Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 184
| أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَاتٍ ۚ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۚ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ ۖ فَمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ ۚ وَأَنْ تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ |
| Transliteration | : | ayyaam(an) macdodaat fa- man kaana min -kum mared.(an) 'aw calaa safar fa- ciddah min ayyaam 'ukhar wa- calaa 'alladhena yut.eqon -hu fidyah t.acaam misken fa- man tat.awwaca khayr(an) fa- huwa khayr la- -hu wa- 'an tas.omo khayr la- -kum 'in kuntum taclamon |
| Pickthall | : | (Fast) a certain number of days; and (for) him who is sick among you, or on a journey, (the same) number of other days; and for those who can afford it there is a ransom: the feeding of a man in need. But whoso doeth good of his own accord, it is better for him: and that ye fast is better for you if ye did but know-- |
| Asad | : | [fasting] during a certain number of days.155 But whoever of you is ill, or on a journey, [shall fast instead for the same] number of other days; and [in such cases] it is incumbent upon those who can afford it to make sacrifice by feeding a needy person.156 And whoever does more good than he is bound to do157 does good unto himself thereby; for to fast is to do good unto yourselves - if you but knew it. |
| Malik | : | Fast the prescribed number of days; except if any of you is ill or on a journey, let him fast a similar number of days later. For those who can not endure it for medical reasons, there is a ransom: the feeding of one poor person for each missed day. But if he feeds more of his own free will, it is better for him. However, if you truly understand the rationale of fasting, it is better for you to fast. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill or on a journey the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship) is a ransom the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more of his own free will it is better for him and it is better for you that ye fast if ye only knew. 189 190 191 |
Note - 155I.e., during the twenty-nine or thirty days of Ramadan,
the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar (see next
verse). It consists of a total abstention from food,
drink and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset. As
the Qur'an points out, fasting has been widely practiced
at all times of man's religious history. The extreme
rigour and the long duration of the Islamic fast - which
is incumbent on every healthy adult, man or woman -
fulfils, in addition to the general aim of spiritual
purification, a threefold purpose: (1) to commemorate the
beginning of the Qur'anic revelation, which took place in
the month of Ramadan about thirteen years before the
Prophet's exodus to Medina; (2) to provide an exacting
exercise of self-discipline; and (3) to make everyone
realize, through his or her own experience, how it feels
to be hungry and thirsty, and thus to gain a true
appreciation of the needs of the poor.
|
Note - 156This phrase has been subject to a number of conflicting
and sometimes highly laboured interpretations. My
rendering is based on the primary meaning of alladhina
yutiqunahu ("those who are capable of it" or "are able to
do it" or "can afford it"), with the pronoun hu relating
to the act of "feeding a needy person".
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Note - 157Some commentators are of the opinion that this refers to
a voluntary feeding of more than one needy person, or to
feeding the needy for more than the number of days
required by the above ordinance. Since, however, the
remaining part of the sentence speaks of the benefits of
fasting as such, it is more probable that "doing more
good than one is bound to do" refers, in this context, to
supererogatory fasting (such as the Prophet sometimes
undertook) apart from the obligatory one during the month
of Ramadan.
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Note - 189This verse should be read with the following verses,
185-88, in order that the incidents of the physical fast
may be fully understood with reference to its spiritual
meaning.
|
Note - 190Illness and journey must not be interpreted in an elastic
sense: they must be such as to cause real pain or
suffering if the fast were observed. For journeys, a
minimum standard of three marches is prescribed by some
Commentators: others make it more precise by naming a
distance of 16 farsakhs, equivalent to 48 miles. A
journey of 8 or 9 miles on foot is more tiring than a
similar one by bullock cart. There are various degrees
of fatigue in riding a given distance on horseback or by
camel or in a comfortable train or by motor car or by
steamer, aeroplane, or airship. In my opinion the
standard must depend on the means of locomotion and on
the relative resources of the traveller. It is better to
determine it in each case according to circumstances.
|
Note - 191Those who can do it with hardship: such as aged people,
or persons specially circumstanced. The Shafiis would
include a woman expecting a child, or one who is nursing
a baby, but on this point opinion is not unanimous, some
holding that they ought to put in the fasts later, when
they can.
|
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I.e., during the twenty-nine or thirty days of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar (see next verse). It consists of a total abstention from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset. As the Qur'an points out, fasting has been widely practiced at all times of man's religious history. The extreme rigour and the long duration of the Islamic fast - which is incumbent on every healthy adult, man or woman - fulfils, in addition to the general aim of spiritual purification, a threefold purpose: (1) to commemorate the beginning of the Qur'anic revelation, which took place in the month of Ramadan about thirteen years before the Prophet's exodus to Medina; (2) to provide an exacting exercise of self-discipline; and (3) to make everyone realize, through his or her own experience, how it feels to be hungry and thirsty, and thus to gain a true appreciation of the needs of the poor. |
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This phrase has been subject to a number of conflicting and sometimes highly laboured interpretations. My rendering is based on the primary meaning of alladhina yutiqunahu ("those who are capable of it" or "are able to do it" or "can afford it"), with the pronoun hu relating to the act of "feeding a needy person". |
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Some commentators are of the opinion that this refers to a voluntary feeding of more than one needy person, or to feeding the needy for more than the number of days required by the above ordinance. Since, however, the remaining part of the sentence speaks of the benefits of fasting as such, it is more probable that "doing more good than one is bound to do" refers, in this context, to supererogatory fasting (such as the Prophet sometimes undertook) apart from the obligatory one during the month of Ramadan. |
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This verse should be read with the following verses, 185-88, in order that the incidents of the physical fast may be fully understood with reference to its spiritual meaning. |
| |
Illness and journey must not be interpreted in an elastic sense: they must be such as to cause real pain or suffering if the fast were observed. For journeys, a minimum standard of three marches is prescribed by some Commentators: others make it more precise by naming a distance of 16 farsakhs, equivalent to 48 miles. A journey of 8 or 9 miles on foot is more tiring than a similar one by bullock cart. There are various degrees of fatigue in riding a given distance on horseback or by camel or in a comfortable train or by motor car or by steamer, aeroplane, or airship. In my opinion the standard must depend on the means of locomotion and on the relative resources of the traveller. It is better to determine it in each case according to circumstances. |
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Those who can do it with hardship: such as aged people, or persons specially circumstanced. The Shafiis would include a woman expecting a child, or one who is nursing a baby, but on this point opinion is not unanimous, some holding that they ought to put in the fasts later, when they can. |
