Chapter 8 - A Commentary On: Wa Huwa Shahru Ramadan
A Commentary on the phrase Wa huwa shahru Ramadan
وَهُوَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ
And it is the month of Ramadan
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ .
“The month of Ramadan is one in which the Qur’an was sent down ....” (2:185).
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وَهُوَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ
And it is the month of Ramadan
It is the month of Allah, because Ramadan is one of the divine names. In a hadith narrated in Basa’ir al-Darajat, Imam al-Baqir (‘a) is reported to have said the following to some of his companions:
لا تقولوا هذا رَمَضَان ولا ذَهَب رَمَضَانُ وَلَا جَاءَ رَمَضَانُ فَإِنَّ رَمَضَانَ اسْمُ من أسماء الله لا يجي، ولا يَذْهَبُ وَإنَّما يجيءُ وَيَذْهَبُ الزَّائِلُ وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ
Do not say ‘This is Ramadan’, nor say ‘Ramadan went’ or ‘Ramadan has come’, for surely Ramadan is a name among the names of Allah; neither does it come, nor does it go; and indeed, only one who perishes comes and goes; instead, say: ‘The month of Ramadan’1
Some scholars however opine that what is important here is the intention of a person saying Ramadan. If he were to say it knowing the fact that he is referring to the month of Ramadan, then it would be acceptable.
وَهُوَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ
And it is the month of Ramadan
It is a month that burns off one’s sins. In a hadith, the Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said:
وَإِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ رَمَضَانُ رَمَضَانَ لأَنَّهُ تُرْمَضُ فِيهِ الذُّنُوبُ أَي تُحْرَق
And indeed, the month of Ramadan was named Ramadan because sins are burned therein.2
In simple words, the word Ramadan is the infinitive of the verb ramada, which means ihtaraqa (it got burnt).
