Abdul Muqit Chowdhury :
We should have a clear conception of the prohibited activities during fasting hours. The 187th verse of the Holy Quran prohibits eating, drinking and gratifying sexual appetite during fasting hours, but these are allowed after breaking the fast till having meal of Sehri for the next day’s fasting.
The Holy Quran reveals: “Permitted to you,/On
the night of the fasts,/ Is the approach to your wives. /They are your garments/ And ye are their garments./God knoweth what ye/used to do secretly among youselves;/But he turned to you/And forgave you ;/So now associate with them,/ And seek what God/Hath ordained for you,/ And eat and drink/ Until the white thread/ Of dawn appears to you/ Distinct from its black thread; /Then complete your fast /Till the night appears; … (Sura Baqara 2: 187, The Holy Quran : Translation and Commentary by A. Yusuf Ali).
Allama Yusuf Ali comments: ” …. 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.”
He explains and comments on “so now associate with them, and seek what God hath ordained for you”:
“There is differences 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.”
He explains : ‘until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from its black thread’ in the following way : “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 beings.”
The time of breaking fast is defined in the above quoted verse in the words ’till the night appears.’ Allama Yusuf Ali says, “From the actual practice of the Holy Apostle, this is rightly interpreted to mean ’till sunset’.
We should have a clear conception of the prohibited activities during fasting hours. The 187th verse of the Holy Quran prohibits eating, drinking and gratifying sexual appetite during fasting hours, but these are allowed after breaking the fast till having meal of Sehri for the next day’s fasting.
The Holy Quran reveals: “Permitted to you,/On
the night of the fasts,/ Is the approach to your wives. /They are your garments/ And ye are their garments./God knoweth what ye/used to do secretly among youselves;/But he turned to you/And forgave you ;/So now associate with them,/ And seek what God/Hath ordained for you,/ And eat and drink/ Until the white thread/ Of dawn appears to you/ Distinct from its black thread; /Then complete your fast /Till the night appears; … (Sura Baqara 2: 187, The Holy Quran : Translation and Commentary by A. Yusuf Ali).
Allama Yusuf Ali comments: ” …. 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.”
He explains and comments on “so now associate with them, and seek what God hath ordained for you”:
“There is differences 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.”
He explains : ‘until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from its black thread’ in the following way : “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 beings.”
The time of breaking fast is defined in the above quoted verse in the words ’till the night appears.’ Allama Yusuf Ali says, “From the actual practice of the Holy Apostle, this is rightly interpreted to mean ’till sunset’.
