Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (4/35)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

to fast it. This ḥadīth is authentically recorded in the two Ṣaḥīḥs (1) on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās.

Allah, exalted is He, says:
“O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become mindful of God—
for a limited number of days. Whoever among you is ill or on a journey shall fast an equal number of other days; and for those who are able to fast with hardship there is a ransom: feeding a needy person. Yet whoever volunteers extra good, it is better for him; and to fast is better for you, if only you knew.
The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was sent down as guidance for mankind and clear proofs of guidance and the Criterion. So whoever of you witnesses the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey, then [let him fast] an equal number of other days…” (al-Baqarah 2:183-185).

We have already discussed these verses at length in the Tafsīr (2), citing the relevant ḥadīths, transmitted reports, and derived rulings—sufficient for whoever seeks them. All praise is due to Allah.

Imam Aḥmad (3) said: Abū al-Naḍr narrated to us, al-Masʿūdī narrated to us, ʿAmr ibn Murrah narrated to us, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā, from Muʿādh ibn Jabal, who said:

“The prayer was transferred through three stages, and fasting likewise went through three stages.” He then mentioned the stages of the prayer and said:

“As for the stages of fasting: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Madinah he would fast three days of every month and he fasted the day of ʿĀshūrā’. Then Allah, Blessed and Exalted, made fasting obligatory and revealed: ‘O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you…’ up to: ‘and for those who are able to fast with hardship there is a ransom: feeding a needy person.’ At that time, whoever wished would fast and whoever wished would feed a needy person, and that sufficed for him.

“Later Allah, Blessed and Exalted, revealed the other verse: ‘The month of Ramadan in which the Qur’an was sent down…,’ affirming the fast of Ramadan for the healthy resident, granting a concession to the sick and the traveler, and maintaining the option of feeding for the elderly who are unable to fast. These are two stages.

“They used to eat, drink, and approach their wives as long as they had not fallen asleep; once they slept they would abstain. A man of the Anṣār named Ṣurmah was working while fasting until nightfall. He returned to his family, prayed ʿIshā’, and then slept, neither eating nor drinking until morning, whereupon he began the next day fasting. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw him in great distress and asked, ‘Why do I see you suffering so severely?’ He explained what had happened.

“ʿUmar had likewise been intimate with his wife (4) after he had slept. He went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and mentioned this to him. Thereupon Allah, Glorified and Exalted, revealed: ‘Permitted for you on the night of the fast is intimacy with your wives… then complete the fast until nightfall’ (al-Baqarah 2:187).”

Abū Dāwūd recorded this in his Sunan, and al-Ḥākim in his Mustadrak, with similar wording through the chain of al-Masʿūdī (5).

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari (no. 2004) and Muslim (no. 1130). (2) See the author’s Tafsir (vol. 1: 305–313). (3) Narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad (vol. 5: 246); it is authentic (sahih) according to its chains of transmission and corroborating reports. (4) Subsequently, in Musnad Imam Ahmad: “from a slave girl or from a free woman.” (5) Narrated by Abu Dawud (no. 507) and by al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak (vol. 2: 274).

بصيامه. وهذا الحديث ثابتٌ في "الصحيحين" (١) عن ابن عباسٍ. وقد قال اللَّه تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ (١٨٣) أَيَّامًا مَعْدُودَاتٍ فَمَنْ كَانَ مِنْكُمْ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ فَمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ وَأَنْ تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (١٨٤) شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْفُرْقَانِ فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ﴾ الآية [البقرة: ١٨٣ - ١٨٥] . وقد تكلّمنا على ذلك في "التفسير" (٢) بما فيه كفايةٌ من إيراد الأحاديث المتعلّقة بذلك، والآثار المرويّة في ذلك، والأحكام المستفادة منه، وللَّه الحمد. وقد قال الإمام أحمد (٣) : حدّثنا أبو النّضر، حدّثنا المسعوديّ، حدّثنا عمرو بن مرّة، عن عبد الرحمن بن أبي ليلى، عن معاذ بن جبل قال: أحيلت الصلاة ثلاثة أحوالٍ، وأحيل الصيام ثلاثة أحوالٍ. فذكر أحوال الصلاة، قال: وأمّا أحوال الصيام، فإنّ رسول اللَّه ﷺ قدم المدينة، فجعل يصوم من كلّ شهرٍ ثلاثة أيامٍ، وصام عاشوراء، ثم إنّ اللَّه، – Exalté soit-Il – ، فرض عليه الصيام، وأنزل: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُم﴾ إلى قوله: ﴿وَعَلَى الَّذِينَ يُطِيقُونَهُ فِدْيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسْكِينٍ﴾ فكان من شاء صام ومن شاء أطعم مسكينًا، فأجزأ ذلك عنه. ثم إنّ اللَّه، – Exalté soit-Il – ، أنزل الآية الأخرى: ﴿شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ﴾ فأثبت صيامه على المقيم الصحيح، ورخّص فيه للمريض والمسافر، وأثبت الإطعام للكبير الذي لا يستطيع الصّيام، فهذان حولان. قال: وكانوا يأكلون، ويشربون، ويأتون النّساء ما لم يناموا، فإذا ناموا امتنعوا، ثم إنّ رجلًا من الأنصار يقال له: صرمة كان يعمل صائمًا حتى أمسى، فجاء إلى أهله فصلّى العشاء، ثم نام، فلم يأكل ولم يشرب حتى أصبح، فأصبح صائمًا، فرآه رسول اللَّه ﷺ قد جهد جهدًا شديدًا، فقال: "ما لي أراك قد جهدت جهدًا شديدً؟ " فأخبره. قال: وكان عمر قد أصاب من النساء (٤) بعدما نام، فأتى رسول اللَّه ﷺ ، فذكر ذلك له، فأنزل اللَّه، – Exalté soit-Il – : ﴿أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَى نِسَائِكُمْ﴾ إلى قوله: ﴿ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ﴾ [البقرة: ١٨٧] . ورواه أبو داود في "سننه" ، والحاكم في "مستدركه" من حديث المسعوديّ نحوه (٥) .

(١) رواه البخاري (٢٠٠٤) ومسلم (١١٣٠). (٢) انظر "التفسير" للمؤلف (١/ ٣٠٥ - ٣١٣). (٣) رواه أحمد في "المسند" (٥/ ٢٤٦) وهو حديث صحيح بطرقه وشواهده. (٤) بعده في "مسند الإمام أحمد": "من جارية أو من حُرَّة". (٥) رواه أبو داود (٥٠٧) والحاكم في "المستدرك" (٢/ ٢٧٤).