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 Surah Al-Baqarah 2:183-184 [23/40] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO you
ٱلَّذِينَwho
ءَامَنُواْbelieve[d]!
كُتِبَIs prescribed
عَلَيْكُمُfor you
ٱلصِّيَامُ[the] fasting
كَمَاas
كُتِبَwas prescribed
عَلَىto
ٱلَّذِينَthose
مِن قَبْلِكُمْbefore you,
لَعَلَّكُمْso that you may
تَتَّقُونَ(become) righteous.
﴿١٨٣﴾
أَيَّامًا(Fasting for) days
مَّعْدُودَٲتٍ‌ۚnumbered.
فَمَنSo whoever
كَانَ مِنكُمamong you is
مَّرِيضًاsick
أَوْor
عَلَىٰon
سَفَرٍa journey,
فَعِدَّةٌthen a prescribed number
مِّنْof
أَيَّامٍdays
أُخَرَ‌ۚother.
وَعَلَىAnd on
ٱلَّذِينَthose who
يُطِيقُونَهُۥcan afford it,
فِدْيَةٌa ransom
طَعَامُ(of) feeding
مِسْكِينٍ‌ۖa poor.
فَمَنAnd whoever
تَطَوَّعَvolunteers
خَيْرًاgood
فَهُوَthen it
خَيْرٌ(is) better
لَّهُۥ‌ۚfor him.
وَأَنAnd to
تَصُومُواْfast
خَيْرٌ(is) better
لَّكُمْ‌ۖfor you,
إِنif
كُنتُمْyou
تَعْلَمُونَknow.
﴿١٨٤﴾

يٰٓـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا كُتِبَ عَلَيۡکُمُ الصِّيَامُ کَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِيۡنَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُوۡنَۙ‏  اَيَّامًا مَّعۡدُوۡدٰتٍؕ فَمَنۡ كَانَ مِنۡكُمۡ مَّرِيۡضًا اَوۡ عَلٰى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنۡ اَيَّامٍ اُخَرَ​ؕ وَعَلَى الَّذِيۡنَ يُطِيۡقُوۡنَهٗ فِدۡيَةٌ طَعَامُ مِسۡكِيۡنٍؕ فَمَنۡ تَطَوَّعَ خَيۡرًا فَهُوَ خَيۡرٌ لَّهٗ ؕ وَاَنۡ تَصُوۡمُوۡا خَيۡرٌ لَّـکُمۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ 
Translation
(2:183) Believers! Fasting is enjoined upon you, as it was enjoined upon those before you, that you become God-fearing.183 (2:184) Fasting is for a fixed number of days, and if one of you be sick, or if one of you be on a journey, you will fast the same number of other days later on. For those who are capable of fasting (but still do not fast) there is a redemption: feeding a needy man for each day missed. Whoever voluntarily does more good than is required, will find it better for him;184 and that you should fast is better for you, if you only know.185
Commentary

183. Like most other injunctions of Islam those relating to fasting were revealed gradually. In the beginning the Prophet (peace be on him) had instructed the Muslims to fast three days in every month, though this was not obligatory. When the injunction in the present verse was later revealed in 2 A.H., a degree of relaxation was introduced: it was stipulated that those who did not fast despite their capacity to endure it were obliged to feed one poor person as an expiation for each day of obligatory fasting missed see (verse 184). Another injunction was revealed later see (verse 185) and here the relaxation in respect of able-bodied persons was revoked. However, for the sick, the traveller, the pregnant, the breast-feeding women and the aged who could not endure fasting, the relaxation was retained. (See Bukhari, 'Tafsir al-Qur'an', 25; Tirmidhi, 'Sawm', 21; Nasai, 'Siyam', 51, 62, 64; Ibn Majah, 'Siyam', 12; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 104; vol. 4, pp. 347 and 418; vol. 5, p. 29 - Ed.)

184. This act of extra merit could either be feeding more than the one person required or both fasting and feeding the poor.

185. Here ends the early injunction with regard to fasting which was revealed in 2 A.H. prior to the Battle of Badr. The verses that follow were revealed about one year later and are linked with the preceding verses since they deal with the same subject.