Which is more correct: to say "Ramadan" or "Month of Ramadan" during the fasting month?

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the final Prophet and his family and pure companions.

Afterwards, peace and blessings be upon you.

The answer consists of two opinions, depending on the strength or weakness of the narration.

The first opinion:

It is prohibited to omit the word "Month" when referring to Ramadan, as found in narrations attributed to the Messenger of Allah  and in sources like Al-Kafi, Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Al-Wasa'il, and Bihar al-Anwar.

(( Do not say Ramadan, but say the Month of Ramadan, for you do not know what Ramadan is. )) 1  

There are other narrations, including one that Ramadan is one of the names of Allah, and so it should not be used with verbs like "went" or "came."

Imam al-Baqir is also reported to have said :

(( Do not say: This is Ramadan, or Ramadan has gone or come, for Ramadan is one of Allah’s names SWT. It neither comes nor goes. Rather, it is the passing that comes and goes. But say: The Month of Ramadan, for the month is added to the name, and the name is the name of Allah, blessed and exalted. It is the month in which the Quran was revealed. Allah made it an example and a warning.)) 2  

This is in line with the respect for the month by preserving the expression as it is mentioned in the Holy Quran, supported by what was narrated from the Commander of the Faithful :

((Do not say Ramadan, for you do not know what Ramadan is. Whoever says it should give charity and fast as an expiation for saying it. Rather, say as Allah Almighty said: The Month of Ramadan. )) 3  

Charity and expiation are thus recommended.

Some jurists argued that this is recommended because some narrations do not include the word "Month." One such commentary by al-Hurr al-‘Amili in the details of Al-Wasa'il states:

(( This indicates the non-prohibition and the absence of strictness in the prohibition. The use of the word Ramadan without adding 'Month' is found in several narrations, and the expiation is seen as a recommended act...)) 4  

The second opinion:

The two expressions are equally valid because some of the narrations about this issue are weak. For example, in the book Al-Mawdu’at by Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi, it is stated: (( This is a fabricated hadith with no basis… No one has mentioned that Ramadan is one of the names of Allah, and it is unanimously agreed that it should not be called by that name...)) 5   

In Al-Misbah al-Munir, it is said:

(( Ramadan is the name of the month. It is said that it was named because it coincides with extreme heat. Some scholars have disliked saying 'Ramadan came' or similar expressions if it refers to the month without a clear indication. Instead, it should be said: 'The Month of Ramadan.' This is based on the hadith: 'Do not say Ramadan, for Ramadan is one of Allah’s names. Rather, say the Month of Ramadan.'

This hadith has been weakened by al-Bayhaqi, and its weakness is apparent, as no scholar has narrated that Ramadan is one of Allah's names. Therefore, it is not acted upon.

The apparent ruling allows for its usage without dislike, as supported by the authentic hadiths, such as: ((When Ramadan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained.)). 

Qadi Iyad said: (( In the statement 'When Ramadan comes,' there is evidence for the permissibility of using it without the word 'Month,' contrary to those scholars who disliked it)). 6  

Summary of the matter:

Both expressions are correct, but using the word "Month" is more correct and in accordance with the Holy Quran.

And above all knowledge is the All-Knowing One. [ Surat Yusuf 76 ]

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and his companions.

Written by:
Tammam Ahmad
3/7/2015

• 1Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 70. (47) Chapter on the prohibition of saying "Ramadan" without "Month". Hadith (1). Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol. 2, p. 113. (58) Chapter on Miscellaneous Narrations. Hadith 480/12. Ma'ani al-Akhbar, Chapter on the meaning of Ramadan, Hadith (2), p. 315. Tafseel Wasail al-Shi'a, vol. 10, p. 319. (19) Chapter on the dislike of saying Ramadan without adding "Month". Hadith 13504/1. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 39, p. 229, Book of Fasting. (48) Chapter on why this month is named Ramadan. Hadith (2).
• 2Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 70. (47) Chapter on the prohibition of saying Ramadan without "Month". Hadith (2). Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, vol. 2, p. 112. (58) Chapter on Miscellaneous Narrations. Hadith 479/11. Ma'ani al-Akhbar, Chapter on the meaning of Ramadan, Hadith (1), p. 315. Basa’ir al-Darajaat al-Kubra fi Fadail Ahl Muhammad by al-Saffar, vol. 2, p. 95. Hadith 1114/12. 1st edition, 2007, Dar Jawad al-A'immah. Tafseel Wasail al-Shi'a, vol. 10, p. 319. (19) Chapter on the dislike of saying Ramadan without adding "Month". Hadith 13505/2. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 39, p. 228, Book of Fasting. (48) Chapter on why this month is named Ramadan. Hadith (1).
• 3Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 39, p. 229, Book of Fasting. (48) Chapter on why this month is named Ramadan. Hadith (3).
• 4Tafseel Wasail al-Shi'a, vol. 10, p. 321.
• 5Al-Mawdu'at by Ibn al-Jawzi, vol. 2, p. 187. Chapter on the prohibition of saying Ramadan. Dar al-Fikr, edited by Abdul Rahman Muhammad Othman, 2nd edition, 1983.
• 6Al-Misbah al-Munir fi Gharib al-Sharh al-Kabir by al-Fayoumi, pp. 238-239. Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiya, Beirut, 1st edition, 1994.