12th Rabi ul Awwal was not the Date of Prophet Muhammad Alaihissalam

12th Rabi Ul-Awwal was not the Date of Death of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Muslim Ummah has consensus upon it that the tenth year after Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ migration towards Medina, He delivered his final address to His Ummah on the 9th  day of Dhul Hajjah which is known as Yom al-Arafa,10th Hijra, and it was Friday, on the same day verse of completion of Din was revealed and the very next year i.e. 11 Hijra in the month of Safar or Rabi Ul-Awwal on the day of Monday Prophet Muhammad ﷺ departed (Physically).It is evident from the following narrations:

عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، مِنَ الْيَهُودِ قَالَ لَهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، آيَةٌ فِي كِتَابِكُمْ تَقْرَءُونَهَا لَوْ عَلَيْنَا مَعْشَرَ الْيَهُودِ نَزَلَتْ لاَتَّخَذْنَا ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ عِيدًا‏.‏ قَالَ أَىُّ آيَةٍ قَالَ ‏{‏الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا‏}‏‏.‏ قَالَ عُمَرُ قَدْ عَرَفْنَا ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمَ وَالْمَكَانَ الَّذِي نَزَلَتْ فِيهِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ بِعَرَفَةَ يَوْمَ جُمُعَةٍ‏.

‏Translation: Narrated 'Umar bin Al-Khattab: Once a Jew said to me, "O the chief of believers! There is a verse in your Holy Book Which is read by all of you (Muslims), and had it been revealed to us, we would have taken that day (on which it was revealed as a day of celebration." 'Umar bin Al-Khattab asked, "Which is that verse?" The Jew replied, "This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, And have chosen for you Islam as your religion." (5:3) 'Umar replied, “No doubt, we know when and where this verse was revealed to the Prophet. It was Friday and the Prophet (ﷺ) was standing at 'Arafat (i.e. the Day of Hajj)”.

عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ ـ وَكَانَ تَبِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَخَدَمَهُ وَصَحِبَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ كَانَ يُصَلِّي لَهُمْ فِي وَجَعِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ، حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَهُمْ صُفُوفٌ فِي الصَّلاَةِ، فَكَشَفَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سِتْرَ الْحُجْرَةِ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْنَا، وَهْوَ قَائِمٌ كَأَنَّ وَجْهَهُ وَرَقَةُ مُصْحَفٍ، ثُمَّ تَبَسَّمَ يَضْحَكُ، فَهَمَمْنَا أَنْ نَفْتَتِنَ مِنَ الْفَرَحِ بِرُؤْيَةِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَنَكَصَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَلَى عَقِبَيْهِ لِيَصِلَ الصَّفَّ، وَظَنَّ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَارِجٌ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ، فَأَشَارَ إِلَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ أَتِمُّوا صَلاَتَكُمْ، وَأَرْخَى السِّتْرَ، فَتُوُفِّيَ مِنْ يَوْمِهِ‏.‏

Translation: Narrated Az-Zuhri: Ana’s bin Malik Al-Ansari, told me, “Abu Bakr used to lead the people in prayer during the fatal illness of the Prophet (ﷺ) till it was Monday. When the people aligned (in rows) for the prayer the Prophet (ﷺ) lifted the curtain of his house and started looking at us and was standing at that time. His face was (glittering) like a page of the Qur'an and he smiled cheerfully. We were about to be put to trial for the pleasure of seeing the Prophet, Abu Bakr retreated to join the row as he thought that the Prophet (ﷺ) would lead the prayer. The Prophet (ﷺ) beckoned us to complete the prayer and he let the curtain fall. On the same day he died.”

Now, from Dhul Hajjah, 9th Hijra to Rabi Ul-Awwal, 10th Hijra; there are four months including Dhul Hajjah. Islamic month consists of maximum 29 or 30 days. As there are four months, so there are four possibilities which are as under:

 1st Possibility:
If there are 30 days in each of the four months then on 12th Rabi Ul-Awwal, day is Sunday. Rabi Ul-Awwal starts on Wednesday and Mondays fall on 6th, 13th and so on.

 2nd Possibility:
If Dhul Hajjah is of 30 days, Moharram 30 and Safar 29 then on 12th Rabi Ul-Awwal, day is Saturday. Rabi ul Awwal starts on Tuesday and Mondays fall on 7th, 14th and so on.

 3rd Possibility:
If Dhul Hajjah is of 30 days, Moharram 29 and Safar 29 then on 12th Rabi Ul-Awwal, day is Friday. Rabi ul Awwal starts on Monday and Mondays fall on 1st, 8th, and 15th and so on.

 4th Possibility:
If Dhul Hajjah is of 29 days, Moharram 29 and Safar 29 then on 12th Rabi Ul-Awwal, day is Thursday. Rabi ul Awwal starts on Sunday and Mondays fall on 2nd, 9th, and so on.

 As for 28th Safar:
1- If Dhul Hajjah and Muharram are 30 days it is Sunday.
2- If Dhul Hajjah and Muharram are 29 days it is Friday
3- If one is 29 and the other is 30 it is Saturday.

- Conclusion:

From the above mentioned discussion, without shadow of any doubt, it is crystal clear that in 11th Hijra, the day on 12th Rabi Ul-Awwal was not Monday, which confirms that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was not died on 12th Rabi Ul-Awwal. Now after this discussion; In order to support the above fact, I would like quote an important historical record that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) departed from this world on 1st or 2nd of Rabi-ul-Awwal.

Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanvi writes

“And the date has not been established, and the popular notion that it was the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal is not correct according to calendar, since that year the 9th of Dhul-Hajjah fall on Friday and the proven day of death is Monday. Thus it cannot be that 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal would be Monday when the 9th of Zil-Hijjah was a Friday”.

Moreover, According to Imam Ibn Hajar date of death was 2nd Rabi Ul-Awwal, according to Ibn Jareer it was 1st Rabi Ul-Awwal, according to Muhammad Suleman Mansurpure it was 13th Rabi Ul-Awwal and according to Mubarakpuri it was 12th Rabi Ul-Awwal. Thus, the view of Ibn e Hajar i.e. 2nd Rabi ul Awwal, view of Ibn e Jareer i.e. 1st Rabi ul Awwal  and Suleman Mansurpure i.e. 13th Rabi ul Awwal are the only possibilities and the common views of 12th Rabi ul Awwal and 28th Safar have been proven to be incorrect.