Ramadan Mubarak: Meaning, How to Say It in Arabic and How to Reply

Ramadan Mubarak (رَمَضَان مُبَارَك) means “blessed Ramadan”. Muslims say it to each other from the night the new moon is sighted until the last day of the month. To reply, say Ramadan Mubarak back. If someone says Ramadan Kareem, the traditional answer is Allahu akram, “Allah is more generous”. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on or around 8 February.

Below are the greetings you will hear, how to say each one with audio, what to say back, and where the words come from. There are free greeting cards your child can colour at the end.

What does Ramadan Mubarak mean?

It is two words. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the month of fasting. Mubarak means blessed, from baraka, blessing that grows and stays. Together they say “may your Ramadan be blessed”, the way someone might wish you a happy new year.

The word mubarak goes back to the Prophet ﷺ himself. When Ramadan came, he told his companions:

أَتَاكُمْ رَمَضَانُ شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ

Atakum Ramadanu shahrun mubarak: “There has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i 2106)

The scholar Ibn Rajab pointed to this hadith as the root of Muslims congratulating each other when Ramadan arrives. So the greeting is old, and the word in it is the Prophet’s own.

How to say Ramadan Mubarak in Arabic, with audio

Press the play button beside each greeting to hear it. The middle column spells out how it sounds, with the stressed part in capitals.

A child who reads no Arabic can still say all four of these well. Play each one three times, say it together, and use it on the first evening of Ramadan with grandparents or friends. It sticks faster when someone answers back.

How do you reply to Ramadan Mubarak?

The simplest reply is to say it back: “Ramadan Mubarak!” or “Ramadan Mubarak to you too.” Families from South Asia often answer Khair Mubarak, which wishes the same blessing on the person who greeted you. Both are right.

Ramadan Mubarak or Ramadan Kareem: which is correct?

Both are used, and nobody will mind which one you choose. Ramadan Mubarak is the greeting you will hear everywhere. Ramadan Kareem is especially common in Egypt, the Levant and the Gulf, and it is the phrase printed on most lanterns and shop banners.

The difference is in what each word says. Mubarak asks for blessing. Kareem calls the month generous. Some scholars, Ibn Uthaymin among them, preferred Ramadan Mubarak, because the generosity belongs to Allah rather than to the month. That is also why people have long answered Ramadan Kareem with Allahu akram.

Can non-Muslims say Ramadan Mubarak?

Yes, and it is usually received warmly. A colleague, teacher or neighbour who says Ramadan Mubarak is showing they noticed something that matters to the person they are greeting. There is nothing in the words that only a Muslim may say.

“Happy Ramadan” is understood too, though it can sound odd for a month of fasting. “Ramadan Mubarak” fits better. “Happy Ramadan Mubarak” says the same wish twice, so drop one half.

When do you say Ramadan Mubarak in 2027?

From the evening the crescent moon is sighted to the end of the month. Islamic months begin at sunset, so the greetings start the night before the first fast, often at the first tarawih prayer.

Projected dates as reported by Gulf News from astronomical calculation.

Moon sighting decides the real dates, and some countries and mosques begin a day apart. Check with your local mosque in the week before. On the day after Ramadan ends, switch to Eid Mubarak. Ramadan is the ninth of the twelve Islamic months, and all twelve are on our page of months in Arabic, each with audio.

Ramadan words every child can learn

The greeting opens the door to the rest of the month’s words. These seven come up every day of Ramadan, and each one has audio.

The most important sentence about the month is in the Quran itself:

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ

“The month of Ramaḍān [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’ān” (Al-Baqarah 2:185)

That is why Ramadan is the month many families pick to read more Quran together. Our Ramadan Quran reading plan is built for homes where nobody reads Arabic yet, and the 30-day reading plan shows how to finish the whole Quran in the month, one juz a day.

Short Ramadan Mubarak messages to send

For a card, a message to family, or a note in a child’s lunchbox. Change the names and keep them short.

• Ramadan Mubarak! May this month bring your family peace, patience and a lot of baraka.
• Wishing you and everyone at home a blessed month. Remember us in your duas at iftar.
• Wishing you an easy fast and full nights. Ramadan Kareem.
• May Allah accept your fasting, your prayers and every page of Quran you read this month.
• To our teacher: thank you for helping us get ready for Ramadan. Ramadan Mubarak from all of us.
• Grandma, I learned to say Ramadan Mubarak in Arabic. I will say it to you on the phone tonight!
• Thinking of you this Ramadan. May it be your best one yet.
• Kull ‘am wa antum bi-khayr. May every year find you well, and this Ramadan most of all.

Free Ramadan Mubarak cards for kids to colour

Four cards on one page, each with a greeting in Arabic and English in outline letters for a child to colour, and a line to write who it is for. A second page has the Ramadan words with spaces to practise.

Download the free Ramadan Mubarak cards (PDF): four greeting cards to colour, in Arabic and English, and a page of Ramadan words to practise. No email address needed.

The cards work best given in person, with the greeting said out loud. For more phrases your child will use all year, see our Islamic phrases with meaning and audio and Arabic greetings. The Islamic months for kids page shows where Ramadan sits in the year.

Questions about Ramadan greetings

What does Ramadan Mubarak mean?

It means “blessed Ramadan”. Ramadan is the ninth Islamic month and mubarak means blessed. The Prophet ﷺ called Ramadan “a blessed month”, using the same word.

What do you say back to Ramadan Mubarak?

Say Ramadan Mubarak back, or Khair Mubarak, which many South Asian families use. If someone says Ramadan Kareem, the traditional reply is Allahu akram, “Allah is more generous”.

Is it Ramadan Mubarak or Ramadan Kareem?

Both are used and both are fine. Ramadan Mubarak asks for blessing and is heard everywhere; Ramadan Kareem calls the month generous and is common in Arab countries. Some scholars preferred Ramadan Mubarak.

Can a non-Muslim say Ramadan Mubarak?

Yes. Muslims generally welcome it from colleagues, teachers and neighbours. It is a kind thing to say, and the words belong to anyone who means them.

Are Ramadan Mubarak and Eid Mubarak the same?

No. Ramadan Mubarak is said during Ramadan itself. Eid Mubarak, “blessed Eid”, is said on Eid al-Fitr, the celebration the day after Ramadan ends, and again at Eid al-Adha.

When does Ramadan 2027 start?

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on or around Monday 8 February 2027, with the first tarawih prayer the evening before. Eid al-Fitr is expected on 9 or 10 March. Moon sighting decides the exact days.