Ramadan is a very special month for Muslims around the world, a time of self-discipline, spiritual purification, and community. This sacred month is marked by fasting from dawn to dusk, along with efforts to avoid anger and foul language, though hunger can sometimes make that a challenge! At the start of Ramadan, Muslims exchange heartfelt greetings and well-wishes, congratulating each other for reaching this blessed time. It’s also a period when friends and family often reconcile and reconnect.
It’s important to note that most Muslims are not Arabs and don’t speak Arabic. If you want to join in on these traditions and wish your Arabic-speaking Muslim friends and neighbors a joyful Ramadan, you’ve come to the right place!
Stay with Playaling – this guide will help you master various Ramadan greetings in Arabic, ensuring your wishes are warm and respectful.
Understanding the basics: “Ramadan Mubarak” and “Ramadan Kareem”
Although “Happy Ramadan” is common in English, you’d never say “Ramadan Sa’id” (رَمَضَانْ سَعِيْدْ)
, the literal translation of “Happy Ramadan,” in Arabic. “Ramadan Mubarak” رمضان مبارك
(literally: Blessed Ramadan) and “Ramadan Kareem” (literally: “generous” or “noble” Ramadan) are most common. You can use them in both Standard Arabic and in numerous Arabic dialects. They are also well known and popular among both Arabic-speaking and non-Arabic speaking Muslims.
Some greetings are used more than others, however, depending on region. “Ramadan Kareem” رمضان كريم
is generally more popular than “Ramadan Mubarak” in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Sudan, and Yemen. In contrast, in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, and the Gulf Arab countries, “Ramadan Mubarak”
is more common.
For “Ramadan Mubarak” (رمضان مبارك)
the response would be: رمضان مبارك علينا وعليكم
which means “Blessed Ramadan upon us and you.”
For “Ramadan Kareem” (رمضان كريم)
, the response would be: الله أكرم
which means “God is the Most Generous” or رمضان كريم علينا وعليكم
which means “Generous Ramadan upon us and you.”
Ramadan Mubarak vs Ramadan Kareem in Egypt
In Egyptian Arabic, the Ramadan greeting “Ramadan Mubarak”
took on a different connotation following President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation in 2011. Since his surname and “blessed” share the same Arabic root (مُبارَك)
, some Egyptians preferred using “Ramadan Kareem”
instead during the years following the Arab Spring, reflecting sensitivities linked to the former president’s name. Fortunately, the name of Egypt’s current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, doesn’t coincide with any Ramadan greetings. Otherwise, many Egyptians might have had to stop wishing each other a happy Ramadan altogether! 😅
Lesser used greetings
In Gulf
شَهْرْ مُبَارَك
Blessed month
مُبَارَكْ عَلِيْكُمْ الشَّهْرْ
May the month be blessed upon you
In Darija
عْوَاشِرْكُمْ مَبْرُوكَة
May your tens days be blessed. Ramadan is divided into three parts, the first ten days dedicated to mercy, the middle ten for God’s forgiveness, and the last ten for liberation from hell.
صَحْ رَمَضَانَكْ
Healthy Ramadan to you
Extended prayer greetings (for very religious people) in MSA
أَعَادَ اللهُ عَلَيْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ المُبَارَكَ بِالخَيْرِ وَاليُمْنِ وَالمَسَرَّاتِ
May Allah return this blessed month to you with goodness, blessings, and joy.
تَقَبَّلَ اللهُ مِنْكُمُ صَالِحَ الأَعْمَالِ
May Allah accept your good deeds.
تَقَبَّلَ اللهُ صِيَامَكُم وَقِيَامَكُم وَدُعَاءَكُم
May Allah accept your fasting, prayers, and supplications.
بَلَّغَكَ اللهُ العَشْرَ وَرَفَعَ عَنَّا وَعَنْكَ الشَّرَّ وَأَكْرَمَكَ بِلَيْلَةِ القَدْرِ وَأَسْعَدَكَ طُوْلَ الدَّهْرِ
May Allah grant you the last ten days of Ramadan, lift evil from us and you, honor you with Laylat al-Qadr, and make you happy forever.
The last ten days of Ramadan are considered to return greater rewards, and during this time, Muslims increase their prayers, supplications, and acts of charity. There is special significance on these ten days as Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) falls on one of these nights, although it’s not known exactly which night. Laylat al-Qadr is a very significant night in Islam as it is the night when the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Good deeds performed on this night are said to be equivalent to those performed over a thousand months.
