Ramadan 2022: The commons words and phrases you hear, what they mean and how to say them

As Muslims all over the world celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, you may hear some words and phrases said that you won't understand. Arabic is the most commonly used language in Islam and is the original language of the Qur'an so it is common for Muslims to use Arabic words and phrases when discussing Islamic topics or at Islamic events.

But to someone who is unfamiliar with Islam, these words and phrases can be very confusing and often sound similar to other phrases, making it hard to distinguish what they actually mean. For example, when wishing someone a good Ramadan, you would not traditionally say "happy Ramadan" like you would if someone was celebrating Christmas.

But fear not, we have compiled the most common words and phrases you may hear during Ramadan as well as a rundown of how they should be pronounced so you can engage better with your Muslim friends and family.

Read more: Fasting times for Ramadan 2022: Full list of when Fajr and Maghrib prayers begin

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 essentially means "peace be