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Dates of the blessed birth and demise of Prophet Muhammad PBUH
9-27-2023
This issue has been addressed in my Arabic article Mata Wulida al-Rasul allallahu Alayhi wa Sallam wa Mata Tuwuffiya.[1] A summary is outlined below.
(1) Blessed birth of the Prophet (PBUH)
According to the majority of scholars, the Prophet (PBUH) was born in Rabial-Awwal in the Year of the Elephant, which corresponds to 571 CE. This was 53 years before the migration of the Prophet (PBUH) to the blessed city of Madinah. There is general agreement among scholars that the Prophet (PBUH) was born on Monday, as affirmed by a Prophetic statement transmitted in sahih Muslim (1162). However, there is a difference of opinion regarding the precise date of birth. The following are some of the views:
1. The precise date of birth is unknown.
2. The blessed birth occurred on a Monday in Rabial-Awwal and the date is unknown.
3. 1st Rabial-Awwal – This view is attributed to Abd Allah ibn Abbas (d. 68/687-8) (may Allah be pleased with him).
4. 2nd Rabial-Awwal – This is the view of Imam Abu Mashar Najih ibn Abd al-Rahman (d. 170/787) and hafiz Abd al-Gani al-Maqdisi al-hanbali (d. 600/1203). hafiz Mugaltaya al-hanafi (d. 762/1361) is inclined towards this.
5. 3rd Rabial-Awwal.
6. 8th Rabial-Awwal – This is the view of most experts including Imam Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mutim (d. circa 100/719), hafiz Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khuwarizmi al-hanafi (d. 403/1012), Imam Ibn hazm (d. 456/1064), Hafiz Abu al-Khattab ibn Dihyah (d. 633/1235), Shaykh Idris Kandhelwi (d. 1394/1974) and Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludyanwi (d. 1422/2002). This view is also attributed to Abd Allah ibn Abbas (d. 68/687-8) (may Allah be pleased with him).
7. 9th Rabial-Awwal – This is the view of the famous Muslim astronomer Mahmud Pasha (d. 1302/1885) who conducted detailed research on this subject and concluded that the Prophet (PBUH) was born on the morning of 9 Rabial-Awwal, which corresponds to 20 April 571 CE. This view has been endorsed by Mawlana Shibli Numani (d. 1332/1914), Shaykh Muhammad ibn Afifi al-Bajuri (d. 1345/1927), Qazi Sulayman Mansurpuri (d. 1349/1930), Allamah Zahid Kawthari (d. 1371/1952), Sayyid Sulayman Nadwi (d. 1373/1953) and Mawlana safi al-Rahman Mubarakpuri (d. 1427/2006).
8. 10th Rabial-Awwal – This is the view of Imam Amir ibn Sharahil al-Shabi (d. circa 104/722), Imam Abu Jafar al-Baqir (d. 114/732-3) and Hafiz Dimyati al-Shafii (d. 705/1306).
9. 12th Rabial-Awwal – This is the view of Imam Ibn Ishaq (d. 150/767-8), Imam Ibn Hibban (d. 354/965), Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi (d. 450/1058), Imam Ibn Khaldun (d. 808/1406) and others. Although this is a commonly held view, it is worth noting that from an astronomical perspective, this date in the Year of the Elephant does not coincide with a Monday in any way. This is why many experts have questioned this view and deemed it incorrect.
10. Friday 17th Rabial-Awwal – This has been refuted by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (d. 774/1373).
11. 22nd Rabial-Awwal.
Thus, the preferred view is that the Prophet (PBUH) was born on 8th or 9th Rabial-Awwal (19 or 20 April 571 CE)[2] although 1st or 2nd Rabial-Awwal (12 or 13 April 571 CE) are possible dates. The difference of opinion clearly suggests that, contrary to popular belief, there is no unanimous or fixed position regarding the precise date of the blessed birth of our beloved Prophet (PBUH).
