Do you have to say the month of Ramadan instead of Ramadan?

No, rather it is permitted to say Ramadan, and it is not required for a person to say the month of Ramadan instead.

Some people do say that it is not permitted to say Ramadan, but you have to say the month of Ramadan instead. They sometimes go further and say this is due to the fact that Ramadan is a name of Allah Most High. However, this is incorrect. Ramadan is not established as a name of Allah Most High (see link below for details). There are numerous Sahih Hadith narrations that prove the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regularly said Ramadan, without saying month of.

Imam al-Nawawi confirmed this in al-Majmoo. He mentioned authentic narrations that clearly demonstrate the Holy Prophet ﷺ repeatedly used the word Ramadan without saying the month of. Thus it would be incorrect to say it is not permitted to say Ramadan and one most say month of Ramadan. Since the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself repeatedly said Ramadan.

وَالصَّوَابُ أَنَّهُ لَا كَرَاهَةَ فِي قَوْلِ رَمَضَانَ مُطْلَقًا وَالْمَذْهَبَانِ الْآخَرَانِ فَاسِدَانِ لِأَنَّ الْكَرَاهَةَ إنَّمَا تَثْبُتُ بِنَهْيِ الشَّرْعِ وَلَمْ يَثْبُتْ فِيهِ نَهْيٌ وَقَوْلُهُمْ إنَّهُ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لَيْسَ بِصَحِيحٍ وَلَمْ يَصِحَّ فيه شئ وَأَسْمَاءُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى تَوْقِيفِيَّةٌ لَا تُطْلَقُ إلَّا بِدَلِيلٍ صَحِيحٍ

وَلَوْ ثَبَتَ أَنَّهُ اسْمٌ لَمْ يَلْزَمْ مِنْهُ كَرَاهَةٌ وَقَدْ ثَبَتَتْ أَحَادِيثُ كَثِيرَةٌ فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ فِي تَسْمِيَتِهِ رَمَضَانَ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَهْرٍ فِي كَلَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (مِنْهَا) حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ ” إذَا جَاءَ رَمَضَانُ فُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ وَغُلِّقَتْ أَبْوَابُ النَّارِ وَصُفِّدَتْ الشَّيَاطِينُ ” رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ بِهَذَا اللَّفْظِ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لَهُمَا ” إذَا دَخَلَ رَمَضَانُ ” وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ لِمُسْلِمٍ ” إذَا كَانَ رَمَضَانُ ” وَأَشْبَاهُ هَذَا فِي الصَّحِيحَيْنِ غَيْرُ مُنْحَصِرَةٍ وَاَللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ. (المجموع شرح المهذب)

And the sound opinion is that there is no dislike (Karahah) in saying Ramadan unrestrictedly (without saying month). The other two opinions (that do not allow it unrestrictedly) are invalid, because prohibition is only established through the Shariah (Quran and Hadith), there is no such prohibition in it (the Shariah). Their saying it (Ramadan) is a name of Allah (Most High) is not sound. Nothing sound has been narrated regarding this issue, and the names of Allah Most High are based on narration (from Quran and Hadith). Therefore it is not permitted to attribute it (Ramadan, as a name of Allah Most High) without a Sahih proof.

Even if it were established that it (Ramadan) is a name (of Allah Most High), it still would not prove that it is disliked (Makruh, to say Ramadan without saying month of) since saying Ramadan without month of has been established in many narrations in the two Sahihs (Bukhari and Muslim) from the speech of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Amongst them is the Hadith of Abi Hurairah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) ‘When Ramadan arrives, the gates of Jannah are opened. The gates of Hell are locked. And the Shayateen are locked away.’ Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim with this wording, and in another narration of theirs, ‘When Ramadan enters.’ And in a narration in Muslim: ‘When it is Ramadan.’ The like of this in the two Sahih collections is beyond count. And Allah Most High knows best. (Imam al-Nawawi, Sahih al-Bukhari).

The books of the Hanafi scholars are filled with the use of Ramadan without saying the month of. As well as this, some scholars have explicitly mentioned the permissibility of saying Ramadan.

وَاَلَّذِي عَلَيْهِ عَامَّةُ مَشَايِخِنَا أَنَّهُ لَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: «عُمْرَةٌ فِي رَمَضَانَ تَعْدِلُ حَجَّةً» وَقَالَ: «مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ وَقَامَهُ إيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ». (المبسوط)

The opinion the majority of our scholars are upon is that there is no issue with saying that (Ramadan without month of). the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Umrah in Ramadan is equal to Hajj.’ And he ﷺ said, ‘Whoever fasts in Ramadan faithfully and hoping to attain reward (from Allah Most High), his past sins will be forgiven.’ (Imam al-Sarakhsi, al-Mabsoot).

وَكَرِهَ مُجَاهِدٌ أَنْ يُقَالُ جَاءَ رَمَضَانُ وَذَهَبَ وَقَالَ لَا أَدْرِي لَعَلَّ رَمَضَانَ اسْمٌ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى -، وَلَكِنَّهُ يُقَالُ جَاءَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ وَقَدْ قِيلَ بِأَنَّهُ يُكْرَهُ فَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا لَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَى مُجَاهِدٍ قَوْلَهُ، وَالْأَصَحُّ أَنَّهُ لَا يُكْرَهُ كَذَا فِي مُحِيطِ السَّرَخْسِيِّ. (الفتاوى الهندية)

(Imam) Mujahid considered it to be Makruh to say Ramadan has arrived and gone. He said, I am not sure, it may be that Ramadan is from the names of Allah Most High. Rather one should say the month of Ramadan has arrived. Indeed, it has been considered Makruh (disliked) because (Imam) Muhammad did not respond to Mujahid (after narrating his statement). However, the sounder opinion is that it is not Makruh as mentioned in the Muheet of al-Sarakhsi. (al-Fataawa al-Hindiyah).

The sound opinion in the Hanafi Madhab is that it is permitted to say Ramadan without adding month of. This is due to the practice of the holy Prophet himself ﷺ.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (14.04.2022)

See also:
Is Ramadan a name of Allah Most High

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