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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 187of 286

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَآئِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌۭ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌۭ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَٱلْـَٰٔنَ بَٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلْخَيْطُ ٱلْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْطِ ٱلْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَٰكِفُونَ فِى ٱلْمَسَٰجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ﴿١٨٧

Translation (Sahih International)

It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations]. They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them. Allah knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He accepted your repentance and forgave you. So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allah has decreed for you. And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]. Then complete the fast until the sunset. And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques. These are the limits [set by] Allah, so do not approach them. Thus does Allah make clear His ordinances to the people that they may become righteous.

Word-by-word meaning

أُحِلَّuḥillaPermitted
لَكُمْlakumfor you
لَيْلَةَlaylata(in the) nights
ٱلصِّيَامِl-ṣiyāmi(of) fasting
ٱلرَّفَثُl-rafathu(is) the approach
إِلَىٰilāto
نِسَآئِكُمْ ۚnisāikumyour wives
هُنَّhunnaThey
لِبَاسٌۭlibāsun(are) garments
لَّكُمْlakumfor you
وَأَنتُمْwa-antumand you
لِبَاسٌۭlibāsun(are) garments
لَّهُنَّ ۗlahunnafor them
عَلِمَʿalimaKnows
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
أَنَّكُمْannakumthat you
كُنتُمْkuntumused to
تَخْتَانُونَtakhtānūnadeceive
أَنفُسَكُمْanfusakumyourselves
فَتَابَfatābaso He turned
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumtowards you
وَعَفَاwaʿafāand He forgave
عَنكُمْ ۖʿankum[on] you
فَٱلْـَٔـٰنَfal-ānaSo now
بَـٰشِرُوهُنَّbāshirūhunnahave relations with them
وَٱبْتَغُوا۟wa-ib'taghūand seek
مَاwhat
كَتَبَkatabahas ordained
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
لَكُمْ ۚlakumfor you
وَكُلُوا۟wakulūAnd eat
وَٱشْرَبُوا۟wa-ish'rabūand drink
حَتَّىٰḥattāuntil
يَتَبَيَّنَyatabayyanabecomes distinct
لَكُمُlakumuto you
ٱلْخَيْطُl-khayṭuthe thread
ٱلْأَبْيَضُl-abyaḍu[the] white
مِنَminafrom
ٱلْخَيْطِl-khayṭithe thread
ٱلْأَسْوَدِl-aswadi[the] black
مِنَminaof
ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖl-fajri[the] dawn
ثُمَّthummaThen
أَتِمُّوا۟atimmūcomplete
ٱلصِّيَامَl-ṣiyāmathe fast
إِلَىilātill
ٱلَّيْلِ ۚal-laylithe night
وَلَاwalāAnd (do) not
تُبَـٰشِرُوهُنَّtubāshirūhunnahave relations with them
وَأَنتُمْwa-antumwhile you
عَـٰكِفُونَʿākifūna(are) secluded
فِىin
ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدِ ۗl-masājidithe masajid
تِلْكَtil'kaThese
حُدُودُḥudūdu(are the) limits
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(set by) Allah
فَلَاfalāso (do) not
تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗtaqrabūhāapproach them
كَذَٰلِكَkadhālikaThus
يُبَيِّنُyubayyinumakes clear
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦāyātihiHis verses
لِلنَّاسِlilnnāsifor [the] people
لَعَلَّهُمْlaʿallahumso that they may
يَتَّقُونَyattaqūna(become) righteous

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Eating, Drinking and Sexual Intercourse are allowed during the Nights of RamadanThese Ayat contain a relief from Allah for the Muslims by ending the practice that was observed in the early years of Islam. At that time, Muslims were allowed to eat, drink and have sexual intercourse only until the `Isha' (Night) prayer, unless one sleeps before the `Isha' prayer.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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