Rabi' al-Awwal

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

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 Muhammad.

References

References

1. "المنجد في اللغة - المكتبة الوقفية للكتب المصورة PDF".
2. "ص162 - كتاب لسان العرب - فصل الراء - المكتبة الشاملة".
3. "الطّراز الأوّل - ابن معصوم المدني - مکتبة مدرسة الفقاهة".
4. "ص363 - كتاب تاج العروس من جواهر القاموس - رمض - المكتبة الشاملة".
5. "The Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia".
6. "Days on viewpoint of Imam Khomeini". Islamic research center.