Depa Tak Pasti Pun Tarikh Lahir Nabi, Tarikh Nabi Wafat ! !

When I was at university in the US I had plenty friends from Central and South America. Especially from Puerto Rico then Honduras, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and elsewhere. I managed to pick up some Spanish from them  - almost forgotten by now. The Latinos and Latinas were a really fun loving people. They would look for any excuse to throw a party.   

I recall this in comparison to the Muslims who always look for any excuse to fight - from then until now and going into the future. The Muslims even fight over celebrating a birthday party for the prophet. Unbelievable.

Another excuse for the Muslims to fight is the maulid Nabi or prophet's birthday celebrations. The psycho salafis / wahabis say that the maulud nabi or celebrating the prophet's birthday is an innovation or bid'ah. They are willing to chop off peoples' heads over matters like this. If you read the history of the Wahabis in Arabia you will find out about their 'religious cleansing'.  Chop chop.

Other Sunnis do insist on celebrating the maulud nabi on the 12th Rabbiul Awwal. The Salafis dont like them for this too.

Then both the Salafis and other Sunnis dont like the Shias who celebrate the Maulud Nabi in another month ie the 28th of Safar. Not on the 12th of Rabbiul Awwal. More excuses to fight. In Malaysia it is a crime to be a shia.  

Here is an article written by some religious type about the dates the prophet was born and the date he died. 

Ini bukan saya cakap ok. Ini orang 'agama' yang cakap.  Siapa rajin boleh pi baca lagi.  Ini link dia :  https://islamandpsychology.blogspot.com/2011/02/date-of-birth-and-date-of-death-of.html

 

Date of Birth and Date of Death of Prophet Muhammad

    - Was Prophet Muhammad Born on 12th Rabi ul Awwal ر بيع الاول ?
    - Why is 12th Rabi ul Awwal famous ?
    - Can we Rely on the Astronomical Calculation?
    - When did Prophet  Muhammad die?

Date of Birth

• From the very beginning, historians and writers of Seerah have differed on the date of birth of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. 
• disagreements even for the ‘year’ of birth of Prophet Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم 
• different views regarding his ‘month’ of birth and ‘date’ of birth. 

wide majority of historians mention ‘month’ to be Rabi ul awwal

proven from Authentic Narrations that his ‘day’ of birth was ‘Monday’.

Abu Qatada Ansari reported that Allah's Messenger صلى االه عليه وسلمwas asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me.  (Sahih Al Bukhari – Kitab As Sawm)

The different views regarding the date of birth are:

• 2nd Rabi ul Awwal: Ibn Abd al-Barr
• 5th Rabi ul Awwal: Ameer ud din
• 8th Rabi ul Awwal: Ibn al Qayyim, ibn Hazm, Az Zuhri, Ibn Dihya
• 9th Rabi ul Awwal : Muhammad Suleman Mansurpuri, Mubarakpuri , Shibli Nomani, Mahmud Pasha Falaki, Akbar Shah Najeeb Abadi, Moeenuddin Ahmed Nadvi, Abul Kalam Azad
• 12th Rabi ul Awwal: Tabari, ibn Khuldoon , Dr Hameedullah , ibn hisham, ‘Allama Abu’l-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al- Mawardi, ibn ishaaq
• 10th Rabi ul Awwal: Abul Fida, Abu Jaafar al Baaqir, Al Waqidi , Al Sha’bi
• 17th Rabi ul Awwal: Shia view; and they also believe that it was Friday
• 22nd Rabi ul Awwal: Also attributed to ibn Hazm
• 10th Muharram: Abdul Qadir Jilani

Now, how can one find the true date out of the numerous opinions? 

The only sure-shot information is that it was Monday, month of Rabi ul Awwal. 

Mahmud Pasha Falki proved through astronomical calculations that Monday falls on 9th Rabi ul Awwal in the year when Rasulullah was born. 

People who have written biographies in the past century have accepted his research and they normally quote the date of birth to be 9th Rabi ul Awwal. 

Allama Qastalani writes that people of Zaych in agreement that 8th Rabi ul Awwal was Monday  (Pula !!)

such disagreements on exact day of his birth proves that birthdays were not important to the Arabs. 

