سورة البقرة

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is recommended for a Muslim man to have intercourse with his wife on the first night of the month of Ramadan. Allah says in the Qur'an: أُحِلَّ لَکُمْ لَیْلَةَ الصِّیامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلی نِسائِکُمْ [It is made lawful to you to go into your wives on the night of the fast]; "al-rafath" means intercourse.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Intercourse (having relations with one's wife) on the first night of every month is disliked, except the first night of the month of Ramadan.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): [The verses of the Quran are of several categories.] The category of verses whose ta'wil (interpretation) and tanzil (revelation) are one and the same are all the muhkam (decisive) verses that were revealed concerning the prohibition of something well known in the time of the Arabs. Their ta'wil and tanzil are one, and they do not need any tafsir or explanation beyond their ta'wil; such as the saying of Allah ... أُحِلَّ لَکُمْ لَیْلَةَ الصِّیامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلی نِسائِکُمْ [It is made lawful to you to go into your wives on the night of the fast].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When Allah made fasting obligatory, He commanded men not to have intercourse with their wives during the nights and days of the month of Ramadan. This was the fast of the Children of Israel that is mentioned in the Torah, and it was likewise forbidden upon this ummah. If a person slept at the beginning of the night before breaking his fast, eating after sleep became forbidden for him, whether he had broken his fast or not. There was one of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), an old man known as Mut'im ibn Jubayr, who, at the time when the Trench was being dug in the month of Ramadan, was digging alongside the Muslims. When he finished digging and went off to his family, he prayed the Maghrib prayer, and his wife delayed in preparing his food until sleep overcame the man. So when his wife brought the food to him and woke him from sleep, the man said to her: "Use it yourself, for I have slept and [eating] has become forbidden upon me." He passed his night in this manner, and the next morning he went off to the Trench fasting and busied himself digging with the people, whereupon he fainted. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) asked about his condition, and he described his state to the Prophet. [Furthermore] among the Muslims there were young men who, because of their lack of endurance, would secretly have intercourse with their wives at night. So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) asked Allah the Glorified about that, and Allah sent down [this verse] upon him: أُحِلَّ لَکُمْ لَیْلَةَ الصِّیامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلی نِسائِکُمْ هُنَّ لِباسٌ لَکُمْ وَ أَنْتُمْ لِباسٌ لَهُنَّ عَلِمَ اللهُ أَنَّکُمْ کُنْتُمْ تَخْتانُونَ أَنْفُسَکُمْ فَتابَ عَلَیْکُمْ وَ عَفا عَنْکُمْ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَ ابْتَغُوا ما کَتَبَ اللهُ لَکُمْ وَ کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّیامَ إِلَی اللَّیْلِ [It is made lawful to you to go into your wives on the night of the fast; they are an apparel for you and you are an apparel for them; Allah knew that you acted unfaithfully to yourselves, so He has turned to you (mercifully) and removed from you (this burden); so now be in contact with them and seek what Allah has ordained for you, and eat and drink until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn, then complete the fast till night]. So this verse abrogated the previous rulings.

Imam al-Jawad (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Mahziyar said: Abu al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn wrote a letter together with me to Imam al-Jawad (peace be upon him), in which we said: "Your followers [and those who imitate you] have differed regarding the time of the Fajr prayer. Some of them pray the morning prayer when the first dawn appears and [this dawn] stretches up into the sky, while others pray when the dawn appears at the lowest level of the horizon and becomes clearly visible. I do not know which of these two times is more meritorious, so I pray between the two times. If you see fit, please teach me which of the two times is more meritorious, and what is its definition and limit? [What is the ruling] when the moon is also in the sky and the dawn cannot be distinguished on account of it, unless we wait until [through the light of the sun, the horizon] turns red? Or when the sky is covered with clouds, what should we do? What is the ruling while travelling or otherwise?" [I sent this letter and] the Imam (peace be upon him) wrote the answer in his own handwriting. I read it, and he had written: "May Allah have mercy on you! The dawn is the very الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ [white thread] which appears on the horizon, not the whiteness that has risen completely (spread widely). Whether travelling or at home, pray by identifying this [criterion], [for] Allah has not made the determination of it [the time of the Fajr prayer] obscure for His creatures, and [in explaining it] He has said: وَ کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ [And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread]. So the khayt al-abyad (white thread) is that very dawn with whose appearance eating and drinking during the fast become forbidden and the [morning] prayer becomes obligatory."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Abu Basir: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Two men rose in the pre-dawn hours of the month of Ramadan; one of them said, 'This is the dawn,' and the other said, 'I do not see anything'; what is the ruling on the two of them?" The Imam answered: "The one who is not certain that it is the time of dawn may eat; but eating is forbidden for the one who says that it is the time of dawn." For Allah says: وَ کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّیامَ إِلَی اللَّیْلِ [And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread, then complete the fast till night].