Islamic Events

Muslims around the world recognise Rabi-ul-Awwal as the month in which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born. With that reverence comes a common question: Is marking 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal as a religious festival Sunnah, or is it a later innovation (Bid’ah)? This article approaches the question with authentic Islamic sources: the Qur’an, rigorously authenticated Hadith, and the understanding of the earliest generations, so that love for Allah’s Messenger ﷺ is expressed exactly as Islam teaches. Importance of the Islamic Months Islam organises time according to the Hijri calendar, a divinely acknowledged system of twelve months. Allah says: Arabic:إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًۭا فِى كِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِنۡهَآ أَرۡبَعَةٌ حُرُمٞۚ English (Surah At-Tawbah 9:36):“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred.” This establishes that sanctity and special rulings for months come from revelation, not from custom. While Rabi-ul-Awwal is honoured because of events tied to the Seerah, it is not listed among the four Sacred Months in the Qur’an (Dhul-Qa‘dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab). Any distinctive religious practices must therefore be proven by textual evidence. Rabi-ul-Awwal 2025: Key Dates to Know Rabi-ul-Awwal, the third month of the Islamic Hijri calendar, is expected to begin around August 24, 2025, based on moon sighting, with 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal 2025 likely falling on September 4 or 5, 2025, in most regions like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and India. These dates depend on local moon sightings, as is customary in the Islamic calendar. This month holds immense significance as it marks both the birth and passing of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, making it a time for reflection, learning his Seerah, and following his Sunnah. During Rabi-ul-Awwal, maintaining accurate prayer times is essential for Muslims to strengthen their worship and connection with Allah. Below is a sample prayer times schedule for New York, United States (using Muslim World League method and Hanafi juristic school) for the early days of Rabi-ul-Awwal 2025. For personalized prayer times in your location, visit our prayer times tool to get real-time schedules adjusted for your city and time zone. Significance of Rabi-ul-Awwal Most early Seerah scholars report that the Prophet ﷺ was born in Rabi-ul-Awwal (exact day is differed upon), and he ﷺ passed away in this month as well. These historical realities make Rabi-ul-Awwal a Seerah-focused month—ideal for learning, teaching, and acting upon the Prophet’s guidance—rather than for introducing new religious festivals without proof. How Revelation Teaches Us to Honour the Prophet ﷺ The Qur’an commands believers to send Salat and Salam upon the Prophet ﷺ and to follow him: Authentic Sunnah also shows a weekly, prophetic way of expressing gratitude for his birth: the Prophet ﷺ fasted on Mondays. When asked why, he said: “That is the day I was born and the day on which revelation came to me.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Siyam, hadith on fasting Mondays) This Prophetic practice (fasting Mondays) provides a text-based, Sunnah-aligned way to celebrate his coming—without transforming a specific date into a new religious festival. The Concept of Festivals in Islam Islam is a complete way of life, and it even defines the occasions when Muslims should gather in celebration. Unlike other faiths or cultures that have multiple religious festivals, Islam has restricted its followers to two annual Eids only—Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha. Any attempt to add a third festival under a religious label has no basis in the Qur’an or the Sunnah. Only Two Eids in Islam After the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ migrated to Madinah, he found that the people there had certain days they used to celebrate. He ﷺ clarified that Allah had replaced them with something better: Arabic:عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ: قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ وَلَهُمْ يَوْمَانِ يَلْعَبُونَ فِيهِمَا، فَقَالَ: «مَا هَذَانِ الْيَوْمَانِ؟» قَالُوا: كُنَّا نَلْعَبُ فِيهِمَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَبْدَلَكُمْ بِهِمَا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمَا: يَوْمَ الْأَضْحَى وَيَوْمَ الْفِطْرِ». English:Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Madinah and the people had two days in which they would play. He said: ‘What are these two days?’ They said: ‘We used to play on them in the pre-Islamic era.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Allah has given you in their place two days better than them: the Day of al-Adha and the Day of al-Fitr.’”(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith 1134; authenticated by al-Albani) This clear hadith establishes that Muslims are only meant to celebrate two Eids. Every other festival—no matter how emotionally appealing—falls outside the framework of Islam. No Third Eid in Islam Neither the Qur’an nor the Sunnah gives approval for a third annual festival. The Prophet ﷺ, his companions (Sahaba), and the early generations (Salaf) never celebrated 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal or any other day as a religious Eid. Their love for the Messenger ﷺ was deeper than anyone after them, yet they expressed that love through obedience, Dawah, prayer, and sacrifice—not through inventing new rituals. Therefore, making Eid Milad-un-Nabi a yearly celebration contradicts the explicit teaching of the Prophet ﷺ himself: only two Eids are part of Islamic worship. 3. The Birth of the Prophet ﷺ The month of Rabi-ul-Awwal holds a unique place in Islamic history, as it is widely known as the month of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ birth. However, it is also the month in which he ﷺ passed away. Both events make this month significant, yet Islam teaches us to approach it with balance, gratitude, and adherence to authentic practices. Differences in Historical Dates While many Muslims popularly claim that the Prophet ﷺ was born on 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, Islamic historians and scholars have documented different opinions: Because of these differences, no single date can be declared with absolute certainty. What is unanimously accepted, however, is that the Prophet ﷺ was born in Rabi-ul-Awwal, in the Year of the Elephant (570 CE), in Makkah