002:188

The Holy Qor-aan                                                                                                            002:188

اُحِلَّ لَـکُمۡ لَيۡلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ اِلٰى نِسَآٮِٕكُمۡ‌ؕ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّـكُمۡ وَاَنۡـتُمۡ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ؕ عَلِمَ اللّٰهُ اَنَّکُمۡ كُنۡتُمۡ تَخۡتَانُوۡنَ اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَعَفَا عَنۡكُمۡۚ فَالۡـــٰٔنَ بَاشِرُوۡهُنَّ وَابۡتَغُوۡا مَا کَتَبَ اللّٰهُ لَـكُمۡ وَكُلُوۡا وَاشۡرَبُوۡا حَتّٰى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَـكُمُ الۡخَـيۡطُ الۡاَبۡيَضُ مِنَ الۡخَـيۡطِ الۡاَسۡوَدِ مِنَ الۡفَجۡرِ‌ؕ ثُمَّ اَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ اِلَى الَّيۡلِ‌ۚ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوۡهُنَّ وَاَنۡـتُمۡ عٰكِفُوۡنَ فِى الۡمَسٰجِدِؕ تِلۡكَ حُدُوۡدُ اللّٰهِ فَلَا تَقۡرَبُوۡهَا ؕ كَذٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ اٰيٰتِهٖ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُوۡنَ‏

O-hil-la  la  koom  lai-la-tay  is-sa-yaa-may                                                                                    Ir-ra-fa-tho  elaa  nay  saa-aiy  koom                                                                                                Hoon-na  lay-baa-soon  la  koom                                                                                                    Wa  un-toom  lay-baa-soon  la  hoon-na

Aa-lay-ma  ul-laa-ho  un-na-koom                                                                                                  Koon-toom  ta-ukh-taa-noo-na  un-fo-sa  koom                                                                          Fa  taa-ba  alai  koom  wa  aa-faa  un  koom 

Fa  ul-aa-na  baa-shay-roo  hoon-na                                                                                                  Wa  ub-ta-ghoo  maa  ka-ta-ba  ul-laa-ho  la  koom                                                                       Wa  ko-loo  wa  ush-ra-boo  hut-ta  ya-ta-buy-yun-na  la  ko-mo                                             Ol-khai-t0  0l-ub-ya-dzo  may-na  ul-khai-tay  il-us-wa-day                                                      May-na  ul-fauj-ray

Thoom-ma  aa-tim-moo  s-say-yaa-ma  ela  ul-lai-lay                                                                  Wa  laa  to-baa-shay-roo  hoon-na  wa  un-toom                                                                            Aa-kay-foo-na  fee  l-ma-saa-jid                                                                                                           Til-ka  ho-do-do  ol-laa-hay  fa  laa  tauq-ra-boo  haa

Ka  zaa-lay-ka  yo-buy-yo-no  ol-laa-ho  aa-yaa-tay  he                                                              Lin-naa-say  la-ul-la  hoom  yaut-ta-qoo-n

Allowed for you are the nights of fasts for                                                                          The approach to your wives.                                                                                                    They are a cover for you                                                                                                              And you are a cover for them.

Allah knew that you all men                                                                                                      Have been unfair to yourselves.                                                                                              So, He turned to you with forgiveness and excused you.

So, now on consort with them (wives)                                                                               And seek what Allah has ordained for you.                                                                  And eat and drink until becomes very clear to you                                                     The white thread from the dark thread                                                                                From the early dawn.  

Then complete the fast till night.                                                                                        And do not approach them and you are                                                                              Staying in the mosques.                                                                                                              These are the limits set by Allah. So, do not come near them. 

This is how Allah clearly explains His signs                                                                  For the people so that they become pious.

