Chapter 2: Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow), verse 186-188
Translation:
If My servants question you about Me, tell them that I am near. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls to Me; therefore let them answer My call and put their trust in Me, that they may be rightly guided. It is now lawful for you to lie with your wives on the night of the fast; they are a comfort to you as you are to them. God knew that you were deceiving yourselves. He has relented towards you and pardoned you. Therefore you may now lie with tem and seek what God has ordained for you Eat and drink until you can tell a white thread from a black one in the light on the coming dawn. Then resume the fast till nightfall and do not approach them, but stay at your prayers in the mosques. These are the bounds set by God: do not approach them, but stay at your prayers in the mosques. These are the bounds set by God: do not approach them. Thus He makes known His revelations to mankind that they may guard themselves against evil. Do not devour one another's property by unjust means, nor bribe the judges with it in order that you may wrongfully and knowingly usurp the possessions of other men. (186-188)
Commentary:
Fasting by its
very nature is an act of patience, and patience involves putting up with all
kinds of difficulties in order to carry out God’s commandments. This helps man
to attain that state of mind which brings him closer to God. Only those find God
who surrender themselves totally to Him, only the words of those reach God whose
wavelength matches that of God.
The shariah does
not place unnatural restrictions on man.
The command of
fasting is followed by the command, “devour not one another’s possession
wrongfully.” This shows the essence of fasting. The real aim of fasting is to
create such a feeling of subservience that when God commands us to abstain from
anything, we must do so forthwith. The lesson fasting gives us is that even if
God wants us to stay away from lawful things, we have to show no hesitation in
obeying His command. Thus one who abstains from lawful things if God wants him
to do so, will have no difficulty
in abstaining from unlawful things if God so commands.
Thus the life of
a believer is one of renunciation. For his entire life he has to keep himself
away from certain things. The month of Ramadan serves as training for this. A
life of restraint during the month of fasting gives us the lesson that the true
servant of God is one who worships God at the level of taqwa, a life of
piety and fear of God. God will answer the call only of those who bring
themselves closer to Him by living a life of sacrifice.