In the Name of Allah, the Most Glorious, the most Merciful
It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong. So anyone of you who sights the month should fast, and anyone who is ill or on a journey should make up for the lost days by fasting on other days later. Allah wants ease for you, not hardship. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful.
EXPLANATION:
This ayah is one of a series of five verses in Suratul Baqarah (Q2:183-187) where alone Allah discusses fasting in the month of Ramadan; virtues and rulings.
In this particular Ayah, there are 10 issues:
1. Revelation of the Quran in the month of Ramadan; why did Allah choose Ramadan of all months to begin the revelation of the Quran? One may ask. This choice abounds in wisdom. It indicates the excellence of Ramadan and its greatness in the sight of Allah.
There is no other month in the year in which Allah is better worshipped and obeyed than Ramadan. It is the only month where the largest number of angels descends to earth. Gates of Heaven are open, and gates of Hell are shut – according to the Hadith. Devils are constrained. Prayers are answered, and believers compete in their devotion to Allah and generosity to their brethren. The Prophet said, ‘Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan in faith and in hope for reward has his past sins forgiven.’
2. The mention of the Quran in a discourse of Ramadan indicates that one of the best acts of devotion to get closer to Allah in this month is recitation and study of the glorious Quran. Hence, Tarawih -long night prayers (which is uncommon in all other days of the year) was recommended. The Prophet said, ‘Whoever observes the night prayers in Ramadan in faith and in hope of reward has his past sins wiped off.’ He also said, ‘Anyone who offers the night prayers with the Imam until he finishes has the reward of having prayed all night.’
It has been the practice right from the time of the Salaf to try to complete the whole of the Quran in night prayer: Tarawih and Tahajjud. Ibn ‘Abbas narrates “that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was the most generous person, and he would be at his most generous in Ramadan because Jibril would come to him every night and he would rehearse the Qur’an with him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 6/486) This Hadith contains recommendation of the following: studying the Qur’an in Ramadan, coming together for this purpose, checking (one’s memory/knowledge of) the Qur’an with someone who has preserved it better, increasing recitation of the Qur’an in Ramadan, that the night time is the best time to recite when other preoccupations decrease and it is easier to concentrate, as in Surah al-Muzzammil 73:6.
Further, Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated from her father (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who told her that Jibril would rehearse the Quran with him (in Ramadan) once every year, and he did so twice in the year of his death. (Bukhari 6/485)
Ibn Rajab talks about the situation of the Salaf (the early Muslims) during Ramadan:
“Some of the Salaf would complete reciting the whole Quran during the night prayer of Ramadan every 3 days, others every 7 days e.g. Qataadah, others in 10 days e.g. Abu Rajaa’ al-Atardi. The Salaf would recite Quran in Ramadan in Prayer as well as outside it. Al-Aswad would finish the Quran every 2 nights in Ramadan; Ibrahim an-Nakha’i would do likewise in the last 10 nights specifically, & every 3 nights during the rest of the month.
Qataadah would regularly finish the Quran in 7 days, but in 3 days during Ramadan, when he would study the Quran especially, and every night during its last 10 days. Al-Zuhri would say when Ramadan began, ‘It is recitation of the Quran and feeding of people.’ When Ramadan began, Imam Malik would cease narrating Hadith and sitting with the people of knowledge, and stick to reciting the Quran from its pages, while Sufyan al-Thawri would leave other acts of worship and stick to reciting the Quran. ‘Aishah would recite from the pages of the Quran at the beginning of the day in Ramadan (i.e. after Dawn), until when the sun had risen, she would sleep.”
Finally, remember that the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) will complain to Allah on the Day of Judgment that his people neglected the Qur’an (Surah al-Furqan 25:30). Neglect of the Qur’an is of different levels, as Ibn al-Qayyim writes: not reciting or listening to it; not studying and understanding it; not conveying its message; not judging by it in personal and communal matters, at all levels of society; not believing in it.
3. The verse also alludes to a strong fact in Islam: that the Quran is a revelation to Prophet Muhammad. It is not a human effort; it is completely divine. The Quran contains not a single word of the Prophet or any other mortal; it is the word of Allah revealed to the Prophet through the Archangel Jibril. Allah says, “Truly, this Quran has been sent down by the Lord of the worlds. The Trustworthy Spirit (Jibril) brought it down to your heart [Prophet] so that you could bring warning. (It was revealed) in plain Arabic Language.” Suratul- Shuaraa, (Q26: 192-195).
4. The Quran is a book of guidance for mankind. It is not the book of the Muslims alone. Because Allah is for all mankind. Muslims need not prevent non-Muslims who intend to study it, not to desecrate it, from having a copy. “The Prophet forbade that Muslims travel to place of enemy with the Quran, lest they desecrate it.’ The Hadith specifies that those people Muslims should not go into their lands with the Quran are those enemies who are in hostility with the believers; not non-Muslims who live peacefully with Muslims.
