Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (1/248)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may…” [al-Baqarah: 183]

Those meant are the People of the Book; it has also been said that all people are meant. Another account states that the Christians were commanded to fast the month of Ramadan and not to eat, drink, or have intercourse with their wives after sleeping. This became burdensome for them when the fast fell in winter and summer. [When they saw this, they gathered together and moved it to the season between winter and summer.] They said, “We shall add twenty days to atone for what we have done,” making their fast fifty days long.

The Muslims continued to observe the earlier practice until Allah abrogated it with His words:

“It has been made lawful for you to have intercourse with your wives on the nights of fasting.” [al-Baqarah: 187], and the remainder of the verse.

There is disagreement about the occasion for the revelation of this verse, which abrogated the previous practice. According to one account:

“Qays ibn Sirma al-Ansārī was fasting. When the time to break the fast arrived, he went to his wife and asked her, ‘Do you have any food?’ She replied, ‘No, but I shall go and look for some for you.’ He had been working that day and fell asleep. When his wife returned and saw him, she said, ‘Alas for you!’ By midday the following day, he fainted. This was mentioned to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and this verse was revealed, bringing them great joy.”

According to another account, the occasion was:

“Umar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah Most High be pleased with him, desired his wife. She told him, ‘I have already slept.’ He thought she was making an excuse and did not believe her, so he had intercourse with her. He then regretted it and spent the night tossing and turning, on his stomach and his back. Allah Most High then revealed the verse, abrogating their previous practice.”

Section

The meaning of the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic:

“Until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread.” [al-Baqarah: 187]

is the light of day spreading across the eastern horizon, as distinguished from the darkness of night. It is reported from Adī ibn Hātim that he said, “When the words, ‘And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread’ [al-Baqarah: 187] were revealed, I took two tethering cords, one white

﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ﴾ [البقرة: ١٨٣]، وهم أهل الكتاب، وقيل: الناس كلهم، وقيل: إن النصارى كتب عليهم صيام شهر رمضان على أن لا يأكلوا ولا يشربوا ولا ينكحوا النساء بعد النوم، فاشتد عليهم ذلك حين كان يغلب عليهم ذلك في الشتاء والصيف، [فلما رأوا ذلك اجتمعوا، فجعلوه في الفصل بين الشتاء والصيف]، وقالوا: نزيد عشرين يوما نكفر بها ما صنعنا، فجعلوا صيامهم خمسين يوما، فلم يزل المسلمون على ذلك حتى نسخه الله بقوله: ﴿أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَى نِسَائِكُمْ﴾ [البقرة: ١٨٧] الآية، واختلف في سبب نزول هذه الآية الناسخة لما تقدم مما كان الأمر عليه، فقيل: كان سبب ذلك أن «قيس بن صرمة الأنصاري كان صائما، فلما حضر الفطر أتى إلى امرأته، فقال لها: أعندك طعام، فقالت: لا، ولكن انطلق فاطلب لك، وكان يومه يعمل، فغلبته عينه، فجاءته امرأته، فلما رأته قالت له: خيبة لك، فلما انتصف النهار غشي عليه، فذكر ذلك للنبي ﵊، فنزلت هذه الآية ففرحوا بها فرحا شديدا». وقيل: كان سبب ذلك «أن عمر بن الخطاب - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ - أراد امرأته، فقالت له: قد نمت، فظن أنها تعتل فلم يصدقها، وواقعها، ثم ندم فبات يتقلب بطنا وظهرا، فأنزل الله تعالى الآية فنسخت ما كانوا عليه». فصل ومعنى قول الله ﷿: ﴿حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ﴾ [البقرة: ١٨٧]، هو بياض النهار المعترض في الأفق الشرقي من سواد الليل. وروي «عن عدي بن حاتم أنه قال: لما نزلت: ﴿وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ﴾ [البقرة: ١٨٧] عمدت إلى عقالين أبيض