Hence, it is very difficult to conclude when exactly Rasulullah was born. 

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(Ok ini bukan saya cakap. Ini pakar rujuk sejarah yang cakap. Jangan marah saya ok.)

Why we cannot find the Exact Date Even from Astronomical Calculations

The pagan Arabs would play with the calendar and amend it according to their wishes; which is referred to as Nasi.  

before prophet-hood (ie before Prophet was 40 years old), there was not any official calendar in force in the Arab land.

Conclusion

• Considering the above mentioned facts, we can never be sure about the date of birth of Prophet Muhammad. 
• The exact birthdate of the Prophet Muhammad has always been the subject of dispute amongst classical scholars. 
• Nothing authentic has been reported in the standard source books of tradition, and this fact in itself shows that it was not held in the significance that later authorities did. 

The only way we could have been absolutely sure about it was if Prophet Muhammad would have told us that himself, which he actually didn’t. 

Why 12th Rabiulawwal is famous?

1- The two famous authors of Seerah Ibn Hisham and Ibn Ishaaq both have mentioned it to be 12th Rabi ul Awwal.

2-  Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr, writing before the conception of the mawlid in the fifth century hijrah, stated that the most common opinion amongst historians was in fact the 8th of Rabīʿ al-Awwal

Ibn Kathīr, writing three centuries later, after mawlid introduced as a public festival, stated 12th Rabīʿ al-Awwal was most common opinion. 

Ibn S’ad didn’t even put 12 Rabi ul Awwal in the list of candidates for Birthday of Prophet Muhammad. 

In the earlier days 8th Rabi ul Awwal used to be accepted as the date of Birth.

Date of Death of the Prophet

What we know for sure is that the day of his death was ‘Monday’

as for the date we have different narrations

The famous one is 12th rabiul awwal.

13th Rabi ul Awwal: Muhammad Suleman Mansurpure
12th Rabi ul Awwal: Mubarakpuri
2nd Rabi ul Awwal: Ibn Hajr
1st Rabi ul Awwal: Ibn  Jareer
28th Safar: Sh’ia Historians (They also mention the day to be Monday)

Prophet Muhammad died:
9th Dhil Hijjah was Friday (Bukhari – Prophetic Commentary on the Qur’an)

Conclusion

Ibn Hajr (2nd Rabi ul Awwal), Ibn Jareer (1st Rabi ul Awwal) and Suleiman Mansurpuri (13th Rabi ul Awwal) are the only possibilities 

common views of 12th Rabiul Awwal and 28th Safar proven incorrect.
 

My comments :  

Tomorrow Sunday 11th December, 2016 is also the 12th of Rabbiul Awwal of the Arabic calendar. 12th Rabbiual Awwal is deemed to be the anniversary of the prophet's birthday. Hence it is a public holiday in Malaysia. Because it is already a Sunday, the following Monday is also a public holiday.   

Well if all these 'religious experts' dont know for certain. then certainly I also cannot say for sure. 

I was not a witness observing the Prophet in his lifetime. So I cannot say for sure. 

12th Rabbiul awwal pops up often in these "historical" stories.

• Prophet's birthday 12th Rabbiul Awwal
• Prophet died 12th Rabbiual Awwal.
• First mosque Masjid Quba completed 12th Rabbiul Awwal
• First Friday prayer 12th Rabbiul Awwal

A bit of extra information:

Not only was the prophet born and died on the same day ie 12th Rabbiul Awwal but he was also born on a Monday (12th Rabbiul Awwal) and also died on a Monday (12th Rabbiul Awwal).

These are really fantastic historical coincidences.

But the religious historians themselves have no soild evidence for whatever they say. 

What does the Quran say?

Here is a standard translation of Surah 3:144 (which I dont fully agree with) 

"Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels ? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful."


So believing in the message the messenger brought is more important than if the messenger were no more alive. 

Instead of arguing over the exact dates of his birthday it is better to read and understand the message that the messenger  brought.

Comprendes las palabras que salen de mi boca?