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Draft:Verse 187 of Sura al-Baqara

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Verse 187 of Sura al-Baqara
Verse's Information
SuraSura al-Baqara (Qur'an 2)
Verse187
Juz'2
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Khawwat b. Jubayr al-Ansari
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicRulings of Fasting and I'tikaf


Qur'an 2:187 delineates specific divine rulings regarding fasting during the month of Ramadan. In this verse, God establishes the permissibility of marital intimacy, as well as eating and drinking after sleep during the nights of Ramadan, while also outlining regulations concerning I'tikaf.

This verse was revealed to the Prophet (s) in connection with the account of a companion named Khawwat b. Jubayr al-Ansari. Exegetes, analyzing the specific phrasing and metaphors within the text, have highlighted themes such as Quranic etiquette, methods for avoiding sin, the metaphorical description of spouses as "garments" for one another, and the significance of procreation.

Relying on this verse and related narrations, Shia jurists have derived rulings across various chapters of jurisprudence, including Prayer and Fasting. These rulings address issues such as the permissibility of eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse during the nights of Ramadan, the specific rulings of I'tikaf, the duration of the fast, and the determination of Fajr and Shari'a Maghrib.

Introduction and Text of the Verse

Naser Makarem Shirazi, a prominent Shia exegete, posits that Qur'an 2:187 explicates several Islamic rulings pertaining to fasting and I'tikaf.[1] These include the permission to eat, drink, and engage in intercourse after sleeping during the nights of Ramadan; the definition of the fasting period as lasting from Fajr to Maghrib; and the prohibition of intercourse while observing I'tikaf in a mosque.[2]

The verse presents these rulings as divine boundaries (hudud); approaching them carries the risk of transgression and succumbing to temptation. Consequently, God warns believers against encroaching upon these limits.[3]

The ultimate objective of articulating these rulings, as stated in the verse, is the attainment of piety.[4]

Occasion of Revelation

According to Imam Ali (a), prior to the revelation of this verse, sexual relations, as well as eating and drinking after sleep, were prohibited during the nights of Ramadan. The revelation of this verse lifted these restrictions.[5] A Hadith attributed to Imam al-Sadiq (a) details the context: Khawwat b. Jubayr al-Ansari (also referred to as Mut'im b. Jubayr[6]), who was fasting while assisting the Prophet (s) in digging the trench, fell asleep before breaking his fast. Because the prevailing rule forbade eating and drinking after sleeping at night, he abstained when he woke, causing him to faint the following day due to severe hunger. Upon becoming aware of this incident, the Prophet (s) received this revelation, which abrogated the prohibition of eating and drinking after sleep.[7] Citing other narrations, some exegetes report a similar account regarding Abu Qays b. Sarma.[8]

Furthermore, some scholars interpret the phrase "God knew that you used to betray yourselves" ('alima l-Lahu annakum kuntum takhtanuna anfusakum) as an indication that this verse was revealed to lift the prohibition on sexual intercourse at night and in the morning for fasting individuals, addressing the difficulty Muslims faced in observing the ban and their secret non-compliance.[9]

Exegetical Points

Quranic exegetes have focused significantly on the unique expressions, metaphors, and similes found within this verse:

  • The Metaphor of Spouses as Garments: 'Allama Tabataba'i interprets the comparison of husband and wife to garments as symbolizing their role in protecting one another from sin and corruption.[10] Al-Tabrisi suggests this metaphor reflects the mutual tranquility spouses provide each other, analogous to the description of the night as a source of peace in Qur'an 10:20.[11]
  • Prohibition against Approaching Sin: Referencing the phrase "these are the boundaries of Allah, so do not approach them" (tilka hududu l-Lahi fa-la taqrabuha), Muhsin Qara'ati likens sin to a dangerous well; merely approaching it risks falling in.[12] This interpretation aligns with a hadith from Imam Ali (a), who stated: "Whoever grazes his sheep around a well, it is feared that they will fall into it."[13]
  • Emphasis on Procreation: Some exegetes derive an implicit endorsement of childbearing and the pursuit of halal sustenance through marital relations from the phrase "and seek what Allah has ordained for you" (wa-btaghu ma kataba l-Lahu lakum).[14]

Jurisprudential Applications

Shia jurists have utilized this verse and associated narrations across various sections of jurisprudence, such as Prayer (salat) and Fasting (sawm), to issue diverse fatawa.

