Verse 183
يَا 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.”
Q1. What does the phrase “decreed upon you” (kutiba ’alaykum) indicate about the nature of fasting?
It indicates that fasting is a divine obligation, not a voluntary suggestion. The word kutiba carries the meaning of something prescribed and made binding — the same weight used elsewhere for obligations like Salah and Jihad. It is a command from Allah, not a personal choice left to the believer’s discretion.
Q2. Why does Allah mention that fasting was also prescribed for previous communities?
This reference serves two purposes. First, it establishes continuity — fasting is not a new or strange burden invented for this Ummah alone, but a universal spiritual discipline practiced by Jews, Christians, and other righteous communities before Islam. Second, it lends the act moral weight and historical dignity. It tells the believer: you are joining a long line of God-conscious people who submitted in the same way.
Q3. What is the sole purpose stated for fasting in this verse, and what does it mean?
The sole purpose stated is la’allakum tattaqun — “that you may become righteous” or more precisely, that you may attain Taqwa (God-consciousness). According to Maududi, fasting is not primarily about physical health or discipline for its own sake. It is a comprehensive training program for the soul. By voluntarily giving up lawful pleasures — food, drink, and marital relations — during daylight hours purely for God’s sake, the believer strengthens their willpower against unlawful desires, develops empathy for the poor, trains the soul in patience and obedience, and weakens the grip of animalistic gratification. The entire exercise is meant to build an internal barrier against sin.
Verse 184
أَيَّامًا 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 تَعْلَمُونَ
”[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] – then an equal number of days [are to be made up] later. And for those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] – a redemption of feeding a poor person [for each day]. But whoever volunteers good [i.e., excess] – it is better for him. And to fast is better for you, if you only knew.”
Q4. What does “a limited number of days” tell us about Islam’s approach to obligation?
It immediately reassures the believer that this is not an open-ended or perpetual burden. The fasting is confined to a specific, counted period — the month of Ramadan. This framing reflects the Islamic principle of balance: the obligation is firm and real, but it is bounded and manageable, not designed to overwhelm.
Q5. Who are the two groups explicitly given exemptions in this verse, and what must they do?
The two groups are the ill and the traveler. Neither is required to fast during their period of illness or travel. However, the exemption is not a permanent waiver — they must make up an equal number of days at a later time when their condition allows. The obligation is deferred, not dropped.
Q6. Who did the option of fidyah (feeding a poor person) originally apply to, and what is fidyah?
Fidyah refers to a compensation — specifically, feeding one poor person for each day of fasting missed. This option was initially offered to those described as al-ladhina yutiqunahu, meaning those who were technically capable of fasting but found it extremely difficult. According to Maududi, this referred to the very elderly, the chronically ill, or those for whom fasting posed a severe and genuine hardship — not mere discomfort or inconvenience.
Q7. What happened to this fidyah option? Was it a permanent ruling?
No. Maududi explains that this concession was later abrogated (mansukh). The same verse ends by saying “to fast is better for you,” and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ subsequently clarified through his Sunnah that only those who are genuinely and permanently incapable of fasting — such as the very elderly or the terminally ill — may give fidyah as a substitute. For everyone else who can fast, even with some difficulty, fasting remains the obligatory and superior act. The initial ruling was a transitional ease granted to the community as they adjusted to the new obligation.
Verse 185
شَهْرُ 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 اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“The month of Ramadan [is that] in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] 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 [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful.”
Q8. Why is Ramadan specifically chosen as the month of fasting? What makes it uniquely sacred?
Ramadan is honored because it is the month in which the Quran was revealed. Maududi explains this refers to the beginning of divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree). The Quran is described in this verse as “a guidance for people, and clear proofs of guidance and the criterion” — meaning it distinguishes truth from falsehood. Fasting in Ramadan is thus not just a physical act of worship; it is intrinsically tied to commemorating and venerating the greatest gift Allah gave humanity: divine guidance itself.
Q9. What does the phrase “whoever sights the month, let him fast it” establish?
It establishes the final, definitive obligation. There is no longer a list of options or gradations as in verse 184 — the command is direct and unqualified. Any adult, sane, and capable Muslim who is present and witnesses the beginning of Ramadan is obligated to fast the entire month. The verb falyas-umhu (let him fast it) is a clear imperative, finalizing what was introduced in the previous verses.
Q10. Why are the concessions for the ill and traveler repeated again in verse 185 when they were already mentioned in verse 184?
The repetition is deliberate and serves the principle being articulated in this verse: “Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” By reiterating the exemptions immediately after the firm obligation, the verse makes clear that these concessions are not afterthoughts or loopholes — they are integral and intentional parts of the divine law itself. They reflect God’s mercy as a built-in feature of the legislation, not a deviation from it.
Q11. What does “Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship” tell us about the philosophy of Islamic law?
According to Maududi, this is one of the foundational principles of Islamic jurisprudence. It means that wherever Islamic law permits concessions — for illness, travel, age, or genuine incapacity — those concessions are not signs of weakness in the law but expressions of divine wisdom and mercy. The law is designed to be practicable for real human beings living real lives. This principle also serves as a reminder that no one should impose unnecessary strictness on themselves or others beyond what Allah has prescribed.
Q12. What are the three purposes stated at the end of verse 185 for the legislation of fasting?
The verse concludes with three interconnected aims. The first is to complete the period — meaning to fulfill the fast properly by either completing Ramadan or making up the missed days, ensuring the worship is whole and not left incomplete. The second is to glorify Allah for the guidance He has given — this points especially to the celebration of Eid al-Fitr at the completion of Ramadan, where the believer magnifies and praises Allah for the blessing of the Quran, Islam, and the ability to worship. The third is la’allakum tashkurun — “that perhaps you will be grateful.” This is the ultimate spiritual aim: fasting trains the believer to recognize how much they depend on Allah’s blessings by temporarily experiencing their absence, and in doing so, it cultivates a lasting state of gratitude (shukr) that extends far beyond Ramadan itself.
Summary Q&A
Q13. How do these three verses together present the fast of Ramadan as a complete and balanced act of worship?
Together, the three verses move from foundation to detail to finalization. Verse 183 establishes the why — fasting exists to build Taqwa and connects this Ummah to all righteous communities before it. Verse 184 introduces the how — practical rules with compassionate concessions showing that the obligation is real but not rigid. Verse 185 delivers the what and finalizes everything — Ramadan is named, the obligation is made definitive, the concessions are reaffirmed as mercy, and the deeper purposes are articulated: gratitude, glorification, and completion. The result is a picture of Islamic worship that is simultaneously firm in its demand, humane in its application, and profound in its spiritual objective.
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