• اُحِلَّ — O-hil-la — Allowed (= v., pass., past., 3^rd person. Accepted; allowed; approved;  authorized; legalized; licensed; permitted; made lawful.  Also, declared appropriate, kosher or proper)
• لَ — La — For (= For the benefit, object or purpose of; intended for;  concerning, regarding; relative to)
• کُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• لَيۡلَةَ — Lai-la-ta … (us) — Night (= s., Absence of sunlight; the opposite of a sunlit day; period of darkness between a sunset and next sunrise)
• الصِّيَامِ — Say-yaa-m … (ir) — Fasts (= n., pl., Fasts; month or period of fasting.  Some details are given in several of our Commentaries on Fasting)
• الرَّفَثُ — Ra-fa-tho — Approach (= Conjugal relations; consort; getting close to; having intimacies and relationships with wives; lying down.  Some translations using more explicit terms to describe the normal and natural husband/wife relations are left out as inappropriate verbiage.   A/t/a The conversation,   language, speech, talk, words spoken aloud or gestured that out of the domestic privacy are foul, immodest, lewd, loose, obscene, sex-oriented insinuations or in  any other way reflective of unacceptable nature or wickedness)
• اِلَى — Elaa — To (= In the direction of; towards; with)
• نِسَآءِ — Nay-saa-aiy — Women (= Wives. Literal meanings include girls or females of the mankind; women folk)
• کُمۡ — Koom —  Your (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• هُنَّ — Hoon-na — They (= pro., pl., f., 3^rd person. Them women, i.e., the wives)
• لِبَاسٌ — Lay-baa-soon — A cover (= n., Cover up of matrimonial relationship. Clothing,  covering, dress; garment. See Note 003:072)
• لَّ — La — For —  (= For the attention, benefit or purpose of. See  لَ  above)
• کُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• وَ — Wa– And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses; additionally; but; also; more over; though; when; while; yet; whereupon)
•  اَنۡـتُمۡ — Un-toom — You men (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• لِبَاسٌ — Lay-baa-soon — Cover (= Clothing; dress. See لِبَاسٌ  above)
• لَّ — La — For (= For the attention, benefit, or purpose of. See  لَ  above)
• هُنَّ — Hoon-na — They  (= pro., pl., f., 3^rd person. Them women, i.e., the wives)
• عَلِمَ — Aa-lay-ma … (ul) — Knew (= v., past., s., 3^rd person. Was aware, had info and knowledge; in the know)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• اَنَّ — Un-na — Certainly (= Absolutely; definitely; doubtlessly; earnestly; indeed;  positively; really; seriously; surely; truly; verily)
• کُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You. The Holy Qor-aan states this way when addressing both men and women jointly)
• كُنۡ — Koon — Have been (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. Were in the past and have been continuing to go on in the future)
• تُمۡ — Toom — You (= The Holy Qor-aan states this way when addressing both men and women jointly.   Both the words  کُمۡ  and  تُمۡ  mean ‘you’ and are placed in a construction that expresses that ‘you and very much it is you all who.’  See our Commentary “2 Pronouns referring to the same person when combined create extreme emphasis“)
• تَخۡتَانُوۡنَ — Taukh-taa-noo-na — Unfair (= v., pre., pl., 3^rd person. Acting unjustly; doing injustice.  Treating harshly,  sternly or severely. Were unjust. See Note 002:188a below)
• اَنۡفُسَ — Un-fo-sa — Selves (= pl., 1. Hearts; individuals; minds; persons; souls.  2. Fellows; folks; followers; individuals; people.  3.  Brethren; countrymen; kinsman; nation; tribes)
• کُمۡ —  Koom  — You   (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• فَ — Fa — So (= After all this; at the end; consequently; hence; then; thus
• تَا بَ — Taa-ba — He turned (= v., past., s., m., 3^rd person. As God’ act, the word means  that He attended, moved, turned and forgave mercifully with His generosity, kindness and compassion. See also  002:038)
• عَلَيۡ — Alai — On (= Above; against; before; for; on top of; over; upon)
• کُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• عَفَا — Aa-faa — He excused (= v., past., s., 3^rd person., Afforded or granted relief; corrected the error; forgave;  granted relief; relieved or removed the burden; looked  the other way; overlooked; pardoned)
• عَنۡ — Unv– From (= About; concerning; regarding; relative to)
• کُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• فَ — Fa …  (ul) — So (= After all this; at the end; consequently; hence; then; thus)
• لۡـــٰٔنَ — Aa-na — Now on (= Onwards from today)
• بَاشِرُوۡ — Baa-shay-roo — Consort  (= Approach; associate; consort without compunction; have  contacts, intimacies, intimate relationship, interaction or relationships. Conjugal relations with wives; getting  close; go in; having intimacies and relationships; lying down. Some translators more than others have used explicit terms to describe the normal and natural relations  between a husband and wife but we have left them out. See below Note 002:188b)
• هُنَّ — Hoon-na — Them (= pro., pl., f., 3^rd person. Them women, refers to the wives
• وَ — Wa … (ub) — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• ابۡتَغُوۡا — Ub-ta-ghoo — Seek (= Have a go at; pursue; try for; want)
• مَا — Maa — What (= All that; any time; at such time; whatever; whenever)
• کَتَبَ — Ka-ta-ba … (ul) — Ordained (= v., past., s., 3^rd person Conveyed, directed, eternalized, laid down, mandated, ordained, prescribed, put in the nature, recorded, revealed or wrote for you)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• لَ — La — For (= For the attention, benefit, or purpose of. See  لَ  above)
• کُمۡ — Koom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You. The Holy Qor-aan states this way when addressing both men and women jointly
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• كُلُوۡا — Ko-loo — You eat (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person. Chomp; consume; devour; feast  upon; gobble; gorge; gulp; have; munch; partake; scoff; swallow)
• وَ — Wa … (ush) — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اشۡرَبُوۡا — Ush-ra-boo — You drink –(= Down, glug down, gulp, imbibe, lap up, sip, slurp, swallow or swig any thirst-quencher beverage)
• حَتّٰى — Hut-ta — Until (= By the end of the period or term; till the time)
• يَتَبَيَّنَ — Ya-ta-buy-ya-na — Becomes clear (= v., pres., s., 3^rd person. Becomes crystal clear, distinct, distinguished, plain and obvious and well known; becomes manifest)
• لَ — La — For (= For the attention, benefit, or purpose of. See  لَ  above)
• كُمُ — Ko-mo … (ol) — You  (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• الۡخَـيۡطُ — Khai-to … (ol) — Thread (= Cord; fiber; line of cotton or wool; strand; streak; yarn)
• الۡاَبۡيَضُ — Ub-ya-dzo — White of light  (= Ashen; colorless; pallid; pasty; sallow)
• مِنَ — May-na … (ul — From — (= Among, from or out of the class, category, count, kind of several articles, things, persons or phenomenon)
• الۡخَـيۡطِ — Khai-tay … (il) — Thread (= Cord; fiber; line of cotton or wool; strand; streak; yarn)
• الۡاَسۡوَدِ — Us-wa-day — Black (= Dark; dim; shady. Blackness of the night)
• مِنَ — May-na … (ul) — From (= Among, from or out of the class, category, count, kind of several articles, things, persons or phenomenon)
• الۡفَجۡرِ‌ — Fauj-ray — Early dawn (= n., Approaching dawn; break of the day; early morning; prior to or well before the sunrise; the coming dawn about one-and-one-half hour or so before the sun-rise)
• ثُمَّ — Thoom-ma — Then (= After that; further more; subsequently; thereafter)
• اَتِمُّوا — Aa-tim-moo … (s) — Complete  (= Accomplish; conclude to the end; fill; finish; fulfill;  observe)
• الصِّيَامَ — Us-say-yaa-ma — The fasts (= n., pl., Fasts; month or period of fasting)
• اِلٰٓى — E-la … (ul) — All the way to (= All the way till; in the direction of; till; towards; until)
• الَّيۡلِ — Lai-lay — The night (= s., Absence of sunlight; the opposite of a sunlit day;  period of darkness between the sunset and next sunrise
• وَ — Wa — And (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• لَا — Laa — Do not (= Absolute denial; never; not at all; total negation)
• تُبَاشِرُوۡ — To-baa-shay-roo — Approach (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person. Conjugal and intimate contacts, associate; consort; have interaction, relationships or intimacies. See  بَاشِرُوۡ  above)
• هُنَّ — Hoon-na — They (= pro., pl., f., 3^rd person. Them women, refers to the wives
• وَ — Wa — While (= Conj., links words, phrases or clauses. See وَ  above)
• اَنۡـتُمۡ — Un-toom — You (= pro., pl., m., 2^nd person. You all men)
• عٰكِفُوۡنَ– Aa-kay-foo-na — Staying  ***    (= n., pl., Devotees in Aiy-te-qaaf.  Dedicated, devoted and sincere dwellers, entrants or residents who come for a  temporary stay to live, reside, remain or retire there as in a retreat or seclusion for meditation and prayers; enter, keep or stay in the mosque to worship Allah.  Worshipping.  See the Note 002:188c below)
• فِى — Fee … (il) — In (= Inside a duration, event, period, time, place or situation)
• الۡمَسۡجِدِ — Ma-saa-jid — Mosques (= n., pl., Houses or places of worship; places to prostrate by putting forehead on the ground; Temples)
• تِلۡكَ — Til-ka — These are (= All the mentioned, stated or told)
• حُدُوۡدُ — Ho-doo-do … (ol) — Limits (= n., pl., Bounds, boundaries; injunctions or prohibitions placed or prescribed; out of bound areas; perimeters; ousted areas; outskirts)
• اللّٰهِ — Laa-hay — Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• فَ — Fa — So  (= After all this; at the end; consequently; hence; then; thus)
• لَا — Laa — Do not (= Absolute denial; never; not at all; total negation)
• تَقۡرَبُو — Tauq-ra-boo — Come near (= v., pres., pl., 2^nd person. Begin, commence or initiate; taking early, first and initial steps; come close to; draw, get or go near. Come close to. Get or go near)
• هَا — Haa — That (= pro., s., f., 3^rd person., Refers to aforesaid boundaries)
• كَذٰلِكِ — Ka-zaa-lay-ka  — Like this (= Combines two words.  كَ  means ‘example, like, identical resembling, similar.’  ذٰلِكَ  means ‘all this right in here and refers to an aforesaid event, fact, person or statement.  The combination means ‘even so’, ‘so it will be’, ‘such is the way of Allah’, ‘the same way’, ‘that is how’, this way’
• يُبَيِّنُ — Yo-buy-yay-n … (ol) — (= v., pres., s., 3r person. Clarifies; elaborates; espouses;  expounds; illustrates; informs; makes things crystal clear, obvious, plain and known well; sets limits for permissible activity)
• اللّٰهُ — Laa-ho– Allah (= The Almighty God; The only One worthy of worship)
• اٰيٰتِ — Aa-ya-tay — Signs (= n., pl of … An argument, corroboration, indication, insinuation, pointer, portent, sign, suggestion, symbol or token. See Note 002:074)
• هٖ — He — His (= pro., s., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the Almighty God)
• ل — Lay … (in) — For (= For the attention, benefit, or purpose of. See  لَ  above)
• لنَّاسِ — Naa-say — The people (= Factions; folks, mankind, groups, men, nations or tribes Human beings)
• لَعَلَّ — La-ul-la– So that (= Haply; hopefully; perchance; possibly; hope and wish  that it becomes; maybe; wishing a result to be)
• ھُمۡ‌ — Hoom — They (= pro., pl., m., 3^rd person. Refers to the ‘people’)
• يَتَّقُوۡنَ‏ — Yut-ta-qoo-n — Become pious (= v., pres., pl., 3r person. ‘Avoid angering Allah,’ ‘act piously and righteously,’ ‘become God-fearing, and righteous,’ ‘become pious,’ ‘clean inner self,’ ‘do duty to God,’ ‘guard against or ward off evil’ or ‘secure yourself against evil’. See Commentary  Commentary The Righteous)

* Note 002:188a.  The words تَخۡتَانُوۡنَ اَنۡفُسَکُمۡ  have been translated poles apart.    The actions of fasting Moslems stated in this verse were done before it came to set them right.    Individually the actions differed a great deal from person to person as one deemed them fit.    Collectively all that they did was ‘acting unjustly’ [Maliik Ghulam Farid] against themselves.    They are stated in the historical context and no one must judge the faith of their practitioners.    Some believers will still practice some of them in future but must remember the prohibition.    Any reader can decide for himself when he picks either extreme or stay in the middle course.    But we know now what is appropriate going forward since after this revelation came down.    Following are some of the actions stated in the Ahaadeeth that this verse had ended.

• Inappropriate is to literally translate these words as the ‘betraying, deceiving or being dishonest’ or “Used to do secretly among yourselves” as done in some translations. [A Yusuf Ali and Dr Al-Hilali and Dr Khan]

• Some Believers fasted for more than dawn-to-evening duration.   Some abstained from conjugal relations with their wives throughout the fasting month.    Some imposed on themselves other unnecessary restriction in the non-fasting periods.    Commandment here directed them to establish a good balance between all their needs.    The spiritual worships, all human needs and the worldly relationships go hand in hand.    That is why the Almighty God provided for all three human innate instincts in this verse.    After the eating and drinking, the interest in opposite sex is third natural urge of humans.    llah Almighty clarified that Moslems must not suppress the human needs unnaturally.

• Out sole goal is to provide a non-controversial simple straightforward translation of the Holy Qor-aan.   The clergy of nearly every sect has produced rules under this verse for its loyal followers.    And there is a large number of sects who all claim that only they are the true Moslems.    Our Commentaries Sect Formation and Sect Recognition show that aspect of many sects.    It is neither expedient nor feasible to provide an exhaustive   info on all that rule-making.    So whoever needs to know of a rule must first pin-point the sect whose rules are sought.    Examples include fasting until the ‘night’ which starts by ‘sunset’ or when ‘it becomes dark.’    Or, using toothpaste in brushing teeth or ‘fasting in travel’ or ‘travelling in fast’, etc.

** Note 002:188b.   Some translations have bracketed together all three actions of eating, drinking and conjugal rights.    Tied together to one limit the three actions must be stopped when the dawn has finally appeared.    Such tight and narrow translations are done by the likes of M M Pickthall, Yusuf Ali and others.    Others stopped only the eating and drinking at the appearance of the dawn and left the third out.    They prohibited the third action of conjugal relationship only when a worshiper is in the mosque.    They implied that some actions less than marital intimacies are permissible during other periods.    This broad and lenient translation is supported in a plain reading of of the Holy Qor-aan’s text.    It is also reflected in some actions of the Holy Prophets s.a.w

1. The punctuation mark between الصِّيَامَ اِلَى الَّيۡلِ‌ and وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوۡهُنَّ  clearly separates two acts.    First is to complete the fast till the evening after eating and drinking has been stopped.    Second is not to consort with spouses when one retires to the mosques to worship Allah.
2. Ahadeeth like #149 in Chapter 23 and #150 in Chapter 24, Vol III of Sahih Al-Bukhari show the use of similar words but translated as ‘kissing’ or ’embracing’ some of his wives done by the Holy Prophets a.w while fasting.

*** Note 002:188c.   Only some translations have narrowed down the meanings of the word  عٰكِفُوۡنَ  and limited it to only the act of Aiy-te-qaaf and explained it as the “Confining oneself in a mosque for payers and invocations and leaving the worldly activities [Dr Al-Hilali and Dr Khan].    Most others extend the Prohibition to whoever enters the mosques for even a temporary stay to dwell, live, reside, remain or retire as a devout, dedicated, devoted person in seclusion for the serious and sincere meditation, prayers to and worships of Allah.