The month of Safar has departed, and Rabiul Awwal, the third month of the Arabic calendar, has arrived. Eid-e-Miladunnabi is observed on the 12th of this month. On this day, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was born, and it was also on this day that he passed away. For this reason, the month holds great significance for Muslims.
Just as the virtue of Rabiul Awwal has grown because of the Prophet’s birth, the significance of Monday has grown as well. A hadith states that when asked about fasting on Mondays, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that it was the day he was born and the day he received prophethood, or the day the Quran began to be revealed to him. He also said that fasting three days a month, along with the entire month of Ramadan, is equivalent to fasting the whole year. (Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith: 2426; Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 1162)
Almighty Allah sent the beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as a great favor to humankind and a mercy to all the worlds. In the Holy Quran, Allah, the Lord of the worlds, states: “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” (Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 107)
For this reason, Allah, the Lord of the worlds, has instructed in the Holy Quran that, alongside obeying His commands and prohibitions, believers should follow the example and path shown by the Prophet, peace be upon him, in order to succeed in the hereafter. The Holy Quran states: “Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’” (Surah Al-Imran, verse 31) However, the Holy Quran and hadith do not directly mention any specific practices or duties tied to Rabiul Awwal, the month of the Prophet’s birth and passing. On this, Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmadullah’s view is that there is no mention in the Quran and hadith of any special practice for Rabiul Awwal. However, because the Prophet was born in this month, it holds significance. Certain practices exist that, like in other months, can also be observed in this month — such as fasting every Monday.
The Prophet himself, peace be upon him, used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays. A hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, states that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said that deeds are presented (before Allah) every Monday and Thursday, so he preferred that his deeds be presented while he was fasting. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith: 747)
In addition, since it is a month of great virtue, in honor of Rabiul Awwal, one can give special importance to obligatory worship without negligence, alongside voluntary worship. However, in present times, many observe the Prophet’s birthday on the 12th of Rabiul Awwal as a festival, which is not appropriate at all.
According to Islamic scholar Sheikh Ahmadullah, there is no basis for this in Sharia. Even the companions of the Prophet never observed the 12th of Rabiul Awwal as a day of celebration or mourning. Therefore, any celebration centered on this day is not sanctioned by Sharia.
It should be remembered that a hadith narrated by Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, states that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said that if anyone introduces into our religion something that does not belong to it, it will be rejected. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith: 2517)