The term "Rabiul Awwal," which literally translates to "the first spring," was originally introduced during the pre-Islamic period, around 412 CE, specifically during the time of Kilāb ibn Murrah, who was the fifth great-grandfather of our Prophet Muḥammad PBUH.
It has been reported that the Thamūd of al-ʿArab al-Bāʾidah (the extinguished Arabs) referred to this month as "Mwrid," while the al-ʿArab al-ʿĀribah (the Arabic Arabs), sometimes known as al-ʿArab al-Bāqiyah (the endured Arabs), called it "Ṭalīq." There is no recorded name from al-ʿArab al-Mustaʿribah (the Arabized Arabs).
It appears that in the pre-Islamic Arabian Peninsula, this month was originally known as "al-Khawwān," which conveys the idea of betrayals. Historians have suggested that it acquired this name due to the frequent occurrences of betrayals during this period, often resulting from armed conflicts that typically began in the preceding month, Nājir (the force of thirst). This pattern emerged because the first month, al-Muʾtamar or al-Muʾtamir, was considered a sacred month for conferences and consultations, during which hostilities were prohibited and postponed to the second month, except when a decision was made to advance it. Over time, the pre-Islamic Arabs in the region renamed these months as Muḥarram and Ṣafar. When Ṣafar was occasionally moved forward to allow for warfare, they referred to it as Ṣafarān (the two Ṣafars). To gain a better understanding of this dating system, one may explore various interpretations of the nasīʾ system in the pre-Islamic Arabic calendar.
Nevertheless, there are multiple theories regarding the origin of the name "Rabiul Awwal." Some believe it refers to its position in the Arab's six-season scheme during the pre-Islamic era, which included two months of the first spring, two months of summer, two months of heat, two months of the second spring, two months of autumn, and two months of winter. According to this view, it happened that this month fell within the first spring during the naming process. Another perspective suggests that it is the month when Arabs typically nurtured (tarbīʿ) their possessions, particularly animals acquired from the spoils of wars they participated in during the previous month. Some argue that the month coincided with autumn, during which people and animals would remain in a state of waiting (irtibāʿ) or vernalization. Nevertheless, the Arabs chose to call it "spring" (rabīʿ) for more favorable connotations. Lastly, some assert that there is no direct connection between the names of the months and the names of the seasons. According to this view, Arabs referred to "rabīʿ" using two different senses: the "spring" months (Rabiul Awwal and Rabiul Thani) occurring after Ṣafar and the spring season, which was characterized by two distinct periods—one when truffles and iris flowers bloomed and another when fruits were ripe for harvest.
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