My father died in the month of Ramadhaan. He was mentioning Allaah The Almighty frequently, glorifying Him and uttering the Two Testimonies of Faith then he suddenly went into a coma and died thereafter. Does this mean that he died while uttering the Two Testimonies of Faith? Is there merit for passing away in Ramadhaan? What is the Sharee'ah ruling on hanging a photo of the deceased at home in memory of him? Is the person who dies of an abdominal ailment considered a martyr?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

As far as we know, there is no proof that there is merit for passing away during the month of Ramadan, except if a person dies while fasting whether in Ramadan or in any other month. It was narrated on the authority of Huthayfah that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that the person who sincerely said before his death: "La ’ilaaha ’illa Allaah (there is no god worthy of worship but Allaah)" and it was his last words would enter Paradise. Similarly, the person who fasted a day for the sake of Allaah The Almighty and it was the last of his deeds, would enter Paradise and the person who gave charity for the sake of Allaah The Almighty and it was the last of his deeds would enter Paradise. [Ahmad; Al-Haythami: Hassan]

As for the situation of your father, having pronounced the Testimony of Faith and then went into a coma for a while before his death, the testimony is considered as his last words as long as he did not say anything else before his death. It was reported on the authority of ‘Abd Allaah ibn Al-Mubaarak that when people persistently asked him to utter the Testimony of Faith at the time of his death, he said that it is enough to say it once as long as he did not say anything else after it. [Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar]

We hope, Allaah willing, that your father is one of those to whom the aforementioned Hadeeth refers and whom the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, mentioned in the Hadeeth in which he said that if the last words of a person were "La ’ilaaha ’illa Allaah (there is no god but Allaah)", he would enter Paradise. [Abu Daawood and Ahmad]

Allaah Knows best.