Abrogation of Previous Rulings

Certain exegetes contend that Qur'an 2:187 abrogates the prior ruling that forbade fasting individuals from marital relations day and night, as well as eating and drinking after sleeping at night.[15] However, according to al-Mizan Exegesis, others argue that this verse is not an abrogator but rather an elucidation of existing rulings.[16] These scholars explain that when God made fasting obligatory in the Qur'an 2:183, some Muslims mistakenly assumed that Islamic fasting mirrored Christian fasting, where marriage was prohibited during the day and eating or drinking was forbidden after sleep. Qur'an 2:187 was revealed to correct this misconception.[17]

Rulings of Fasting

  • Permissibility of Intercourse, Eating, and Drinking: Citing the phrase "now consort with them and eat and drink" (fa-l-'ana bashiruhunna wa-kulu wa-shrabu), jurists have established the permissibility of sexual intercourse, eating, and drinking throughout the nights of Ramadan.[18]
  • Duration of Fasting: To define the fasting period, jurists rely on the phrase "until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of dawn" (hatta yatabayyana lakumu l-khaytu l-abyadu mina l-khayti l-aswadi mina l-fajr), establishing the duration from the true dawn until the Shari'a Maghrib.[19]
  • Prohibition of Intercourse During the Day: Based on the prepositions "hatta" (until) and "ila" (to) in the verse, jurists have ruled that since eating and drinking are permitted only until dawn, these acts are haram during the daylight hours of the fast.[20]
  • Desirability of Intercourse at the Beginning of Ramadan: As noted in Atyab al-Bayan Exegesis, Imam al-Baqir (a) regarded intercourse at the beginning of every lunar month as Makruh, with the exception of the month of Ramadan, during which it is considered desirable.[21]
  • Permissibility of Remaining in the State of Janaba Until Dawn: Some Shia jurists interpret the verse to imply that because intercourse is permitted until the last moments of the night, remaining in a state of Janaba until dawn is permissible, and being in a state of ritual purity at the exact moment of dawn is not a condition for the validity of the fast.[22] However, the majority of jurists maintain that one must be ritually pure when commencing the fast.

Rulings of I'tikaf

  • Requirement of Residing in the Mosque: With the exception of the Hanafi school, which permits women to perform I'tikaf at home, the majority of Islamic scholars[23] agree that residing in a mosque is a condition for the validity of I'tikaf.[24] Imami Shia scholars base this requirement on this verse and related narrations.[25] Conversely, some exegetes argue that the verse solely prohibits conjugal relations during I'tikaf and does not explicitly mandate the mosque as a condition.[26]
  • Prohibition of Intercourse During I'tikaf: Citing the command "and do not consort with them while you are in I'tikaf in the mosques" (wa-la tubashiruhunna wa-antum 'akifuna fi l-masajidi), jurists have issued a Fatwa prohibiting sexual intercourse throughout the days of I'tikaf.[27]

