UAE public holiday: Rabi Al Awwal crescent sighted ahead of Prophet’s Birthday

Abu Dhabi: The International Astronomical Centre has captured images of the crescent moon heralding the start of Rabi Al Awwal 1448 AH, a month in which Muslims honour the birth of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). The images were taken on August 13, 2024, from the observatory known as Al Khatim after sunset. The first picture shows a single shot, while the second image is a composite of multiple pictures to make the thin crescent more discernible.

The International Astronomical Centre tracks the visibility of the crescent for each lunar month, including maps of visibility and sightings from observers worldwide, as well as official start dates for the month across different nations. This observation underscores Rabi Al Awwal's significance as the third month in the Islamic lunar calendar and the 12th day's celebration as Al Mawlid Al Nabawi, the Prophet Mohammed's birthday.

Rabi Al Awwal, meaning "the first spring", is the third month of the Hijri calendar, which operates on a lunar system where months commence with the sighting of the new crescent and last 29 or 30 days. As a lunar calendar, an Islamic year is typically 10 to 11 days shorter than a Gregorian year, causing religious events to advance in the Gregorian calendar each year.

The Prophet Mohammed's birthday is observed on the 12th day of Rabi Al Awwal in the UAE and numerous other Muslim nations. The UAE government declares 12 Rabi Al Awwal as the birthday of the Prophet. In 2026, the UAE granted a public holiday for the Prophet's Birthday on 12 Rabi Al Awwal, which applied to both federal government entities and the private sector.

However, the UAE designated Friday, August 28, 2026, as a public holiday to celebrate the Prophet's Birthday. This holiday covers federal government offices and private businesses, with businesses in Dubai operating normal hours on Monday, August 31. The sighting of the crescent is crucial given the lunar calendar's reliance on the moon's visibility to set the start of Islamic months.