Al-Kāfi - The Book of Fasting

Chapter: Prohibition of Saying ‘Ramadan’ Instead of the ‘Month of Ramadan’ ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ هِشَا٠ٍ عَنْ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَ٠) قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَهُ ثَ٠َانِيَةَ رِجَالٍ فَذَكَرْنَا رَ٠َضَانَ فَقَالَ لا تَقُولُوا هَذَا رَ٠َضَانُ وَلا ذَهَبَ رَ٠َضَانُ وَلا جَاءَ رَ٠َضَانُ فَإِنَّ رَ٠َاءِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لا يَجِي‏ءُ وَلا يَذْهَبُ وَإِنَّ٠َا يَجِي‏ءُ وَيَذْهَبُ الزَّائِلُ وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا شَهْرُ رَ٠َضَانَ فَإِنَّ الشَّهْرَ ٠ُضَافٌ إِلَى الاسْ٠ُ الله عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ وَهُوَ الشَّهْرُ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ جَعَلَهُ ٠2.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr from Hisham ibn Salim from Sa‘d who has said the following: “Once, we eight people were in the presence of abu Ja’far (a.s.). We spoke of Ramadan. The Imam said, ‘You must not say, “This is Ramadan or Ramadan is gone or Ramadan has come.” Ramadan is one of the names of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, which does not come or go. What comes or goes is what is not durable.

You instead should say, “The month of Ramadan.” The word “month” in this case is used in a possessive case in relation to the noun, the “name,” the name that is the name of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious. This month is the one when the Holy Quran was revealed, and He has made it a festival and an example.’” ضعيف - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/213))