Notes

  1. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Nemūneh, 1371 Sh, vol. 1, p. 732.
  2. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Nemūneh, 1371 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 732-734.
  3. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Nemūneh, 1371 Sh, vol. 1, p. 734.
  4. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i Nemūneh, 1371 Sh, vol. 1, p. 737.
  5. ↑ Ḥurr al-'Āmilī, Wasāʾil al-Shī'a, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-'Arabī, vol. 7, p. 81.
  6. ↑ Ḥurr al-'Āmilī, Wasāʾil al-Shī'a, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-'Arabī, vol. 7, p. 81.
  7. ↑ Ḥurr al-'Āmilī, Wasāʾil al-Shī'a, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-'Arabī, vol. 7, p. 81.
  8. ↑ Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-Bayān, 1378 Sh, vol. 2, p. 341.
  9. ↑ Wujdānī Fakhr, al-Jawāhir al-Fakhriyya, vol. 3, p. 257.
  10. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, vol. 2, pp. 44-45.
  11. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majma' al-bayān, 1415 AH, vol. 2, p. 22.
  12. ↑ Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i Nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 1, p. 292.
  13. ↑ Ṭayyib, Tafsīr-i Aṭyab al-Bayān, 1378 Sh, vol. 2, p. 344.
  14. ↑ For example see: Qarāʾatī, Tafsīr-i Nūr, 1388 Sh, vol. 1, p. 292; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, vol. 2, pp. 47-48; Ṭayyib, Tafsīr-i Aṭyab al-Bayān, 1387 Sh, vol. 2, p. 341.
  15. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, vol. 2, p. 45.
  16. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, vol. 2, p. 45.
  17. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, vol. 2, p. 46.
  18. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, vol. 2, p. 47.
  19. ↑ "Dars-i Khārij-i Fiqh-i Ayatollah Sayyid Musa Shobairi Zanjani, Kitāb al-Ṣawm", Madrasa-yi Faqāhat Website.
  20. ↑ "Dars-i Khārij-i Fiqh discussion of 'Ṣawm' by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli", Tebyan Website.
  21. ↑ Ṭayyib, Aṭyab al-Bayān, 1378 Sh, vol. 2, p. 341.
  22. ↑ "Dars-i Khārij-i Fiqh of Ustād Sayyid Hashim Husayni Bushehri", Madrasa-yi Faqāhat Website.
  23. ↑ Najafī, Jawāhir al-Kalām, 1362 Sh, vol. 17, p. 170.
  24. ↑ Āqāzāda, "I'tikāf", Būstān-i Kitāb, vol. 3, p. 553.
  25. ↑ Qurṭubī, Tafsīr-i Qurṭubī, 1405 AH, vol. 2, p. 333.
  26. ↑ Kāẓimī, Masālik al-Afhām, Murtaḍawī, vol. 1, p. 350.
  27. ↑ "Dars-i Khārij-i Fiqh discussion of 'Ṣawm' by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli", Tebyan Website.

References

  • Āqāzāda, Fattāḥ, "I'tikāf", in Dāʾirat al-Ma'ārif-i Qurʾān-i Karīm, Qom, Būstān-i Kitāb, n.d.
  • Ḥurr al-'Āmilī, Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan, Wasāʾil al-Shī'a ilā Taḥṣīl Masāʾil al-Sharī'a, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-'Arabī, n.d.
  • "Dars-i Khārij-i Fiqh discussion of 'Ṣawm' by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli", Tebyan Website, Date of insertion: n.d., Date of visit: 22 Tir 1402 Sh.
  • "Dars-i Khārij-i Fiqh of Ustād Sayyid Hashim Husayni Bushehri", Madrasa-yi Faqāhat Website, Date of insertion: 19 Bahman 1399 Sh, Date of visit: 23 Tir 1402 Sh.
  • "Dars-i Khārij-i Fiqh of Ayatollah Sayyid Musa Shobairi Zanjani, Kitāb al-Ṣawm", Madrasa-yi Faqāhat Website, Date of insertion: 22 Azar 1388 Sh, Date of visit: 22 Tir 1402 Sh.
  • Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn, al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, n.d.
  • Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan, Majma' al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, 1415 AH.
  • Ṭabrisī, Faḍl b. Ḥasan, Majma' al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Beirut, Muʾassisat al-A'lamī lil-Maṭbū'āt, 1415 AH.
  • Ṭayyib, Sayyid 'Abd al-Ḥusayn, Aṭyab al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān, Tehran, Intishārāt-i Islām, 1378 Sh.
  • Qarāʾatī, Muḥsin, Tafsīr-i Nūr, Tehran, Markaz-i Farhangī-yi Dars-hāyī az Qurʾān, 1383 Sh.
  • Qurṭubī, Shams al-Dīn, Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-'Arabī, 1405 AH.
  • Kāẓimī, Fāḍil, Masālik al-Afhām ilā Āyāt al-Aḥkām, Tehran, Murtaḍawī, n.d.
  • Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir, Tafsīr-i Nemūneh, Tehran, Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyya, 1371 Sh.
  • Najafī, Muḥammad Ḥasan, Jawāhir al-Kalām fī Sharḥ Sharāʾi' al-Islām, Beirut, Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-'Arabī, 1362 Sh.
  • Wujdānī Fakhr, Qudrat Allāh, al-Jawāhir al-Fakhriyya fī Sharḥ al-Rawḍa al-Bahiyya, n.d., n.p.

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