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): In Tafsir al-Ayyashi, Sa'd narrated from his companions: What is the ruling on a man who at the time of sahar [eats his sahari and] is in doubt about [the rising of] the dawn? The Imam answered: "There is no harm [because Allah says]: وَ کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ [And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread]. In my view, in the month of Ramadan he should, out of precaution, [wake up earlier] and eat his sahari before the time of doubt."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When Allah the Mighty and Majestic revealed کُلُواْ وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ [Eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread], people would place a black thread and a white thread and look at them, continuing to eat and drink until the white thread became distinct from the black thread. So Allah made clear what He had intended by it and said: "What is meant by the white thread is the whiteness of dawn, which becomes distinct from the blackness of the night."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Ubaydullah al-Halabi: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the interpretation of the verse: الْخَیطُ الأَبْیضُ مِنَ الْخَیطِ الأَسْوَدِ [the white thread from the black thread]. He replied: "What is meant by it is [distinguishing] the whiteness of the day from the blackness of the night."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): In the book Daʿaʾim al-Islam it is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "If two people, both of whom are people of knowledge, aware of the [signs of] the rising of dawn, and having sound eyes, rise from sleep and one of them says: 'This is the whiteness of dawn that has risen,' and the other says: 'I do not see anything with my eye that has risen,' [what is the ruling regarding their fast]?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "For the one who cannot discern the dawn, eating and drinking is permissible until it becomes clear and evident to him. And upon the one for whom the dawn appears, abstaining from eating and drinking becomes obligatory, because Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ [Eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread]. But if one of them is more knowledgeable or has sharper and more precise sight than the other, then upon the one who is lower than him in eyesight and knowledge, it becomes obligatory to follow that person."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Imam (peace be upon him) was asked about two people who rose from sleep and looked at the dawn; one of them said: "This is the very whiteness of dawn," and the other said: "I do not see anything." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "For the one who has not been able to discern the dawn, eating and drinking is permissible, because Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: وَ کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّیامَ إِلَی اللَّیْلِ [And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread, then complete the fast until night]." Samaʿah said: "I asked him about a person who ate food and drank water in the month of Ramadan after the rising of dawn." He said: "If he rose from sleep and looked [at the sky] and did not see the dawn, and so he ate, then looked again and saw the dawn, he must complete his fast and there is no need to make it up. And if he rose and ate food and drank water, then looked at the dawn and saw that it had risen, he must complete the fast of that day and also make it up on another day, because he began eating before looking; therefore making up the fast of that day is obligatory upon him."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): This verse was revealed concerning a man from the Ansar of Medina whose name was Khawwat ibn Jubayr al-Ansari. He was with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) [taking part] in digging the trench, and he was fasting until night fell. [At that time,] before this verse was revealed, if anyone slept at the time of breaking the fast, breaking the fast became forbidden for him. When Khawwat reached home, he asked his family: 'Do you have any food?' They said: 'We do not have food ready, but [be careful] do not fall asleep until we prepare some food for you.' Khawwat leaned back against a cushion and fell asleep. The women prepared some food and called him. Khawwat woke up from their voices. His family said: 'Did you fall asleep?' Khawwat said: 'Yes! I fell asleep.' Having no choice, he slept with an empty stomach, and the next morning he joined the others to dig the trench. [Due to hunger] he was losing consciousness. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) came upon Khawwat and asked about his condition. When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) heard what had happened to him, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse concerning this matter: وَ کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّیامَ إِلَی اللَّیْلِ [And eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of the dawn, then complete the fast until the night].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Intercourse with one's wife and eating food during the nights of Ramadan after sleep were forbidden; that is, whoever prayed the Isha prayer and slept while he had not yet broken his fast, after waking up breaking the fast was forbidden for him. Intercourse too was forbidden during the nights and days of Ramadan. A man from the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — named Khawwat ibn Jubayr, the brother of Abdullah ibn Jubayr — and Abdullah ibn Jubayr was the one whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) had placed in charge of fifty archers at the mouth of the ravine on the day of Uhud; his companions parted from him and only twelve men remained, who were killed at the head of the ravine. His brother, this same Khawwat ibn Jubayr, was a weak old man; while fasting, his family delayed in bringing him food, so he fell asleep before breaking his fast. When he awoke, he said to his family: 'Eating tonight has become forbidden for me.' When morning came, he set to digging the trench, but he fainted. