Q: What is the context of these two verses within the Ramadan passage?
Having established the obligation, wisdom, and basic concessions for the fast of Ramadan, these concluding verses provide essential details regarding the conduct of the fast. They define its duration, what is permissible during the nights, and offer profound reassurance about God’s closeness to those who call upon Him.
Verse 186 — Divine Nearness and the Power of Prayer
آية ١٨٦
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ“And 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.”
Q: Why is Verse 186 placed within the fasting passage if its message seems universal?
Maududi explains that the verse was likely prompted by questions about how to worship and pray during this sacred month. While it carries a universal and profound message, its placement here imbues the fasting experience with a special spiritual quality — reminding the fasting believer that their Lord is exceptionally close and responsive, particularly during the breaking of the fast and the night prayers of Ramadan.
Q: What does “Indeed I am near” mean? Is it a spatial nearness?
No — God’s nearness is not spatial. The declaration negates any notion that God is distant or unconcerned. His nearness pertains to His knowledge, attention, and responsiveness to His servants at all times.
Q: Does God always respond to supplication (du’a)?
Yes. Maududi emphasizes that God’s promise to respond is guaranteed. However, the response may take different forms — granting exactly what was asked, averting a harm, granting something better, or storing the reward for the Hereafter. But a response is certain and never absent.
Q: What obligation does this divine promise place on the believer?
The verse concludes with a human duty: “So let them respond to Me and believe in Me.” To “respond” to God means to obey His commands — such as fasting — and to submit to His will. When coupled with sincere belief, this obedience is the path to true guidance (rashad).
Verse 187 — The Rules of the Fast: Mercy, Boundaries, and Balance
آية ١٨٧
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطُ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ“It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations]. 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 of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]. Then complete the fast until the night [i.e., sunset]. And do not have relations with them while you are in retreat in the mosques. These are the limits [set by] Allah, so do not approach them. Thus does Allah make clear His verses to the people that they may become righteous.”
Q: What was the original rule for fasting, and why was it changed?
Initially, after fasting was prescribed, Muslims were forbidden from eating, drinking, and marital relations for the entire period of a fast day, from sunset to sunset. This proved excessively difficult. God, knowing that people were “deceiving themselves” — perhaps by struggling to adhere or through secret violations — accepted their repentance and forgave them, then eased the rule. All these things are now permissible during the nights of Ramadan, from sunset to dawn.
Q: What is the significance of describing spouses as “clothing” for each other?
Maududi explains this beautiful metaphor signifies intimacy, mutual protection, comfort, and adornment. Just as clothing covers and protects the body, spouses provide one another with emotional shelter and closeness. The metaphor also affirms the goodness and naturalness of marital relations, firmly placing them within a framework of dignity and permissibility.
Q: When exactly does the fast begin and end?
The verse defines both boundaries with precision. The fast begins at true dawn (Fajr) — when the white thread of light becomes genuinely distinct from the darkness of night — not at the false dawn or first light. The fast ends at sunset (Maghrib), when night sets in. These two points form the complete daily boundary of the fast.
Q: Is there any exception to the permissibility of marital relations during Ramadan nights?
Yes. The verse states: “And do not have relations with them while you are in retreat in the mosques.” During I’tikaf — the voluntary spiritual retreat practiced especially in the last ten nights of Ramadan — complete devotion to worship is required, and marital relations are suspended for the duration of the retreat.
Q: What does the verse mean by “the limits of Allah,” and why does it say “do not approach them” rather than “do not cross them”?
Maududi explains that the command “do not approach them” is deliberately stronger than “do not cross them.” It means do not even draw near to transgression — maintain a safe distance from the boundary itself. These limits are not arbitrary human conventions but divinely ordained boundaries for human conduct, designed to preserve both spiritual integrity and social order.
Q: What is the ultimate purpose of laying out these rules so clearly?
The verse concludes: “Thus does Allah make clear His verses to the people that they may become righteous (yattaqun).” Adhering to these detailed commandments — especially in matters involving physical desire — is direct training in Taqwa (God-consciousness). The ability to exercise self-restraint within the divinely prescribed bounds, even when permission exists, is itself the cultivation of righteousness.
Summary: What Do Verses 186–187 Accomplish Together?
Q: How do these two verses complete the Ramadan legislation that began in Verse 183?
Together, they complete the passage in four important ways. First, they infuse the fast with spiritual intimacy — Verse 186 reminds the fasting believer of God’s ever-present nearness and responsiveness, making Ramadan a special time for heartfelt supplication. Second, they establish practical, merciful rules — Verse 187 replaces an initial hardship with a balanced regulation, defining the clear timeline of the fast and permitting normal physical comforts during the night, embodying the principle of ease from Verse 185. Third, they reinforce the concept of Hudud (limits) — framing the fast as an exercise in recognizing and respecting the divine boundaries that govern human life, which is the very essence of Taqwa. Fourth, they integrate physical and spiritual discipline — showing that Islamic worship seamlessly unites the physical act of abstention with the spiritual goals of closeness to God, gratitude, self-purification, and moral guidance.
Messages from Quran 