Kul am wa inta bikhair

 

Why People Say “Kul ʿĀm wa‑inta Bikhair” During Ramadan

If you spend any time around Arabic‑speaking communities during Ramadan, you’ll hear a warm, melodic phrase exchanged again and again: “kul ʿām wa‑inta bikhair.”
It’s one of those expressions that carries more than its literal meaning. It’s a blessing, a wish, and a gesture of affection all at once.

What the Phrase Literally Means

In Arabic, the words break down simply:

• kul ʿām — “every year”
• wa‑inta — “and you” (or “wa‑inti” when speaking to a woman)
• bikhair — “in goodness,” “in well‑being,” “in a good state”

Put together, it means something like:
“May you be well every year.”
Or, more expansively:
“May each year find you in goodness, health, and peace.”

It’s not tied only to Ramadan—you’ll hear it at Eid, New Year’s, and other milestones—but Ramadan gives it a special resonance.

Why It Matters During Ramadan

Ramadan is a month built around intention: caring for others, softening the heart, and practicing mercy without arrogance. Fasting is not just abstaining from food; it’s a way of sharing, in a small embodied way, the experiences of those who live with hunger every day. It’s a month that asks people to slow down, reflect, and show up for one another with gentleness.

So when someone says “kul ʿām wa‑inta bikhair,” they’re not just offering a polite greeting. They’re acknowledging:

• the spiritual weight of the month
• the hope that you’ll reach the next Ramadan in health and peace
• the shared journey of fasting, patience, and compassion

It’s a blessing that looks forward, not backward.

A Cultural Gesture of Care

In many Arab cultures, blessings are a form of everyday generosity. People don’t just greet each other; they wish goodness into each other’s lives. Ramadan amplifies that instinct.

You’ll hear the phrase exchanged:

• between neighbors passing in the street
• between coworkers at the end of the day
• between strangers in a shop
• between elders and children
• between friends who haven’t spoken in months

It’s a way of saying:
“I see you. I’m glad you’re here. May you reach many more Ramadans.”

A Month That Makes the Phrase Feel True

Daily life during Ramadan is full of small rituals that reinforce community:

• Waking before dawn for suhoor, the quiet pre‑fast meal
• The softened pace of the day, as people work while fasting
• The anticipation that builds as sunset approaches
• Families gathering for iftar, sometimes in small circles, sometimes in large, joyful crowds
• Acts of generosity that become public and communal

In places like Jordan, wealthier families and community groups set up large tents offering free iftar meals to anyone who comes—travelers, workers far from home, people who are struggling, or simply neighbors passing by. These tents aren’t charity in the cold sense; they’re hospitality, dignity, and community woven together.

In that atmosphere, “kul ʿām wa‑inta bikhair” feels less like a phrase and more like a shared promise.

A Blessing That Travels Across the Year

Even after Ramadan ends, the phrase lingers. It’s used at Eid, at birthdays, at anniversaries, at the start of the school year—any moment that marks the passage of time.

But during Ramadan, it carries a special tenderness. It’s a reminder that goodness is something we wish for one another, not just for ourselves.

Kul ʿām wa‑inta bikhair—may every year find you in goodness, and may this Ramadan bring peace, clarity, and compassion to all who observe.

post inspired by  When You're Shoved from the Right, Look to the Left: Metaphors of Islamic Humanism by Omar Imady

Book Description

This book contains 29 stories originally articulated in Arabic by Bashir Al-Bani, Orator of the Grand Mosque of Damascus and one of the masters of the Sufi Naqishbandi Order. They have been compiled, rendered in English, and introduced by Dr. Omar Imady, professor of humanities and political science. The stories are often comic but often deep in implication. While one story may address the motives underlying human interaction, another story may address how hidden principles guide the way in which our lives unfold. A delicate concern for the value, indeed the sacredness, of human value permeates all the stories. This concern is explicated through metaphors, the purest vocabulary of Islamic humanism.

 
For more posts on Dr. Omar Imady and his books, click HERE.

 

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