Surah 2. Al-Baqara, Ayah 187
| أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنْكُمْ ۖ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ |
| Transliteration | : | uh.illa la- -kum laylah as.- s.iyaam ar- rafath 'ilaa nisaa' -kum hunna libaas la- -kum wa- 'antum libaas la- -hunna calima 'allaah 'anna -kum kuntum takhtaanon anfus -kum fa- taaba calay -kum wa- cafaa can -kum fa- al-'aan baashiro -hunna wa- ibtagho maa kataba 'allaah la- -kum wa- kulo wa- ishrabo h.attaa yatabayyan la- -kum al- khayt. al- abyad. min al- khayt. al- aswad min al- fajr thumma atimmo as.- s.iyaam 'ilaa al- layl wa- laa tubaashiro -hunna wa- 'antum caakifon fe al- masaajid tilka h.udod 'allaah fa- laa taqrabo -haa ka- dhaalika yubayyin 'allaah 'aayaat -hi li- an- naas lacalla -hum yattaqon |
| Pickthall | : | It is made lawful for you to go unto your wives on the night of the fast. They are raiment for you and ye are raiment for them. Allah is aware that ye were deceiving yourselves in this respect and He hath turned in mercy toward you and relieved you. So hold intercourse with them and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you, and eat and drink until the white thread becometh distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn. Then strictly observe the fast till nightfall and touch them not, but be at your devotions in the mosques. These are the limits imposed by Allah, so approach them not. Thus Allah expoundeth His revelations to mankind that they may ward off (evil). |
| Asad | : | IT IS lawful for you to go in unto your wives during the night preceding the [day's] fast: they are as a garment for you, and you are as a garment for them. God is aware that you would have deprived yourselves of this right,159 and so He has turned unto you in His mercy and removed this hardship from you. Now, then, you may lie with them skin to skin, and avail yourselves of that which God has ordained for you,160 and eat and drink until you can discern the white streak of dawn against the blackness of night,161 and then resume fasting until nightfall; but do not lie with them skin to skin when you are about to abide in meditation in houses of worship.162 These are the bounds set by God: do not, then, offend against them - [for] it is thus that God makes clear His messages unto mankind, so that they might remain conscious of Him. |
| Malik | : | It is made lawful for you to approach your wives during the night of the fast; they are an apparel for you and you for them. Allah knows that you were committing dishonesty to your souls. So He has relented towards you and pardoned you. Now, you may approach your wives and seek what Allah has written for you. Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread of night, then complete your fast till nightfall. Do not approach your wives during I'htikaf (retreat in the mosques in last ten days of Ramadhan). These are the limits set by Allah: do not ever violate them. Thus Allah makes His revelations clear to mankind so that they may guard themselves against evil. |
| Yusuf Ali | : | Permitted to you on the night of the fasts is the approach to your wives. They are your garments. And ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them and seek what Allah hath ordained for you and eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are limits (set by) Allah; approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth Allah make clear His signs to men that they may learn self-restraint. 195 196 197 198 199 200 |
Note - 159Lit., "deceived" of "defrauded yourselves [in this
respect]": an allusion to the idea prevalent among the
early Muslims, before the revelation of this verse, that
during the period of fasting all sexual intercourse
should be avoided, even at night-time, when eating and
drinking are allowed (Razi). The above verse removed this
misconception.
|
Note - 160Lit., "and seek that which God has ordained for you": an
obvious stress on the God-willed nature of sexual life.
|
Note - 161Lit., "the white line of dawn from the black line [of
night]". According to all Arab philologists, the "black
line" (al-khayt al-aswad) signifies "the blackness of
night" (Lane II, 831); and the expression al-khaytan
("the two lines" or "streaks") denotes "day and night"
(Lisan al-'Arab).
|
Note - 162It was the practice of the Prophet to spend several days
and nights during Ramadan - and occasionally also at
other times - in the mosque, devoting himself to prayer
and meditation to the exclusion of all worldly
activities; and since he advised his followers as well to
do this from time to time, seclusion in a mosque for the
sake of meditation, called i'tikaf, has become a
recognized - though optional - mode of devotion among
Muslims, especiahy during the last ten days of Ramadan.
|
Note - 195Men and women are each other's garments: i.e., they are
for mutual support, mutual comfort, and mutual
protection, fitting into each other as a garment fits the
body. A garment also is both for show and concealment.
