سُوْرَةُ البَقَرَةِ
Surah Al-Baqara (2) — Ayah 187
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَآئِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَٱلْـَٔـٰنَ بَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلْخَيْطُ ٱلْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْطِ ٱلْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَـٰكِفُونَ فِى ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ﴿187﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of As-Saum (the fasts). They are Libâs [i.e. body cover, or screen, or Sakan, (i.e. you enjoy the pleasure of living with them - as in Verse 7:189) Tafsir At-Tabarî ], for you and you are the same for them. Allâh knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you (accepted your repentance) and forgave you. So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allâh has ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Saum (fast) till the nightfall. And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikâf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allâh, so approach them not. Thus does Allâh make clear His Ayât (proofs, evidence, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allâh’s set limits, orders) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
أُحِلَّ
uḥilla
Permitted
لَكُمْ
lakum
for you
لَيْلَةَ
laylata
(in the) nights
ٱلصِّيَامِ
l-ṣiyāmi
(of) fasting
ٱلرَّفَثُ
l-rafathu
(is) the approach
إِلَىٰ
ilā
to
نِسَآئِكُمْ ۚ
nisāikum
your wives
هُنَّ
hunna
They
لِبَاسٌۭ
libāsun
(are) garments
لَّكُمْ
lakum
for you
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
and you
لِبَاسٌۭ
libāsun
(are) garments
لَّهُنَّ ۗ
lahunna
for them
عَلِمَ
ʿalima
Knows
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
أَنَّكُمْ
annakum
that you
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
used to
تَخْتَانُونَ
takhtānūna
deceive
أَنفُسَكُمْ
anfusakum
yourselves
فَتَابَ
fatāba
so He turned
عَلَيْكُمْ
ʿalaykum
towards you
وَعَفَا
waʿafā
and He forgave
عَنكُمْ ۖ
ʿankum
[on] you
فَٱلْـَٔـٰنَ
fal-āna
So now
بَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ
bāshirūhunna
have relations with them
وَٱبْتَغُوا۟
wa-ib'taghū
and seek
مَا
mā
what
كَتَبَ
kataba
has ordained
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
لَكُمْ ۚ
lakum
for you
وَكُلُوا۟
wakulū
And eat
وَٱشْرَبُوا۟
wa-ish'rabū
and drink
حَتَّىٰ
ḥattā
until
يَتَبَيَّنَ
yatabayyana
becomes distinct
لَكُمُ
lakumu
to you
ٱلْخَيْطُ
l-khayṭu
the thread
ٱلْأَبْيَضُ
l-abyaḍu
[the] white
مِنَ
mina
from
ٱلْخَيْطِ
l-khayṭi
the thread
ٱلْأَسْوَدِ
l-aswadi
[the] black
مِنَ
mina
of
ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ
l-fajri
[the] dawn
ثُمَّ
thumma
Then
أَتِمُّوا۟
atimmū
complete
ٱلصِّيَامَ
l-ṣiyāma
the fast
إِلَى
ilā
till
ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ
al-layli
the night
وَلَا
walā
And (do) not
تُبَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ
tubāshirūhunna
have relations with them
وَأَنتُمْ
wa-antum
while you
عَـٰكِفُونَ
ʿākifūna
(are) secluded
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدِ ۗ
l-masājidi
the masajid
تِلْكَ
til'ka
These
حُدُودُ
ḥudūdu
(are the) limits
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(set by) Allah
فَلَا
falā
so (do) not
تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ
taqrabūhā
approach them
كَذَٰلِكَ
kadhālika
Thus
يُبَيِّنُ
yubayyinu
makes clear
ٱللَّهُ
l-lahu
Allah
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ
āyātihi
His verses
لِلنَّاسِ
lilnnāsi
for [the] people
لَعَلَّهُمْ
laʿallahum
so that they may
يَتَّقُونَ
yattaqūna
(become) righteous
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
187. 1 In the beginning of Islam, there was a ruling that after breaking the fast, eating, drinking, and having relations with one's wife were permitted only until the 'Isha prayer or until one slept; after sleeping, none of these actions were allowed. Obviously, this restriction was strict and difficult to follow. In this verse, Allah has lifted both of these restrictions and has permitted eating, drinking, and having relations with one's wife from the time of breaking the fast until the appearance of true dawn.
187. 2 That is, as soon as night falls (immediately after sunset), break the fast; do not delay, as the hadith also emphasizes and mentions the virtue of hastening to break the fast. Secondly, to begin another fast without breaking the previous one, the Prophet ﷺ strictly forbade this. (Books of Hadith)
187. 3 In the state of i'tikaf, having relations or physical intimacy with one's wife is not permitted; however, meeting and conversing is allowed. For i'tikaf, the mosque is necessary, whether it is a man or a woman. The wives of the Prophet ﷺ also performed i'tikaf in the mosque, so it is not valid for women to perform i'tikaf in their homes. However, in the mosque, it is necessary to arrange everything for women separately from men so that there is no mixing with men in any way. As long as there is not a reasonable, secure, and completely separate arrangement from men in the mosque, women should not be allowed to perform i'tikaf in the mosque. This is a voluntary act of worship; as long as complete protection is not ensured, it is better to avoid this voluntary act. The principle of fiqh is: (درء المفاسد یقدم علی جلب المصالح) (Averting harm takes precedence over acquiring benefits)
187. 2 That is, as soon as night falls (immediately after sunset), break the fast; do not delay, as the hadith also emphasizes and mentions the virtue of hastening to break the fast. Secondly, to begin another fast without breaking the previous one, the Prophet ﷺ strictly forbade this. (Books of Hadith)
187. 3 In the state of i'tikaf, having relations or physical intimacy with one's wife is not permitted; however, meeting and conversing is allowed. For i'tikaf, the mosque is necessary, whether it is a man or a woman. The wives of the Prophet ﷺ also performed i'tikaf in the mosque, so it is not valid for women to perform i'tikaf in their homes. However, in the mosque, it is necessary to arrange everything for women separately from men so that there is no mixing with men in any way. As long as there is not a reasonable, secure, and completely separate arrangement from men in the mosque, women should not be allowed to perform i'tikaf in the mosque. This is a voluntary act of worship; as long as complete protection is not ensured, it is better to avoid this voluntary act. The principle of fiqh is: (درء المفاسد یقدم علی جلب المصالح) (Averting harm takes precedence over acquiring benefits)
