Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
No, Ramadan is not a name of Allah (Most High). To establish a name, as a name of Allah Most High, one must have evidence from Quran and Hadith. There is no such evidence for the name Ramadan according to Imam Nawawi and others.
Some people say that it is not permitted to say Ramadan, but you have to say the month of Ramadan instead. They base this upon the fact that Ramadan is a name of Allah Most High. However, Ramadan being the name of Allah Most High is not authentically established. Rather it is based on a dubious Hadith narration. Imam Ibn al-Jowzi is clear regarding this issue. He not only declares the Hadith to be fabricated but also claims Ijma (scholarly consensus) negating this name for Allah Most High.
بَاب النهى أَن يُقَال رَمَضَان روى أَبُو أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَعْشَرٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُول الله صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” لَا تَقُولُوا رَمَضَانَ فَإِنَّ رَمَضَانَ اسْمُ اللَّهِ، وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ” هَذَا حَدِيث مَوْضُوع لَا أَصْلَ لَهُ
وَأَبُو معشر اسْمه نجيح، كَانَ يَحْيَى بْن سَعِيد يُضعفهُ وَلا يحدث عَنْهُ ويضحك إِذَا ذكره
وَقَالَ يَحْيَى بن معِين: إِسْنَاده لَيْسَ بشئ
قَالَ المُصَنّف قلت: وَلم يذكر أحد فِي أَسمَاء اللَّه تَعَالَى رَمَضَانَ، وَلا يجوز أَن يُسمى بِهِ إِجْمَاعًا. (الموضوعات)
The chapter of the prohibition of saying Ramadan.
Abu Ahmad bin Adi narrated that, Ali bin Saeed bin Basheer informed us saying, Muhammad bin Abi Ma’shar said, I was informed by Saeed al-Maqburi from Abi Hurairah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) who said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Do not say Ramadaan, for indeed Ramadaan is a name of Allah (Most High). Rather say the month of Ramadaan.’ This Hadith is fabricated, it has no basis.
The name of Abu Ma’shar is Najeeh. (Imam) Yahya bin Saeed considered him to be weak and would refrain from narrating from him. He would laugh when he was mentioned.
(Imam) Yahya bin Maeen said, his chain is of no value.
The author said, I say: No scholar ever mentioned that Ramadaan is the name of Allah Most High. There is scholarly consensus on the fact that it is not permitted to consider it a name of Allah (Most High). (Imam Abd al-Rahman bin al-Jowzi, al-Mowdo’aat).
Some scholars did believe the Hadith to be weak and not fabricated. However, many agreed with Imam Ibn al-Jowzi and specifically quoted him when speaking about the authenticity of the Hadith.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ مَرْفُوعًا: “لَا تَقُولُوا رَمَضَانَ فَإِنَّهُ اسْمٌ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ”. قَالَ ابْنُ الْجَوْزِيِّ: مَوْضُوعٌ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَسْمَائِهِ تَعَالَى، وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُسَمَّى بِهِ. (الفروع)
From Abi Hurairah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) who narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: ‘Do not say Ramadaan, for indeed Ramadaan is a name of Allah (Most High). Rather say the month of Ramadaan.’ (Imam) Ibn Jowzi said it is fabricated and no scholar mentioned that it (Ramadaan) is from the names of Allah Most High, and it is not permitted to consider it a name of Allah (Most High). (Imam Muhammad bin Muflih, Kitaab al-Furoo).
Even if one were to consider the Hadith to be weak of chain and not fabricated, there would be a strong argument to consider the Hadith to be Shadh and thus rejected. Since the Holy Prophet ﷺ clearly and repeatedly used the word Ramadan without saying month of.
عن أبي هريرة، مرفوعًا: “لا تَقُولوا رَمَضان؛ فإنه اسمٌ من أسماء اللَّه، ولكن قولوا: شهرُ رمضان”، قال الإمام الحافظ ابن الجوزي: موضوع، ولم يذكره أحد من أسمائه تعالى، ولا يجوز أن يسمى به إجماعًا، انتهى
والأحاديث صحت عن سيد العالم من وجوه متعددة بإسقاط شهر، منها: “مَنْ قامَ رمضانَ إيمانًا واحْتِسابًا، غُفِرَ له ما تقدَّمَ من ذنبه” و”مَنْ صامَ رمضانَ إيمانًا واحتسابًا، غُفر له ما تقدَّمَ من ذنبه” متفق عليه. (كشف اللثام شرح عمدة الأحكام)
From Abi Hurairah (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) who narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: ‘Do not say Ramadaan, for indeed Ramadaan is a name of Allah (Most High). Rather say the month of Ramadaan.’ The Imam, the Hafidh Ibn al-Jowzi said it is fabricated and no scholar mentioned that it (Ramadaan) is from the names of Allah Most High, and it is not permitted to consider it a name of Allah (Most High) by Ijma (scholarly consensus).
The Sahih Hadith narrations from the leader of the worlds (the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) from multiple chains do not have the word month. Amongst them: ‘Whoever stands for prayer in Ramadan faithfully and hoping to attain reward (from Allah Most High), his past sins will be forgiven.’ And ‘Whoever fasts in Ramadan faithfully and hoping to attain reward (from Allah Most High), his past sins will be forgiven.’ (Imam Shams al-Deen al-Safarini, Kashf al-Lithaam).
Imam al-Nawawi raised similar concerns in al-Majmoo:
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).
For a discussion on whether it is permitted to Ramadan without month of see the link below. We see from the Nusoos (texts) above that Ramadan is not a name of Allah (Most High). To establish a name for Allah Most High, one must have evidence from Quran and Hadith. Since no such evidence exists for the name Ramadan it is not actable t consider it a name of Allah Most High.
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (14.04.2022)
See also:
Is it true that it is not permitted to say Ramadan
See also video:
