Dr. Zakir: As far as the Muslims are concerned, when the first time it was mentioned in the Quran in Surah Baqarah ch. 2 verse 183 which I mentioned earlier that fasting was Fard, at that time the Muslims used to fast 3 days in a Month. Later on when the verse of the Quran was reveled of Surah Baqarah ch. no. 2 verse no 185 which I quoted the second time that Ramadhaan is the month in which Quran was reveled and in it is guidance for humankind and in it are signs for guidance and judgment, right and wrong. So the Muslims when they witness this month, they should fast. So then it became Fard for the Muslims to fast the complete Month of Ramadhaan. First it was only 3 days every month then it became one full month in the month of Ramadhaan.
As far as the things that break the fast are concerned, one of the thing that break the fast, it is sexual intercourse even with your wife. So previously when this verse of Surah Baqarah Ch. 2 verse no. 185 was reveled, it was not mentioned in detail. So the Muslims at that time, they used to abstain from sexual intercourse, approaching their wife for the full month of Ramadhaan even during the day and night. And it was very difficult for many of the Muslims, many of the Sahabas.
And that reminds me of a quotation or an incidence which is mentioned in one of the commentaries of the Quran. If you read the commentary of the Quran by Qurtubi Vol. no. 2 page no. 210 it mentions there that
“Umar bin Khattab, (may Allah be pleased with him), once after speaking to the Prophet, late in the night, he comes back home. And he has the urge to sleep with his wife and he spends the time with his wife and he has sexual intercourse with his wife. In the morning when he gets up he feels very bad, he is ashamed. Immediately he goes to the Prophet and he says that “I ask pardon from Allah and His Messenger for what I have done and my soul was attracted towards my wife and I had relationship with my wife in the night. Is there any way that I can be pardoned or is there any way that I can escape?” So the Prophet said “Is it true that you actually did this?” He said “yes Prophet” the Prophet was shocked how could Hazrat Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, do a thing at that time it was prohibited. So he said “Yes Allah’s messenger. I did it. Is there any way I can be pardoned?”
So the Prophet said no one besides Allah can give the command and Alhamdulillah, Suma Alhamdulillah immediately after this the verse of Surah Baqarah ch. no. 2 verse no. 187 was revealed it says that “Permitted to you during the nights of the fast is approaching your wives.”
And then it says “hunna libasun lakum waantum libasun lahunna” that they are your garments and you are their garments. That means your wives are your garments and you are the garments of your wife.
And Allah says that “We know what you do secretly in the night but Allah forgave you and from now onwards you can approach your wives during the nights of the fast and you can eat and drink till the white thread of dawn is differentiated from the black thread.”
So when this verse was reveled later on Surah Baqarah ch. 2 verse no. 187 then the rules were bit more relaxed that they could have sexual relationships with their wives in the nights but during the day, they have to abstain.
Furthermore as far as eating was concerned previously before Surah Baqarah ch. 2 verse no. 187 was reveled, the Muslims could eat and drink after the sunsets but the moment they sleep after that they can’t eat. Then they can eat only the next day after sunset. So there is an incident where one of the Sahabas Qais, may Allah be pleased with him, he worked very hard and he was fasting and when it was time to break the fast he comes home and tells his wife that I want to have some food so the wife says that there is no food in the house, I’ll just get it from outside. And she goes out to get food now because he was tired working the full day by the time the wife comes back he goes to sleep. When the wife comes back to the house she sees that husband has gone to sleep so now she says finish, once he’s gone to sleep, he can’t eat so that night he could not eat the next day he had to fast and by evening the next day he faints and the people go to the prophet that this is what happened because once you sleep you can’t eat. Later on this verse was reveled which I said earlier Surah Baqarah ch. 2 verse 187 which says besides approaching your wives at night, you can eat and drink till the white thread of dawn is differentiated from the black thread.
So then the rules that we follow today that fasting means that you have to abstain from food and drink and nourishment as well as from sexual intercourse right from dawn unto sunset and having the intention that we have to please Allah (swt). So this is the history how we finally got this.
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