Mab'ath (The Prophet's Calling)

Mab'ath (Arabic: مبعث) marks the day when the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) received the first revelation from Allah through the angel Jibril (Gabriel) in the Cave of Hira near Mecca and was called to prophethood. This event took place on the 27th of Rajab, approximately 13 years before the Hijra (c. 610 CE).

The first revelation was the beginning of Surah Al-Alaq: "Read! In the name of your Lord who created. Created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who taught by the pen. Taught man what he did not know" (Surah Al-Alaq 96:1-5). With this revelation, the era of Islam began.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) was the first man to believe in the Prophet's message. He narrated: "I saw the light of prophethood and breathed its fragrance" (Nahj al-Balagha, Khutbah al-Qasi'ah). Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (peace be upon her), the Prophet's wife, was the first woman to believe. According to Shia narrations, Imam Ali was only 10 years old when he accepted Islam.

Mab'ath is celebrated as a day of joy (Eid) in Shia Islam. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "There is no Eid for Muslims — neither al-Adha nor al-Fitr — that is more honorable than the Day of Mab'ath" (Wasail al-Shia, vol. 7). Acts of worship for this day include: ghusl, fasting, a special two rak'ah prayer, recitation of specific du'as, and celebration of the beginning of Islam. Shia mosques hold lectures and celebrations on the occasion of Mab'ath.