As if Islam couldn’t get any more strange, it turns out that one of Allah’s most beautiful names happens to be Ramadan!
This comes from one of Islam’s greatest scholars that ever named, namely, al-Ghazali. Here’s what he wrote in his book devoted to the ninety-names of Allah:
INDEED, divine instruction mentions names other than the ninety-nine, since in another version given on the authority of Abu Hurayra names close to these names were substituted for some of them and even some which are not so close. Regarding the ones close in meaning, al-Ahad (the One) was substituted for al-Wahid (the Unique), al-Qahir (the Conqueror) for al-Qahhar (the Dominator), al-Shakir (the Thankful) for al-Shakur (the Grateful). Ones not so close in meaning were also substituted, like al-Hadi (the Guide), al-Kafi (the One who suffices), al-Da’im (the Enduring), al-Basir (the Insightful), al-Nur al-Mubin (the Clear Light), al-Jamil (the Beautiful), al-Sadiq (the Truthful), al-Muhit (the Comprehending), al-Qarib (the Close), al-Qadim (the Everlasting), al-Witr (the Un-even), al-Fatir (the Creator), al-‘Allam (the All-Knowing), al-Mulk (the Sovereignty), al-Akram (the most Generous), al-Mudabbir (the Director), al-Rafi’ (the Elevated), Dhu’l-tawl (the Lord of Heights), Dhu’l-Ma’arij (the Lord of the Ascenders), Dhu’l-Fadl (the Lord of Benefit), and al-Khallaq (the Maker).
Furthermore, names are noted in the Qur’an which do not match either of the two lists, like al-Mawla (the Master), al-Nasir (the Protector), al-Ghalin (the Victor), al-Qarib (the Close), al-Rabb (the Lord), and al-Nasir (the Deliverer). And there are compound expressions as well, such as in the Most High’s saying: witness of retribution, receiver of repentance, forgiver of sins, merger of night into day, merger of day into night, bringer of life from death, and bringer of death from life.
Moreover, al-Sayyid (the Master) is also mentioned in a report: when a man once addressed the messenger of God: ‘O master’, and he said: ‘The Master is God-great and glorious’.2 This was as though he meant to forbid any praise in his presence, yet otherwise he had said: ‘I am the master of the sons of Adam and I say this without boasting’.3 Al-Dayyan is also mentioned, as well as al-Hannan, al-Mannan, and others like them, which could be found were one to look them up in the hadith.[182]
Furthermore, actions associated with God most high in the Qur’an are numerous, for it is said of Him: He removes evil (XXVII:62), He hurls the truth (XXXIV:48), He will distinguish between them (XXXII:25), and We decreed for the children of Israel (XVII:4). So if deriving names from actions be permitted, then one may derive as His names, ‘the Remover’, ‘the Hurler of Truth, ‘the Distinguisher’, and ‘the One who Decrees’. Yet such names from the Qur’an are countless, as will be shown later…
Some names upon which jurisprudents and scholars have agreed are: ‘the Willer’, ‘the Speaker’, ‘the Existent’, ‘the Thing’, ‘the Everlasting Essence’, and ‘the Eternal’. These are things which one is permitted to use of God-may He be praised and exalted. Now it is noted in the hadith: ‘Do not say “Ramadan is coming”, for “Ramadan” is a name of God most high. Say rather “the month of Ramadan is coming”.’5 Similarly, it is reported that the messenger of God said: ‘Whatever distress or affliction that befalls a person, let him say: “O God, I am Your servant, and the son of Your servant, and the son of Your bondsmaid: my forelock [183] is in Your hand, Your judgment concerning me is done. I implore you by every name which is Yours, by which You have named Yourself, or which You revealed in Your book, or which You taught to anyone from Your creation, or which You appropriated to Yourself in Your knowledge of hidden things, that you might make the Qur’an a renewal of my heart, a light for my inmost thoughts, a way through my affliction, and the unraveling of my distress”; and God-great and glorious-will remove his distress and affliction, and replace them with happiness.’6 And his saying ‘which You appropriated to Yourself in Your knowledge of hidden things’ shows that the names are not limited to those mentioned in the well-known versions. Yet in this regard it may occur to you to question the advantage of limiting the names to ninety-nine. So it behooves us to discuss that.[184]… Secondly, his narration fails to include mention of ‘the Loving’ [al-Hannan], ‘the Benefactor’ [al-Mannan], Ramadan, and a host of of names which appear in the hadiths… (Al-Ghazali: The Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God (al-Maqsad al-asna fi sharh asma’ Allah al-husna), translated with Notes by David B. Burrel and Nazih Daher [The Islamic Texts Society, Reprinted 2007], pp. 167-169, 175 https://sunnahmuakada.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/al-ghazali-theninety-ninebeautifulnamesofgod.pdf)
5 Al-Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, Siyam IV.201; see al-Mughni 1.93 n. 1. (Ibid., p. 194)
There you have it, folks. Ramadan is a name ascribed to the Muslim deity. Could Islam get any weirder?
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