problem is that in the age of Jahiliyya, the Arabs used to practice a ritual known as ‘Al-Nasai’ through which they used to change the sacred months to non-sacred and the non-sacred months to sacred, and even change the order of the months. Due to these actions, the original order of the months was moved from their original state. This is why their actions were denounced by

Almighty in the . ¹ Even the Hajj performed by Abu Bakr and Ali in the ninth year of Hijra was offered in Zil Qada actually and this order was restored in the 10th year of Hijra (after migration to Madinah), when Prophet Muhammad performed Hajj. Imam Bukhari narrates that the Holy Prophet said:

  ...ان الزمان قد استسدار كهیاته یوم خلق الله السموات والارض. ²

  Truly, the time has traveled back to the place where it was at the time of creation of earth and skies... (the months of the calendar have been reset to their original places)

The same is narrated by Imam Muslim as well. ³ From that day onwards, the ritual of moving the dates was ceased. But, as quoted above, in the age of Jahiliyya (the period and state of affairs in Arabia before Islam), this ritual was widely practiced and it is possible that the date of Zil Hajj, in which the sacred pregnancy was established, was not Zil Hajj at all. If the ritual of manipulation of months in the time of Jahiliyya is considered to have been well organized, meaning that one month was deducted from the beginning, it indicates that the sacred pregnancy occurred in Shaban and not in Jamadi Al-Akhir. But, since none of the matters of those chaotic people were well organized, they did everything according to their own will. From the narrations of Jareer, Munzar, Mavardi and the sons of Abu Hatim, with the reference of Ibn Abbas, it is cited that the occurrence of Zil Hajj in place of Jamadi Al-Akhir in that year is not far from approach. ⁴ However, numerous scholars have conveyed that the prophet was conceived in the month of Rajab (which was deemed to be Zil Hajj at that time). With its acceptance, the famous citation is thus authenticated that the prophet was born in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal (because in that way it makes nine months till Rabi Al-Awwal). ⁵

This is why other scholars have affirmed the fact that Holy Prophet was not born in Muharram or Rajab or Ramadan. Sheikh Ahmed ibn Muhammad Qastallani states:

  لم یکن فی المحرم ولا فی رجب ولا فی رمضان. ⁶

  (The sacred birth) did not occur in Muharram; neither in Rajab, nor Ramadan.

Hence, he was not born in Ramadan or in the other sacred months. Ibn Jawzi ⁷ and Ibn Juzar have mentioned that a majority of Islamic Scholars agree on it.

Narrations Regarding the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad in the Month of Rabi Al-Awwal

According to almost every scholar of the biography, the Holy Prophet was born in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal. ⁸ Ibn Hisham states:

  قال ابن اسحاق ولد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم یوم الاثنین لاثنتی عشرة ليلة خلت من شھر ربیع الاول عام الفیل. ⁹

  Ibn Ishaq states: the Holy Prophet was born on a fine Monday morning, on the 12th of Rabi Al-Awwal in Year of the Elephants.

Imam Halabi states:

  ...وكان ذلك فی فصل ربیع الاول...وحكی الاجماع علیه... ¹⁰

  ...The Holy Prophet was born in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal.... Majority of Scholars have agreed upon it...

Imam Qastallani writes:

  والمشھور: انه ولد فی شھر ربیع الاوّل، وھو قول جمھور العلماء. ¹¹

  He was born in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal, so is agreed by the majority of scholars.

Imam Zurqani quotes Ibn-e-Kathir:

  ...قال ابن كثیر ھو المشھور عند الجمھوروعلیه العمل... ¹²

  Ibn Kathir said it (this month) is renowned among the majority of scholars and so is practiced (birthday is celebrated in this month).

Therefore, the scholars have a consensus on the fact that the Holy Prophet was born in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal, ¹³ and other narrations, which quote other months have been abandoned because their chain of narration is weak and their claims are fictitious.

Rabi Al-Awwal and the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad

Prophet Muhammad was neither born in the sacred months declared by the Holy Quran, nor in the month of Ramadan. This shows that Rabi-Al-Awwal got its high status due to the birth of Prophet Muhammad . If Prophet Muhammad was born in any of the sacred months, then it is possible that people would have said that the Holy Prophet became important or famous for being born in these important months. Therefore,

chose such a month for the sacred birth which was not known as a glorious month before. However, soon after Prophet Muhammad’s birth in this month, the month got elevated in its status. ¹⁴

The Holy Prophet’s appearance in the month of Rabi Al-Awwal also contains a reference to the etymology of the word Rabi (Spring Season), which contains an auspicious omen for the Muslim community. The spring season is when the sustenance and provisions by which people are sustained burst forth from the earth; it is when seeds sprout, delighting those who see them and mutely proclaiming the coming season. This is an allusion to the rejoicing caused by the beginning of God’s gifts represented by the birth of the Holy Prophet . It is the mildest and most moderate of divine laws, just as spring is the mildest and most moderate of seasons. ¹⁵

 

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• ¹ Holy Quran, At-Taubah (Repentance) 9: 37
• ² Muhammad ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari (1999), Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadith: 4662, Dar Al-Salam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 800.
• ³ Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj Al-Neshapuri (2000), Sahih Al-Muslim, Hadith: 4383, Dar Al-Salam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 743.
• ⁴ Ahmed Raza Khan Al-Qadri (2004), Fatawa Rizviyah, Raza Foundation, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 26, Pg. 405-411.
• ⁵ Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (2013), Al-Seerat Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 85.
• ⁶ Ahmed ibn Muhammad Al-Qastallani (2009), Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah bil Manh Al-Muhammadiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol.1, Pg. 75.
• ⁷ Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr ibn Qayyam Al-Jawzi (2000), Sifat-us-Safwa, Dar Al-Hadith, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 22.
• ⁸ Ahmed ibn Muhammad Al-Qastallani (2009), Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah bil Manh Al-Muhammadiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 74.
• ⁹ Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (2009), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Pg. 128.
• ¹⁰ Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (2013), Al-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 84.
• ¹¹ Ahmed ibn Muhammad Al-Qastallani (2009), Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah bil Manh Al-Muhammadiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol.1, Pg. 74.
• ¹² Muhammad ibn Abd Al-Baqi ibn Yusuf Al-Zurqani (1996), Sharah Al-Zurqani Ala Al-Mawahib Al-Laduniyyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 248.
• ¹³ Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (1988), Al-Bidayah wa Al-Nihayah, Dar Al-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 320.
• ¹⁴ Muhammad Abduhu Yamani (2012), Al-Ihtifa bil Mawlid Al-Nabawi Al-Sharif (Urdu Translation by Muhammad Tufail Zaigham), Hajwairi Book Shop, Lahore, Pakistan, Pg. 25-28.
• ¹⁵ Marion Holmes Katz (2007), The Birth of Prophet Muhammad: Devotional Piety in Sunni Islam, Routledge, London, U.K., Pg. 145.