اللَّهُمَّ بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان وَأَعِنَّا عَلَى الصِّيَام وَالقِيَام وَقِرَاءَةِ القُرْآن
O Allah, allow us to reach Ramadan, help us in fasting, praying, and reading the Quran. (The term Allahumma-اللَّهُمَّ
combines ‘Allah-الله’
and a ‘m-م’
, which replaces the vocative ‘ya-يا’
commonly used, signifying a call to Allah alone, with no partners).
اللَّهُمَّ بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان لَا فَاقِدِيْن وَلَا مَفْقُوْدِيْنْ
O Allah, let us reach Ramadan without loss or absence.
This prayer is very common, as Muslims wish not to die before witnessing and fasting in Ramadan, and they also wish that none of their loved ones pass away, so they all may reach Ramadan together.
اللَّهُمَّ بَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَان بُلُوْغًا يُغَيِّرُ حَالَنَا إِلَى أَحْسَنِهِ، وَيُهَذِّبُ نُفُوْسَنَا وَيُطَهِّرُ دَوَاخِلَنَا، بُلُوْغَ رَحْمَةٍ وَمَغْفِرَة وَعِتْقٍ مِنَ النَّارِ
O Allah, let us reach Ramadan in a way that changes our condition for the better, refines our souls, and purifies our inner selves, reaching a state of mercy, forgiveness, and liberation from hellfire.
اللَّهُمَّ أَلْهِمْنَا الصَّلاحَ، وَأَبْعِدْ عَنَّا السُّوْءْ وَالكِبَر
O Allah, inspire us to righteousness and keep us away from harm and arrogance.
اللَّهُمَّ أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ رَمَضَانْ وَنَحْنُ فِي أَصْلَحِ الأَحْوَالِ
O Allah, let us leave Ramadan in the best state of being.
اللَّهُمَّ اِهْدِنَا فِيْمَنْ هَدَيْتْ، وَعَافِنَا فِيْمَن عَافَيْت، وَتَوَّلَّنَا فِيْمَن تَوَلَّيْتْ، وَقِنَا وَاصْرِفْ عَنَّا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتْ، بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْن
O Allah, guide us among those you have guided, heal us among those you have healed, take care of us among those you have taken care of, protect us and shield us from the evil you have decreed, by your mercy, O Most Merciful of the Merciful.
يَا الله أَتِم عَلَيْنَا نِعَمَك، وَارْزُقْنَا بِكُلِّ جَمِيْل
O Allah, complete your blessings upon us and grant us every beautiful provision.
These prayers are often found within pre-made images that religious Muslims send to each other, and sometimes they take the form of a video with these prayers written in it or spoken by a sheikh. Therefore, they are not phrases that you would hear on the street among people.
Ramadan Mubarak in Arabic calligraphy
Arabic calligraphy has many styles and is considered a form of art. Here are some images featuring the phrase “Ramadan Mubarak”
or “Ramadan Kareem”
in Arabic calligraphy. It has now become quite common to send these images to friends and family on social media in order to wish them a Ramadan Kareem, in a similar way as sending someone a card.
Sending a Ramadan greeting in Arabic, even if you don’t know the language, adds a friendly touch, showing how much you care about sending a perfect greeting for Ramadan in Arabic and how much you respect other cultures. People will definitely appreciate this attention and kindness, and it will make them happy.
Learning Ramadan greetings in Arabic not only fosters cultural understanding and appreciation but also helps you make meaningful connections with Arabic-speaking communities during this important religious month. Whether exchanging greetings with colleagues, friends, or neighbors, whether you wish them online or in person, this knowledge fosters deeper bonds and promotes unity within diverse societies. So, why don’t you give it a go? Ramadan Kareem! ✨🌙
Videos about Ramadan
In the real-world videos on Playaling, you will find videos covering a wide range of topics and daily customs in the Arab world, featuring various dialects and Modern Standard Arabic. Here is a collection of these videos that discuss Ramadan and Arab traditions associated with it in different dialects.
Levantine
Egyptian
Darija
Gulf
Keep reading Playaling’s blog to stay up to date with Arab greetings, learn how to say them in Arabic, and discover more about Arab culture and history.
