The arrival of the month of Ramadan has been met throughout history with great excitement and joy among the Muslim community and faithful hearts. Such is the significance that, with the institution of fasting as an obligatory act of worship, this Abrahamic tradition has become a beloved and eagerly awaited month for all Muslims, particularly embodied in the person of Prophet Muhammad and his companions. The Muslim society and families have awaited the advent of Ramadan with unique preparations, exerting maximum effort to ensure that this blessed month is spiritually productive.
The preparations and anticipation for the arrival of the Ramadan month among Muslims were not confined merely to an individual dimension. Preparations, primarily initiated by religious officials, would begin early, mosques and prayer halls would be arranged, and homemakers would start their personal preparations at home. Similarly, traders would engage in necessary preparations in their businesses. This fervent preparation in the eyes of the public as the approach of Ramadan neared was not limited to society alone. Especially at the state level, preparations for the month of Ramadan would commence, and special measures would be taken. These preparations encompassed various cultural, religious, as well as political, economic, and social activities.
Islamic states, during their respective eras, engaged in preparations well in advance of the onset of Ramadan, striving to ensure a blessed, peaceful, and prosperous Ramadan month for the populace. Especially the Muslim rulers and state administrators, through written communications issued shortly before the advent of Ramadan, would initiate significant preparations associated with Ramadan, facilitating the implementation of necessary measures.
Representing the zenith of Turkish-Islamic civilization, and fulfilling its duty as the preserver and bearer of Islamic civilization during its era, the Ottoman Empire also began important preparations months in advance regarding the observance of the month of Ramadan.
As the approach of Ramadan neared in the Ottoman realm, an enthusiastic and special flurry of activity would emerge within the state apparatus, including the palace, and extend to all levels of state officials and offices. Particularly in the Ottoman capital of Istanbul, known as Dersaadet, all necessary precautions were considered and admonitions were issued to ensure a peaceful and trouble-free Ramadan month. This involved the issuance of directives primarily by the Sultan, as well as the Grand Vizier and other state dignitaries, in the form of handwritten edicts called “hatt-ı hümayuns.”
In this regard, toward the beginning of Ramadan, “Ramadan Admonitions” would be published at the end of the month of Sha’ban. The term “Tembihname,” derived from the Arabic word “tembih” meaning “warning” or “admonition,” and the Persian word “nâme” meaning “book” or “letter,” referred to the writings through which the Ottoman state provided ethical and religious guidance to the public before the onset of Ramadan.
These admonitions encompassed a multitude of religious, political, and economic warnings. They included economic advice ranging from ensuring sufficient raw materials to prevent hunger among the people during Ramadan to regulating prices, continuously monitoring establishments responsible for essential food supplies such as bakeries and butchers. In order to prevent meat shortages during Ramadan, sheep would be brought to the capital from various regions of the country. Prices would be announced to traders before Ramadan, and price limits would be established.
In addition to economic warnings and measures, the admonitions also provided guidance on how the public should behave during the Ramadan month. Instructions were given regarding the attire of women, the latest time they should return home after evening entertainments, the prohibition of men engaging in gambling or using intoxicating substances. Especially during Ramadan, women were not discouraged from participating in various activities, and efforts were made to encourage their attendance in nightly prayers (Tarawih). While guidelines were provided regarding clothing, women were advised against spending late hours outside.
These admonitions, starting from the reign of Mahmud II, were first published in the Takvim-i Vekayi newspaper and were also distributed to the public as booklets. The admonitions would be read to the public in the streets, conveyed by preachers in mosques to the congregation, and announced by neighborhood watchmen to residents in neighborhoods. At inns, they would be communicated to employees by proprietors.
While admonitions were directed toward Muslims, they also included warnings for non-Muslims. Particularly due to the establishment of religious freedom, the non-Muslim subjects were advised not to engage in eating and drinking in places where Muslim communities were present. Similarly, it was proclaimed that drums should not be played in neighborhoods where non-Muslims resided, so as not to disturb them. It could be observed that both Muslim and non-Muslim populations lived in peace and tranquility during the Ramadan month, and certain non-Muslim businesses closed their shutters during daylight hours.
A tembihname prepared during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid, which we have found in Ottoman archival records, clearly illustrates the aspects discussed in our article regarding admonitions and their content:
“Considering that His Majesty the Sultan is likely to visit some mosques, everyone should perform their duties in the best possible way and avoid any shortcomings in respect. During Ramadan, behave with more care and propriety than usual. Adhere to the rules. While it is not permissible to interfere with those sitting in mosques or elsewhere, it is especially recommended not to sit in shops along the main route to Bayezid and Şehzadebaşı, and to avoid sitting in the streets using chairs during the night, especially on the main streets and alleys where people pass through. It is improper to behave inappropriately towards women passing by in carriages, both horse-drawn and unhitched, and carriages should not stop in the middle of the street in Bayezid and Şehzadebaşı. Women should not enter other major mosques besides Sultanahmet, Şehzadebaşı, and Laleli Mosque. Moreover, men should not enter these mosques except for the designated prayer times and outside the hours of duty. Women should return home one hour before the call to the evening prayer (ezan) and avoid walking in the streets, either in carriages or on foot, after iftar. Everyone, as always, should come to the mosques, especially during Ramadan, and except for attendants with tasks, no one should sit in shops during the nightly Tarawih prayer. Those without any legitimate reason should fast openly, while those with legitimate reasons should eat openly during fasting hours. Everyone should maintain cleanliness at all times and especially during Ramadan, and particular attention should be paid to cleanliness, with garbage not being thrown in the middle of streets… Officials should strictly adhere to these admonitions. If anyone is seen to act contrary to the admonitions, they should be punished!”
The admonitions represent the most tangible examples of the responsibility and refined civilization of a Muslim state. These preparations manifest the degree of importance attributed by both the state and the people to the sanctity of the Ramadan month. The blessed, peaceful, and prosperous observance of the Ramadan month is not only an individual spiritual matter but also one of the most significant concerns of the state philosophy and social concept of Islamic states. The Ramadan month is not merely a one-month affair; rather, we can say that it begins months before the start of Ramadan in Islamic states.