5. The Quran contains clear proof and is a criterion to distinguish falsehood from the truth. The more conversant one is with the Quran, the more knowledgeable one is and the more guided one is. The farther one is from the Quran and its knowledge the closer one is to misguidance and heresy, nay to Hellfire. Allah says, “Whenever guidance comes to you from Me whoever follows my guidance shall neither go astray nor fall into misery. But whoever turns away from My reminder (the Quran), he shall have a miserable life, and we shall raise him blind on the Day of resurrection. He will say, ‘Lord! Why did You bring me here blind? I was sighted before! Allah will say: this is how it is: you ignored Our Revelations when they came to you, so today you will be ignored.” Q20:123-127
6. Another name and purpose for the revelation of the Quran is ‘furqan’- as it is in the verse of discussion, i.e.; a criterion. It distinguishes piety from impiety, guidance from misguidance, right path from wrong path, right conduct from wrong conduct and virtues from vices. It clearly describes the righteous and their destination, as it defines the rebellious and their miserable end. Hence, whoever follows the Quran diligently will be on straight path.
7. After conferring on the Quran the deserved accolade, Allah moves on to discuss Ramadan. Thus, ‘Anyone of you who sights the month shall fast.” The Arabic word used for sighting the month is “Shahida”, which has several connotations among which is the literal meaning of sighting the new crescent moon. This meaning may be far-fetched since only a few people can actually sight it. The other connotation which is preponderantly favoured by exegetes is to be resident. See Tafseer Ibn Kakeer and Tabari on the verse. His instruction to fast here comes in a condition and effect, which implies an obligation. Hence, all resident Muslims must fast. But considering other related Shariah provisions, Muslims, in consideration of their eligibility to fast, may be divided in to four categories:
A. Those who must fast; they are the pure, healthy and mature Muslims.
B. Those who must not fast; they are Muslim women in menses or Nifas. They have to pay up the lost days in other days later. Menstruation invalidates fast even if it is experienced a minute before sunset.
C. Those who may not fast; they are Muslims who are ill or on a journey, pregnant women and nursing mothers. The verb in discussion mentions the case of the sick and travellers. In a Hadith, the Prophet said, “Allah has removed half of the obligatory prayers from the travellers, and has removed (the obligation) to fast from the nursing and pregnant woman.” Reported by Imam Tirmidhi
The sick and travellers will pay up later.
A person suffering from a chronic illness which prevents him from fasting shall give ‘fidya’, i.e., compensation (Q2:184). This is equivalent to two Mudds of food stuff to be given to the poor as much as the number of days one missed in Ramadan. Women in lactation or pregnancy will also pay up except when the cause of their concession is still present and there is fear of missing or mixing another month of Ramadan, then she does ‘Fidya’.
D. Those who cannot fast: those who cannot fast due to age or protracted / terminal illness will also give ‘fadya.’
8. To sight the new crescent moon of Ramadan is a condition prerequisite for the commencement of the fasting in the month of Ramadan. The Prophet said – as recorded by all reporters of Hadith, “Begin to fast when you sight it (the new moon), and terminate your fast when you sight it (the new moon of Shawwal), in case it becomes obscure (by the sky being overcast on the night of the thirtieth day) then complete the present month to thirty.” These are two Islamic methods to determine the beginning of an Islamic lunar month. Using a predetermined scientific method is a subject of debate among scholars of old and the contemporary.
9. Allah intends ease for us, not hardship. Hence, He provides allowances in times of extra hardship. Yet, a caveat is introduced- He also intends that you complete the number of the month fasted. Concession in times of unbearable hardship does not give room for arbitrariness in religious duties. In time of sickness, fasting may be postponed, but not Salat. In time of travelling, fasting may be postponed not Salat. Four-unit Salat may only be shorted to two units.
Allah intends ease for us not hardship: it would be exaggerated piety for one to harm oneself by fasting when one is ill while Allah has given him allowance because of his ill-health. Likeness, survival of people depends on mobility of people. Some people (travellers) must be on the road to convey people’s needs back and forth. Livelihood of a great number of people may also depend on travelling. This verse is a proof that Allah loves us and better cares for us than we love or can care for ourselves.
This verse ‘Allah intends ease for you not difficulty is a principle of Islamic legal system. Allah has not burdened any soul beyond its scope. Yet, its application must be defined in the light of the Islamic law so as not fall headlong into complete neglect under the pretence of removal of hardship.
10. ‘He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful.’
Islamic lunar month is either 29 or 30. Which is fasted is complete once the start and end is guided by the traditional principle of sighting. According Ibn Mas’ood – a great companion of the Prophet, the Prophet and his community had fasted more 29 than 30 of the month of Ramadan.
At the completion of the month, Allah also wants that we glorify Him for having guided us to Islam and facilitated the fast; doing this is the way to be thankful to Him for this choicest favour. How is the glorification done? The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad provides guidance on this. The glorification – according to Sunnah is to begin chanting words of glorification upon the announcement of the sighting of the new moon of Shawwal: Allaahu akbar, Allaahu akbar, Laa ilaaha illallah Allaahu akbar Allahu akbar walillahil Hamd. This should be done till one gets to the Eid prayer ground the other day, which is the first of Shawwal. Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated with a saheeh isnaad that al-Zuhri said: The people used to recite Takbeer on Eid when they came out of their houses until they came to the prayer place, and until the imam came out. When the imam came out they fell silent, and when he said takbeer they said takbeer. See Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1/121. Allah knows best.
Imam Ridwan Jamiu, PhD, is the Chief Imam, Lekki Central Mosque, Lekki, Lagos
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