190. Just as nothing intervenes between a person's body and his clothes, so nothing can intervene between a man and his wife; it is a relationship of inalienable intimacy.
191. Although there was no categorical ordinance in the early days prohibiting sexual intercourse between husband and wife during the nights of Ramadan, people generally assumed that this was not permissible. Despite the feeling that their action was either not permitted or was at least disapproved of, they did at times approach their wives. Such a betrayal of conscience can encourage a sinful disposition. God, therefore, first reproaches them with their lack of integrity, for this is what was objectionable. As for the act itself, God makes it clear that it is quite permissible. Henceforth they might engage in sexual intercourse as a perfectly lawful act unencumbered by feelings of guilt.
192. In this connection, too, there was a misapprehension at first. Some
thought that eating and drinking were absolutely prohibited after the performance
of the 'Isha' (Night) Prayer. Others thought that one could eat and drink so
long as one had not fallen asleep, but that if one had it was not permissible
to eat on reawakening. These were people's own fancies and often caused great
inconvenience. This verse seeks to remove all such misconceptions. It clearly
lays down the duration of the fast: from dawn until sunset. Between sunset and
dawn it is permissible to eat, to drink, and to indulge in the legitimate gratification
of sexual desires.
At the same time the Prophet introduced the pre-fasting repast, recommending
a good meal just before dawn.
193. In fixing the time of obligatory rites, Islam has been mindful that
these timings should be so clear and simple that people, at all stages of development,
should be able to follow them. This is why Islam bases its timing on conspicuous
natural phenomena and not on the clock.
Some people object that this principle of timing is untenable in areas close
to the poles, where night and day each last for about six months. This objection
is based on a very superficial knowledge of geography. In point of fact neither
day nor night lasts for six months in those areas - not in the sense in which
people living near the Equator conceive of night and day. The signs of morning
and evening appear at the poles with unfailing regularity and it is on this
basis that people time their sleeping and waking, their professional work, their
play and recreation. Even in the days before watches were common, the people
of countries like Finland, Norway and Greenland used to fix the hours of the
day and night by means of various signs that appeared on the horizon. Just as
those signs helped them to determine their schedules in other matters, so they
should enable them to time their various Prayers, the pre-fast meal and the
breaking of the fast.
194. 'Complete your fasting until night sets in' means that the time of fasting
ends with nightfall, i.e. sunset marks the breaking of the fast. The precise
time of the end of the pre-dawn repast is when a lean strip of aurora appears
at the eastern end of the horizon and begins to grow. The time to break one's
fast starts when the darkness of night seems to have begun to appear over the
eastern horizon.
In our own time, some people have adopted an attitude of extreme caution with
regard to the time of both the end and start of fasting. The Law has not fixed
these schedules with rigid precision. If a person wakes up just at the crack
of dawn it is proper for him to eat and drink hastily. According to a Tradition
the Prophet said: 'If anyone of you hears the call for [the morning] Prayer
while he is eating he should not stop immediately, but should finish eating
to the extent of his bare need.' (Abu Da'ud. Siyam', 14 - Ed.) Similarly, one
need not wait for the light of day to disappear fully before breaking the fast.
The Prophet, for instance, used to ask Bilil to bring him something to drink
as soon as the sun had set. Bilal expressed his astonishment, pointing out that
the light of day could still be observed. To this the Prophet replied that the
time of fasting came to an end when the darkness of night began to rise from
the east. (Muslim, 'Siyam', 10; Abu Da'ud, 'Siyam', 15; etc. - Ed.)
195. 'On retreat in the mosque' refers to the religious practice of spending the last ten days of Ramadan in the mosque, consecrating this time to the remembrance of God. In this state, known as i'tikaf, one may go out of the mosque only for the absolutely necessary requirements of life, but one must stay away from gratifying one's sexual desire.
196. The directive here is neither to exceed nor draw near the limits set
by God. This means that it is dangerous for a man to skirt the boundaries of
disobedience; prudence demands that one should keep some distance from these
lest one's steps inadvertent lead one to cross them. The same principle has
been enunciated in a Tradition in which the Prophet said: 'Even sovereign has
an enclosed pasture and the enclosed pasture of God consists of His prohibitions.
So, whosoever keeps grazing around that pasture is likely to fall into it.'
(Bukhari, 'lman', 36; 'Buyu'', 3; Muslim, 'Musaqah', 107; Abu Da'd, 'Buyu",
3; Tirmidhi, 'Buyu", 1; Nasa'i, 'Buyu?, 3; 'Ashribah', 50; Ibn Majah, 'Fitan',
14 - Ed.)
It is a pity that many people. who are not conversant with the spirit of the
Shari'ah (Islamic law), insist on using these boundaries to the limits. Many
religious scholars exert themselves in finding out arguments to justify this
attitude, and a point is thus reached where only a hair's breadth separates
obedience from disobedience. Consequently many people fall prey to disobedience,
even to downright error and wrong-doing. For once a man arrives at this point
he is seldom capable of discerning between right and wrong, and maintaining
the absolute self-control needed to keep within the lawful limits.