The question of sex is always delicate to handle: here we
are told that even in such matters a clear, open, and
honest course is better than fraud or self-deception.
The sex instinct is classed with eating and drinking, an
animal thing to be restrained, but not to be ashamed of.
The three things are prohibited during the fast by day,
but permitted after the fast is broken at night till the
next fast commences.
|
Note - 196There is difference of opinion as to the exact meaning of
this. I would connect this as a parallel clause with the
clause "eat and drink", which follows, all three being
governed by "until the white thread", etc. That is, all
three things must stop when the fast begins again in the
early morning. Or it may mean: What is permitted is well
enough, but seek the higher things ordained for you.
|
Note - 197Those in touch with Nature know the beautiful effects of
early dawn. First appear thin white indefinable streaks
of light in the east; then a dark zone supervenes;
followed by a beautiful pinkish white zone clearly
defined from the dark. This is the true dawn; after that
the fast begins.
|
Note - 198Till the night appears: From the actual practice of the
Holy Apostle, this is rightly interpreted to mean: "Till
sunset."
|
Note - 199Retreat to the Mosques by night after the fast is broken
is specially recommended towards the end of Ramadham, so
that all carnal temptations may be avoided.
|
Note - 200I construe these limits as applying to the whole of the
regulations about fasts.
|
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Lit., "deceived" of "defrauded yourselves [in this respect]": an allusion to the idea prevalent among the early Muslims, before the revelation of this verse, that during the period of fasting all sexual intercourse should be avoided, even at night-time, when eating and drinking are allowed (Razi). The above verse removed this misconception. |
| |
Lit., "and seek that which God has ordained for you": an obvious stress on the God-willed nature of sexual life. |
| |
Lit., "the white line of dawn from the black line [of night]". According to all Arab philologists, the "black line" (al-khayt al-aswad) signifies "the blackness of night" (Lane II, 831); and the expression al-khaytan ("the two lines" or "streaks") denotes "day and night" (Lisan al-'Arab). |
| |
It was the practice of the Prophet to spend several days and nights during Ramadan - and occasionally also at other times - in the mosque, devoting himself to prayer and meditation to the exclusion of all worldly activities; and since he advised his followers as well to do this from time to time, seclusion in a mosque for the sake of meditation, called i'tikaf, has become a recognized - though optional - mode of devotion among Muslims, especiahy during the last ten days of Ramadan. |
| |
Men and women are each other's garments: i.e., they are for mutual support, mutual comfort, and mutual protection, fitting into each other as a garment fits the body. A garment also is both for show and concealment. The question of sex is always delicate to handle: here we are told that even in such matters a clear, open, and honest course is better than fraud or self-deception. The sex instinct is classed with eating and drinking, an animal thing to be restrained, but not to be ashamed of. The three things are prohibited during the fast by day, but permitted after the fast is broken at night till the next fast commences. |
| |
There is difference of opinion as to the exact meaning of this. I would connect this as a parallel clause with the clause "eat and drink", which follows, all three being governed by "until the white thread", etc. That is, all three things must stop when the fast begins again in the early morning. Or it may mean: What is permitted is well enough, but seek the higher things ordained for you. |
| |
Those in touch with Nature know the beautiful effects of early dawn. First appear thin white indefinable streaks of light in the east; then a dark zone supervenes; followed by a beautiful pinkish white zone clearly defined from the dark. This is the true dawn; after that the fast begins. |
| |
Till the night appears: From the actual practice of the Holy Apostle, this is rightly interpreted to mean: "Till sunset." |
| |
Retreat to the Mosques by night after the fast is broken is specially recommended towards the end of Ramadham, so that all carnal temptations may be avoided. |
