Salaam,
I saw many threads and posts about Ramadhaan and fasting. And I found almost all of them are circling around the understanding of hadith in many ways if not all.
Recently I have gone through an article suggested by my friend [Dr. Alam] and got inspiration from it. Please take a look at my current understanding about the whole chapter. It is indeed long writing but inshaAllah it is worth reading.
Please note that this is my personal understanding, check carefully all the aayaat quoted in this article before accepting or denying it.-------------------------------
2:183يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous
Instead of going into detail on these points mentioned below, I will just write what I understood and move forward, inshaAllah as this is not our main topic.
آمَنُوا = One who believes in Allah alone and what ever He says [
2:165].
مُؤْمِنٍ = One who believes in Allah and others [
12:17].
كُتِبَ = Written upon you. This means it is not compulsory but optional unlike the word
فَرَضَ in
28:85. Please check
5:21 where the land was written by Allah on them, but later on made haraam for them for 40 years [
5:26] even though it was written by Allah.
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2:184أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۚ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ ۖ فَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّهُ ۚ وَأَن تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۖ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَA limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of days. And upon those who are able - a ransom of feeding a poor person. And whoever volunteers excess - it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.
There are only a number of days that is from 3-9/10. A person who is able but not doing Saum has to feed a miskeen and also has to complete the count in other days. And those who are ill or on a journey and not able to do Saum, then they just have to complete the count in other days. Option of feeding a miskeen is not for them.
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2:185شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ اللَّـهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَThe month of Ramadhan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever witnesses the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
شَهْرُ =
Popular, fame [at the moment no month, no full moon].
رَمَضَانَ =
Colloquial, an ordinary language, informal speech.
Why do you think Allah added this part saying alQuraan was sent down into the topic of Saum? What it has to do with Saum? Those who think that alQuraan was revealed during the month of Ramadhaan, they are actually saying that it has been sent down in just a month. And those who says alQuraan was sent down in the night of measure i.e.,laylatu-alQadr are actually saying that it has been sent down in a single night. Contradiction in alQuraan? Allah never mentioned the word alQuraan in 97 sura. 'Hu' could refer to anything, why only alQuraan?
Popular/fame colloquial/ordinary language in which alQuraan is sent down. Let me break it down.
شَهْرُ = Popular
رَمَضَانَ = Ordinary language [of an individual]
الَّذِي = Which/that
أُنزِلَ = Sent down
فِيهِ = Therein/in that [ordinary language]
الْقُرْآنُ = alQuraan
Which is a guidance for people and explanations from alHuda and a criterion.
It is not about alQuraan sent down as a complete book, but it is a part or a topic of it mentioned as alQuraan. When a part of it is sent down towards you in your ordinary language, then only you will understand it clearly. Not possible? Please take a look at [
2:136,
7:3]. Please note the terms
أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم and
أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا in both the aayaat. That means whatever is sent down towards you [plural] and towards us [plural].
فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ So whoever witnesses among you of that fame [which is sent down towards someone], so let him [the witness] do Saum of it. Saum is very clearly defined in
19:26 starting from eating and drinking [that means no abstaining from eating and drinking]. But abstaining from talking with others and turning towards alRahmaan.
Please note the words in relation to this topic. Maryam was doing Saum for alRahmaan and we have to do the same. Why? Because
الرَّحْمَـٰنُ alRahmaan is the only one who
عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ taught alQuraan [
55:1-
55:2]. And also note that the word 'alQuraan' is used in relation to what we read above and not 'alKitaab'.
So whoever witnesses from you of that fame [that comes to you by someone], so let him [the witness] abstain from talking with people and get connected with alRahmaan in order to understand
it [that witnessed topic]. In other words to get alQuraan revealed/sent down to him by abstaining from talking with others and connecting with alRahmaan. Do you think alQuraan was revealed once and for all 1400 years ago?
5:101يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِن تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ وَإِن تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْآنُ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ عَفَا اللَّـهُ عَنْهَا ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌO you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they are shown to you, will distress you.
And if you ask about them when alQuraan is being revealed, they will be shown to you. Allah has pardoned that which is past; and Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.
يُنَزَّلُ in the above aayat is muzaare'
مضارع that refers to continuous process i.e.,for present and for future.
Again please note the relations of words here being sent down/revealed is
alQuraan same as in
2:185 and not
alKitaab. And the aayat addressing to aamanoo
O you who have believed same as in
2:183. That means revelation is not common for a common man but for aamanoo only and after getting revelation, it can be explained to naas [people].
Now no tensions and no more asking others about how to do this or that, what ever you witnessed of [or whatever topic comes to you and you have confusion about it], do Saum for few days let alQuraan revealed to you by alRahmaan. There will not be any confusions, simple as that, inshaAllah.
If anyone witnessed and he is ill or on journey, he can do Saum in the other days. Allah did not intend hardship for you but He wants you to complete the period and to glorify Him for that which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
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2:186وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَAnd when My servants ask you, concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me that they may be guided.
Do you see the relation of this aayat with the topic now?
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2:187أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللَّـهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّـهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَIt has been made open for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives. They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them. Allah knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He accepted your repentance and forgave you. So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allah has decreed for you. And eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread from alFajr. Then complete the fast until the sunset. And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques. These are the limits of Allah , so do not approach them. Thus does Allah make clear His ordinances to the people that they may become righteous.
This aayat is all about women and 'kuloo wa ishraboo' also also referring to women and not to eat and drink. If you take eat and drink then it contradicts with
19:26 which explains what and how to do the Saum.
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I will end this article here as it is already very long. Thank you for your time. And please vote as I just wanted to know your opinion. And if you disagree please let me know the reason as I wanted to study this subject further.
May Allah increase our knowledge and guide us on His path
mmKhan
