Rabi ul-Awwal Witnessed the Birth of the Messenger of Allah (saw), his Appointment as a Prophet, his Hijrah and his Return to his Lord

The month of Rabi ul-Awwal is a month of great significance for the Ummah of Sayyidina Muhammad (saw). Rabi ul-Awwal witnessed the gift of the birth of Muhammad (saw). It witnessed his appointing as the Final Prophet and Messsenger, the Mercy to all Humankind. It witnessed his (saw) rise into ruling governance, through a Hijrah that established him (saw) as a ruler of Madinah. And Rabi ul-Awwal witnessed his (saw) return to Allah (swt) to ascend as a merciful intercessor for his (saw) Ummah on the Day of Judgment.

Indeed, the appointing of Muhammad (saw) as the Mercy to all Humankind, the final Prophet and Messenger occurred during Rabi ul-Awwal. Abu al-Hasan Ali bin Hussein bin Ali Masudi (d. : 346 AH) narrated in his book, التنبيه والإشراف “Warning and Nobility” as follows, ... فلما بلغ أربعين سنة بعثه الله عز وجل الى الناس كافة يوم الاثنين لعشر خلون من شهر ربيع الأول... وله صلّى الله عليه وسلّم يومئذ أربعون سنة وتنوزع في أول من آمن به من الذكور، بعد إجماعهم على أن أول من آمن به من الإناث خديجة “... And when he reached forty years of age, Allah (swt) appointed him as Prophet to all the people on Monday in the first ten days of Rabi ul-Awwal ... On that day, RasulAllah (saw) was forty years of age and he was the first of the men to believe, and by consensus (of the Companions) Khadija (ra) was the first of the women to believe.”

Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Abu Bakr bin Abdul Malik Al-Qastalaani, Al-Qutaybee, Al Misree, Abul Abbas, Shahabuddin (d.: 923) in his book المواهب اللدنية بالمنح المحمدية “The Bounties for Earth by the Granting of Muhammad,” "ولما بلغ رسول الله- صلى الله عليه وسلم- أربعين سنة... وقال ابن عبد البر: يوم الاثنين لثمان من ربيع الأول سنة إحدى وأربعين من الفيل. وقيل: فى أول ربيع: بعثه الله رحمة للعالمين، ورسولا إلى كافة الثقلين أجمعين" “When RasulAllah - (saw) – reached forty years of age ... And Ibn Abd al-Barr said: Monday the Eighth of Rabi ul-Awwal forty-one years after the Year of the Elephant. It is said: in Rabi ul-Awwal, Allah appointed him as a Mercy to all Humankind and a Messenger to all races.”

How unique was this appointment in the distinguished history of the Prophets; the Messenger of Allah (saw) was given the elevated status amongst all the Prophets (as), for Muhammad (saw) was not for a certain people for a certain time, like the previous Prophets such as those who were sent to the people of Aad, Thamud, Lut or Bani Isra’eel. No, Muhammad (saw) was for all races for all times, from the moment of his blessed appointment until the end of time. Allah (swt) said,

[وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ] “We did not send you save as a Mercy to all of Humankind.” [TMQ Surah Al-Anbiyya 21:107].

Indeed, Rabi ul-Awwal was witness to the Hijrah of the Messenger of Allah (saw) to establish Islam as a state for the first time, in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwara, illuminated by the light of Guidance. Having secured the nussrah (military support) from the two strong tribes of Al-Madinah, Bani Khazraj and Bani al-Aws, the stage was set for his (saw) Hijrah from the oppression in Makkah to ruling by Islam in Madinah. Bukhari in his Saheeh from Ibn Shihab who said that Urwah ibn al-Zubayr told him, "وَسَمِعَ المُسْلِمُونَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ مَخْرَجَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ مَكَّةَ... فَتَلَقَّوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِظَهْرِ الحَرَّةِ، فَعَدَلَ بِهِمْ ذَاتَ اليَمِينِ، حَتَّى نَزَلَ بِهِمْ فِي بَنِي عَمْرِو بْنِ عَوْفٍ، وَذَلِكَ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الأَوَّلِ..." “and Muslims of Madinah heard of the departure of RasulAllah (saw) from Makkah... and they met RasulAllah (saw) in Bani Amr Ibn Auf's tribe, and that was on a Monday in the month of Rabi ul-Awwal ...”

And Ibn Hibbaan narrated in his Saheeh from al – Baraa who said, "أَنَّ قُدُومَهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمَدِينَةَ كَانَ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ لِاثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً خَلَتْ مِنْ رَبِيعٍ الْأَوَّلِ" “the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (saw) was on Monday on the night of the twelfth of Rabi ul-Awwal.”

At-Tabari said in his “The History of the Messengers and Rulers,” (حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سَلَمَةُ، عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قال: قدم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَدِينَةَ يَوْمَ الاثْنَيْنِ، لاثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ لَيْلَةً خَلَتْ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَبِيعٍ الأَوَّلِ) “We heard from Ibn Hamid, who said: We heard from Salamah , from Ibn Ishaaq, from Az-Zohri who said: RasulAllah (saw) arrived in Al-Madinah on Monday of the night of the twelfth of Rabi ul-Awwal.”

Thus Rabiul Awwal, was the month in which the Messenger of Allah (saw), who had been granted the Nabuwwa (Prophethood) was now granted the Hukm (Ruling). Now the first Islamic state had been established, allowing Islam to be implemented in all its glory and mercy. RasulAllah (saw) established rulers over the regions, he (saw) appointed judges and established the foundations of a vigilant judiciary, he (saw) formed a state treasury, raising revenues and spending upon the citizenry and he (saw) raised a strong and powerful army. He (saw) invited the other tribes and nations, dispatching messages to the kings and emperors. He (saw) expanded the Islamic state, as his mission was to carry Islam as a Mercy to all of Humankind, with the people entering Islam in droves.

So, let Rabi ul-Awwal and the gifts it witnessed inspire us to raise the message of Islam and strive for its implementation, as a comfort for the oppressed and mercy to all humanity.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Musab Umair