According to the book Encyclopedia of Islam, the Arabs gave the name of Ramadan for the ninth month in the Hijri calendar because during that time the desert was very hot because of the sun. This naming is a tradition of Arabs who love to pay attention to natural phenomena to signify a region or circumstance.
Another example of naming the year. Pre-Islamic Arabs rely on the collective memory of an important event to name a year. For example, the Year of the Elephant, in which the Prophet Muhammad was born. The historical event was when Abraha's army was about to bring down the Kaaba, but it failed.
The heat of the sun is not just about naming the month of Ramadan. In a hadith, Rasulullah SAW said, Named the month of Ramadan because he tends to burn the sins. However, the name Ramadan has not been widely applicable during the time of jahiliyyah and the first coming of Islam. The Book of the Secrets of Ramadan Fasting by Yasin al-Jibouri and Mirza Javad explained that al-Midmar became the name of the moon. Al-Midmar means a moon that destroys the excesses of evil and sin that burden the human body. Thus, in this month people have the opportunity to clean themselves.
Still according to Jibouri and Javad, during the life of Rasulullah SAW, Ramadan is also commonly referred to as al-Marzuuq. Because in that month people are accustomed to the supply of food and drinks are more than enough. This is one of Allah's favor for His servants.
However, only certain people in the age of jahiliyyah are aware of the wisdom behind the abundance. The month of al-Marzuuq is more emphasized as a time to intensify commerce. There is no history to mention the tradition of fasting that month before Islam came.
However, Arabic jahiliyyah has a tradition of festivals. For example, the inhabitants of Yathrib (Medina) prior to the arrival of the Islamic treatise have enacted two feasts, namely Nairuz and Mihrajan. Nairuz comes from imitating Persian tradition. Similarly, Mihrajan, derived from Persian words, ie mihr which means 'sun' and jan 'love'.
Both Nairuz and Mihrajan signify the cultural dominance of the Persian Empire for Yathrib citizens. They also celebrate the two days royally each year.
As soon as Islam came, the people of Medina accepted Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as a substitute for Nairuz and Mihrajan. That is in accordance with the hadith which says the words of Prophet Muhammad SAW, Indeed every nation must have a feast, and Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr is our holiday. (Bukhari).
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