Rabīʿ al-Awwal (I): The Blessed month of the Blessed Prophet (saw)

We all know that January is the first month of the Year – this may be true for the Christians and for all who follow the Gregorian calendar.  Muslims, on the other hand, recognize and use the Gregorian calendar dated from the year, according to some Christians, of the birth of Sayyiduna ‘Isa (as), but do not recognize its validity for any purpose.   Muslims, and others who follow their own calendars use it to avoid any confusion and to remain somewhat ‘convenient’.

It is highly important that Muslims do not forget altogether that we have our very own and very distinct Islamic Calendar based on the lunar cycle – as opposed to the Gregorian calendar which is based on the Solar calendar.  There are many reasons why we should not forget the importance of the Islamic Calendar.  For example, many of the faraa-id (obligations) are tied to the Islamic months – if we do not track the months, therefore, we will not complete these obligations. And our practice of Islam will be under threat.  It is this, with which we measure the Islamic months and our obligations that are derived with certain times throughout the year.

Another example of the importance of the Islamic months comes in the form of the 5^th and sanctimonious month of dhu-al-Hajj, which all Muslims recognize as the month in which muslims perform the holy pilgrimage to the House of Allah.   Hajj cannot be performed in any other month.

Similarly, the obligation of the fasts of Ramadan are tied with sighting the waxing crescent of the moon of the month of Sha’ban and the new crescent of the month of Ramadan.  If we miss either, then our Ramadan will be incomplete.  More relevant for our purposes now, is the fact that this month, the month of Rabīʿ al-Awwal, is the month that was written in history as the month of the birth of the Mercy, the Holy Prophet, the Chosen One, that Great Messenger, Muḥammad ibn Abdullāh, al-Muṣṭafā, ṣalla-Allāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam…