Fasting in the Qur'an
O you who believe! fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may guard (against evil).
(Fasting is) for a fixed number of days; and if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. And for those who can do it with great difficulty/great effort, is a ransom (if they do not fast), the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that you fast, if you only knew.
The month of Ramadhan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire hardship for you; and (He desires) that you should complete the period, and that you should magnify Allah for having guided you, and that peradventure you may be thankful.
Qur'an (2:183-185)
General
Purpose
Exception(s)
I understand that the exemption from fasting is for people who would find it very difficult on a perpetual basis. Therefore making it up after ramadhan is not an issue and such people are counted to have redeemed their fast fully by the feeding of a poor person. Examples of people who could benefit from such an allowance are: -
There are some who interpret this portion of the verse not as an exemption but rather as an addition to those who are sick or on a journey, namely, when they take the day off (to be made up after ramadhan) and (not or) they should, if they have the ability, feed a poor person also. The flaw with this is that the word used to describe the act of feeding the poor person is a ransom. Why pay a ransom for the missed day when you are actually going to make it up? As the act of ransom or of redeeming serves to release one from blame or debt. It makes sense if in paying the ransom, you are cancelling the day you missed. Also, verse 2:185 restates the contents of 2:184 on who does and does not fast except that in the place of the third exemption we have “Allah desires ease for you; He does not desire hardship for you”. This is exactly the purpose of the third exemption as I tried to explain above.
Nevertheless I am open to the alternative meaning if the evidence supports it either based upon a further linguistic analysis or some other contextual consideration. I will be reconsidering this issue periodically to make sure I am still presenting this data correctly, inshallah.
Times of Fasting
… and eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn (Fajr). Then strictly observe the fast until night (layl)...
Qur'an 2:187
A big problem in the fasting of ramadhan has become that people fast until sunset, which is مغرب, instead of night which is ليل. Now some people try to claim that night starts from sunset, in reality there is no Qur’anic reason to accept this as in the Qur'an the word ليل is used to mean night and is always used to mean a period of darkness.
In dictionaries of Qur'anic Arabic the following is the meaning given to the words ليل and نهار:
نهار نهار: Day as opposed to Layl (night). It tends to be defined as from sunrise to sunset or from dawn until sunset. Though some defined it as the time of the spreading and dispersion (some say 'its collecting together') of the sight giving light, which is the proper Qur'anic use of it. Though I would add that the sight giving light is directly from the sun.
ليل: Night. It tends to be defined as from sunset to dawn or from sunset to sunrise. Though if we define it as the opposite of the time of the spreading and dispersion of the sight giving light, then it would mean the time when there is no sight giving light in the sky.
It is clear that there is no unanimous and unequivocal meaning assigned to this word in the Arabic dictionaries. I am of the opinion that these meanings are affected by what became the practice of fasting, as notice that both the definitions of night and day conveniently can have the night starting and day ending at sunset whereas the night ends and the day starts at dawn. This is an oddly unbalanced and unsymmetrical understanding of day and night.
In the following I hope to demonstrate that only when layl is understood as night, a period of darkness, is it consistent with its Qur'anic usage.
You cause the night to enter into the day, and You cause the day to enter into the night. And You bring forth the living from the dead, and You bring forth the dead from the living. And You give sustenance to whom You choose, without stint.
Qur'an (3:27)
· Night entering into day: Dawn
· Day entering into night: Dusk
· We have 2 distinct phases in the day and the night, just like life and death are 2 distinct phases. The analogy Allah makes should be noted well. Day and night are as distinct as life and death.
· To note is that the word is ‘enter’, not ‘merge’ which is an incorrect translation.
My overall understanding of the break-up of a normal 24 hour day is thus: -
· 3 phases of light from the sun, that is, the three phases of the day: -
◦ Post dawn twilight: when the sun is not yet above the horizon and the sky has its light
◦ Sun-sky: when the sun is above the horizon
◦ Pre sunset twilight: When the sun is below the horizon and the sky still has its light.
· 1 phase of darkness (Night): When the sun is below the horizon and the sky lacks the direct light of the sun, the sun's reflected light from the moon is not counted.
Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and (in) the difference of night and day are tokens (of His sovereignty) for those with understanding,
Qur'an 3:190
· Night and day are different; in my scheme this makes perfect sense. But in the scheme where the sunset period is defined as night the difference is less clear cut. Think about it.
He it is who has appointed for you the night that ye should rest therein and the day giving sight. Surely, herein are signs for a folk that heed.
Qur'an 10:67
· The distinctive essence of day is that it enables vision/perception; you can see things during day. You can see things during sunset. But not at night, not during the Layl. One of the meanings assigned to day above fits in with this perfectly.
Establish salaah at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night. Surely, good deeds annul ill deeds. This is a reminder for the mindful.
Qur'an 11:114
· The two ends of the day are commonly understood as sunset and dawn; however some may incorrectly understand it as dawn and 'asr. Either way, if dawn is part of the day, so too is sunset.
Say: Have you thought, if Allah made night everlasting for you till the Day of Resurrection, who is a God beside Allah who could bring you light? Will ye not then hear?
Qur'an 28:71
· Light and night are placed in contradiction to each other... Very clear to me.
A sign for them is night. We strip it of the day, and surely they are in darkness.
Qur'an 36:37
· Strip the day (light) from the darkness, and you are in ظلم, which is darkness, or the absence of light. Night and day are perfectly defined here.
Finally, the verse we are specifically discussing: -
… and eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn (Fajr). Then strictly observe the fast until night...
Qur'an 2:187
· With my understanding, we have symmetry. Fast while the sky has light from the sun, eat while the sky has no light from the sun.
You will hear some muslims saying “Yes yes, Layl means night, but... the from the actual sunnah of the prophet (allegedly) we interpret the time when we break our fast as sunset and not night”.
The prophet would never have done this:
Shall I then seek a Ruler other than Allah? When He it is Who has revealed to you the Book (which is) distinctly elucidated;
Qur'an 6:114
And We have sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming and conserving the previous Books. So judge between them by what Allah has sent down and do not follow their whims and desires deviating from the Truth that has come to you…
Qur'an 5:48-49
“And this Qur'an has been revealed to me that with it I may warn you and whomsoever it reaches”
Qur'an 6:19
Say: I follow only that which is inspired in me from my Sustainer (Qur'an). This (Qur'an) is insight from your Sustainer, and a guidance and a mercy for a people that believe.
And when the Qur'an is recited, give ear to it and pay heed that you may obtain mercy.
Qur'an 7:203-204
The basis for the prophet to make any proclamation was the Qur'an, to imagine that he would then change (in practice) Layl to maghrib for fasting is impossible. And please note the general warnings of Allah in the Qur'an:
“… If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah has revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers (Kaafiroon).”
Qur'an 5:44
“… If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah has revealed, they are (no better than) Wrong Doers (Zalimoon).”
Qur'an 5:45
“… If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah has revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel (Faasiqoon).”
Qur'an 5:47
“And We have revealed to you the Book (Qur'an) with the truth, verifying what is before it of the Book and a guardian over it, therefore judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their low desires (to turn away) from the truth
that has come to you; …”
Qur'an 5:48
“So judge between them by that which Allah has revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them lest they seduce thee from some part of that which Allah has revealed unto thee. And if they turn away, then know that Allah's Will is to smite them for some sin of theirs. Indeed many of mankind are defiantly disobedient.”
Qur'an 5:49
“Is it a judgement of the time of (pagan) ignorance that they are seeking? Who is better than Allah for judgement to a people who have certainty (in their belief)?”
Qur'an 5:50
There is never an excuse to take anyone else's opinion or guidance against the word of Allah. Fasting is until night, and no one has the authority to change that.
[i] This is currently the best way I can understand the word used here, namely يُطِيقُونَهُ , although this understanding of the word is not unanimous, and it seems is not necessarily the the most basic meaning of the word. Nevertheless, I think the context favours the meaning I have put up for it, which is the meaning used by most translators.