What is a Ramazan hymn and what does it mean? When is a Ramazan hymn recited or sung? Which hymns are recited during Ramadan? A fading tradition: Ramazan hymns…
A Ramazan hymn is the hymn recited communally with the congregation between every four rak’ahs of the Tarawih prayer in mosques and lodges.
RAMAZAN HYMNS
As the Tarawih prayer begins, the “Subhanallah wa al-hamdu lillahi wa la ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar; and la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahi aliyyil ‘azim” hymn is recited.
In these modern times where reciting Tarawih with Ramazan hymns is becoming a fading tradition, the Salat-ul Ummiyya is recited collectively between rak’ahs and repeated three times after the last four rak’ahs.
The text of Salat-ul Ummiyya is as follows: “Allahumma salli ala sayyidina Muhammadin annabiyyil ummiyyi wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallim.”
Sometimes, instead of Salat-ul Ummiyya, the “Allahumma salli alel-Mustafa / Bediul jamali wa bahrul wafaa” shughul is recited.
There are also Arabic hymns called “shughul” that have been arranged specifically for Ramadan. “Essalamu alayka ya shahri lutfi wal ihsan / Essalamu alayka ya shahri nuri wal iman // Enta shahrun azimun unzile fika’l-Qur’an / Enta dayfun karimun wu‘ida fika’l-ghufraan” is an example of these.
The lyrics of the hymns recited during the first ten nights of Ramadan often begin with lines such as “Marhaba ya shahri ramazan / Welcome ya shahri magfiret wal ghuffran / Ya shahri nuzul-i sure” or similar couplets are repeated in rhyme between or at the end of the verses. During the second ten nights, blessings and mercy from Allah are requested for this month, and during the last ten nights, lines such as “Alwida ya shahri ramazan / Alwida shahri sa’adet alwida” are included.
A small number of Turkish tasbihs (chants) also carry a Ramazan hymn identity. The hymn “Hamd u minnettir sana ey halik-i mustaan / Murde dilleri ihyâ kıldı şehr-i ramazan” is recorded in collections as a tasbih.
The lyrics of Ramazan hymns generally belong to Sufis such as Üftade, Aziz Mahmud Hudayi, Bursali Ismail Hakki, and Erzurumlu Ibrahim Hakki. The melodies were composed by classical Turkish music composers who were mostly members of lodges.