(2) Demise of our beloved Prophet (PBUH)
There is general agreement among scholars that the Prophet (PBUH) passed away on a Monday in Rabial-Awwal in the 11th year after migration. However, there is a difference of opinion regarding the precise date in Rabial-Awwal. The following are the principal views:
1. 12th Rabial-Awwal – This is the most famous opinion and is the view of Imam Ibn Ishaq (d. 150/767-8), Imam Waqidi (d. 207/823), Imam Tamawi (d. 321/933), Imam Ibn Hibban (d. 354/965), Imam Ibn Hazm (d. 456/1064), Hafiz Ibn Abd al-Barr (d. 463/1071), Imam Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597/1201), Imam Nawawi (d. 676/1277), Hafiz Dhahabi (d. 748/1348), Hafiz Ibn Nasir al-Din al-Dimishqi (d. 842/1438), Imam Ibn Hajar al-Makki (d. 974/1567), Qazi Sulayman Mansurpuri (d. 1349/1930), Mawlana Safi al-Rahman Mubarakpuri (d. 1427/2006) and many others. This view is also attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib (d. 40/661), Aishah (d. 58/678) and Abd Allah ibn Abbas (d. 68/687-8) (may Allah be pleased with them) and Hafiz Ibn al-SalaH (d. 643/1245). However, many experts such as Imam Suhayli (d. 581/1185) have questioned this view based on the fact that 9th Dhu al-Hijjah (the day of Arafah) in the 10th year after migration was a Friday. Accordingly, it is impossible for 12th Rabial-Awwal, three months later, to have fallen on a Monday even after considering all the possible variations in the number of days of Dhu al-hijjah, Muharram and Safar. The only possible way of reconciling 12th Rabial-Awwal with Monday is to assume that Dhu al-Hijjah started a day later in the blessed city of Madinah. However, this reconciliation is only valid if all four months, Dhu al-Qadah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram and Safar, were all complete months of 30 days. This is extremely rare, especially if Makkah was already a day ahead in Dhu al-Hijjah. For this reason, experts such as Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani (d. 852/1449), Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludyanwi (d. 1422/2002) and others argue that this view is wrong and is based on a transcribing error of 2nd Rabial-Awwal becoming 12th Rabial-Awwal. Mawlana Ashraf ?Ali Thanawi (d. 1362/1943) is also of the view that this date is incorrect.
2. 2nd Rabial-Awwal – This is the view of Imam Abu Ishaq Saad ibn Ibrahim ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf al-Zuhri (d. 125/742-3), Imam Muhammad ibn Qays (d. circa 126/743-4), Imam Sulayman al-Taymi (d. 143/761), Imam Khalifah ibn Khayyat (d. 240/854-5), Imam Tabarani (d. 360/971). Scholars who are inclined to this view include Imam Izz al-Din ibn Jamaah (d. 767/1366), Imam Ibn Khaldun (d. 808/1406), Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (d. 852/1449), Imam Qastalani (d. 923/1517), Mufti Rashid Ahmad Ludyanwi (d. 1422/2002) and others.
3. 1st Rabial-Awwal – This is the view of Imam Urwah ibn al-Zubayr (d. 94/712-3), Imam Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri (d. 124/742), Imam Musa ibn Uqbah (d. 141/758-9), and Hafiz Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khuwarizmi al-Hanafi (d. 403/1012). Imam Suhayli (d. 581/1185) and Imam Abu al-Yumn ibn Asakir (d. 686/1287) are inclined towards this view although they suggest that the second view is also plausible. Hafiz Ibn Sayyid al-Nas (d. 734/1334) suggests that both this and the previous view are possibilities. It is worth noting that both views are substantiated via a narration transmitted by Imam Ibn Jarir (d. 310/923) from Abd Allah ibn Abbas (d. 68/687-8) who suggests that the Prophet (PBUH) remained alive for 81 days after the verse “Today, I have completed for you your faith” was revealed. The majority of the scholars are of the view that this verse was revealed on 9th Dhu al-Hijjah, as explicitly mentioned in the narration of SaHih al-Bukhari (45, 4407, 4606, and 7268).
4. 13th Rabial-Awwal – This is the view of Hafiz Badr al-Din ibn Jamaah (d. 733/1333) and Shaykh Muhammad ibn Afifi al-Bajuri (d. 1345/1927). The latter adopted this view based on the research of the Muslim astronomer Mahmud Pasha (d. 1302/1885), who also appears inclined towards this view. Apart from the astronomical possibility of this date coinciding with a Monday, there is no evidence to substantiate this position.
Thus, similar to the date of birth, there is no scholarly consensus on the precise date of the demise of our beloved Prophet (PBUH). The strongest view, however, appears to be that the Prophet (PBUH) passed away on Monday 1st or 2nd Rabial-Awwal 11 AH, which corresponds to 27 or 28 May 632 CE.
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