Greeting your Muslim friends during Ramadan and other common phrases - what to say and how to pronounce them
11.03.2024 - 16:19
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Throughout Ramadan, Muslims around the world use certain words and phrases that you might not understand.
Arabic is the main language used in Islam and it's also the original language of the Qur'an. So, it's common for Muslims to use Arabic words and phrases when talking about Islamic topics or at Islamic events.
If you're not familiar with Islam, these words and phrases can be confusing. Furthermore, they often sound like other phrases to the untrained ear, so it can be hard to work out what they mean.
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For example, when you want to wish someone a good Ramadan, you wouldn't usually say "happy Ramadan" like you would if someone was celebrating Christmas.
But don't worry, we've put together a list of the most common words and phrases you might hear during Ramadan. We've also included how to say them, so you can chat more easily with your Muslim friends and family
How to pronounce: Ram-a-dan Moo-ba-rak
Ramadan Mubarak is Arabic for "blessed Ramadan" and is how you would traditionally wish someone a happy Ramadan. Similarly, you would say "Eid Mubarak" when wishing someone a happy Eid.
How to pronounce: A-salaam-oo a-lay-koom
As-salamu Alaykum is a traditional Arabic greeting and means "peace be upon you". It can be said when either saying hello to someone or saying goodbye. Depending on which region an individual is from they may simply say "Salaam Alaykum" or if they're being a tad informal, a simple "Salaam" will suffice - Salaam means "peace" and is in fact the root word for 'Islam'.
When responding to this greeting, you would say 'Wa alaykumu as-salam" (Wa-a-lay-koom a-salaam) which