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) saw him and had compassion on him. [On the other hand,] a group of the young men would secretly have intercourse with their wives during the nights of Ramadan. So Allah revealed this verse: أُحِلَّ لَکُمْ لَیْلَةَ الصِّیامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلی نِسائِکُمْ هُنَّ لِباسٌ لَکُمْ وَ أَنْتُمْ لِباسٌ لَهُنَّ عَلِمَ اللهُ أَنَّکُمْ کُنْتُمْ تَخْتانُونَ أَنْفُسَکُمْ فَتابَ عَلَیْکُمْ وَ عَفا عَنْکُمْ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَ ابْتَغُوا ما کَتَبَ اللهُ لَکُمْ وَ کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّیامَ إِلَی اللَّیْلِ [It is made lawful to you to go into your wives on the night of the fast; they are an apparel for you and you are an apparel for them; Allah knew that you acted unfaithfully to yourselves, so He has turned to you (mercifully) and removed from you (this burden); so now be in contact with them and seek what Allah has ordained for you, and eat and drink until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night at dawn, then complete the fast till night]. In this way Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, made intercourse lawful in the nights of Ramadan, and made eating after sleep until the break of dawn lawful, by the words حَتَّی یَتَبَیَّنَ لَکُمُ الْخَیْطُ الْأَبْیَضُ مِنَ الْخَیْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ [until the whiteness of the day becomes distinct from the blackness of the night]; which is the [distinguishing of the] brightness of day from the darkness of night.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) saw Sirmah ibn Malik and asked him: 'What is with me that I see you so exhausted and weary?' He said: 'Yesterday I was fasting, and last night when I returned to my family they said: "Sleep for an hour until we prepare the food." Then sleep overcame my eyes and food became forbidden to me.' So Allah the Exalted revealed His words: کُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا [Eat and drink].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Sama'ah: I asked him about the ruling on a group who were fasting in the blessed month of Ramadan, and near sunset a black cloud cast its shadow over them, so that group thought that night had come and they broke their fast; then after a few moments the sky cleared and the sun appeared. [They asked:] 'What is their duty?' The Imam (peace be upon him) said: 'All those who broke their fast must make up the fast of that day, because Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: أَتِمُّوا الصِّیامَ إِلَی اللَّیْلِ [complete the fast till night]. Whoever eats before night has come must make up that day, because he ate deliberately and with intention and awareness.'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): أَتِمُّوا الصِّیامَ إِلَی اللَّیْلِ [complete the fast till night] — until the falling of the twilight [is what is meant].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The meaning is the fast of the month of Ramadan; [that the fast must be continued until night, but] whoever sees the crescent of the month of Shawwal during the day [while he had fasted thinking it was still Ramadan], he must complete his fast and [then] break it.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "My father was asked about the marital act that Allah the Mighty and Majestic has forbidden in the Quran and what the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) has forbidden in his Sunnah." He said: "What Allah the Mighty and Majestic has forbidden is thirty-four forms: seventeen of them in the Quran and seventeen in the Sunnah. As for those in the Quran ... [one is] intercourse with one's wife during i'tikaf (spiritual retreat), for Allah says: وَ لا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَ أَنْتُمْ عاکِفُونَ فِی الْمَساجِد [And do not have contact with them while you keep to the mosques]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir has narrated: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a fasting man who touches his wife's body. He said: "There is no harm in it; even if some fluid comes out of him as a result of the caressing, his fast is not broken." Then he said: "Where Allah said: وَ لا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ [And do not have contact with them] — the meaning is having intercourse during the day of the month of Ramadan."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Umar ibn Yazid: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "What do you say about i'tikaf (spiritual retreat) in some of the mosques of Baghdad?" He said: "I'tikaf is not valid except in a mosque in which a just imam has led the congregational prayer. And there is no harm in performing i'tikaf in the mosque of Kufa, the mosque of Basra, the mosque of Madina, and the mosque of Mecca."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): I'tikaf (spiritual retreat) is permissible only in the [last] twenty [days] of the month of Ramadan (the last ten days of the month of Ramadan). Imam Ali (peace be upon him) used to say: "I consider i'tikaf appropriate only in al-Masjid al-Haram, or the Mosque of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), or a Jami' (congregational) mosque. And it is not proper for the mu'takif (one performing i'tikaf) to leave the mosque except for a need that cannot be met without leaving the mosque; and he should not sit down [and busy himself with other matters], but should return quickly. And this ruling applies to women as well."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Imam (peace be upon him) was asked about i'tikaf (spiritual retreat). He said: "I'tikaf is valid only in Masjid al-Haram, or the Mosque of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), or the Mosque of Kufa, or a congregational mosque, and for as long as you remain in i'tikaf, you must fast."