يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿۱۸۳﴾ 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 ﴿۱۸۴﴾ 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 يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَى مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿۱۸۵﴾
﴾183﴿ Yaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo kutiba 'alaikumus Siyaamu kamaa kutiba 'alal lazeena min qablikum la'allakum tattaqoon
﴾184﴿ Ayyaamam ma'doodaat; faman kaana minkum mareedan aw'alaa safarin fa'iddatum min ayyaamin ukhar; wa 'alal lazeena yuteeqoonahoo fidyatun ta'aamu miskeenin faman tatawwa'a khairan fahuwa khairul lahoo wa an tasoomoo khairul lakum in kuntum ta'lamoon
﴾185﴿ Shahru Ramadaanallazeee unzila feehil Qur'aanu hudal linnaasi wa baiyinaatim minal hudaa wal furqaan; faman shahida minkumush shahra falyasumhu wa man kaana mareedan aw 'alaa safarin fa'iddatum min ayyaamin ukhar; yureedul laahu bikumul yusra wa laa yureedu bikumul 'usra wa litukmilul 'iddata wa litukabbirul laaha 'alaa maa hadaakum wa la'allakum tashkuroon
﴾183﴿ O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.
﴾184﴿ Fast for a specified number of days. But whoever among you is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of days should be made up later. And upon those who can only bear it with difficulty, there is a redemption: feeding one poor person. But whoever volunteers more good, it is better for him. And fasting is better for you, if you only knew.
﴾185﴿ The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’an was revealed—a guidance for all mankind, with clear proofs of guidance and a criterion (between right and wrong).
So whoever among you witnesses the month must fast it, and whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of days must be made up later.
Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you, so that you may complete the number and glorify Allah for what He has guided you to, and so that you may be thankful.
[183] In this verse is the third ruling: the obligation of fasting. There are five rulings in five verses. The first ruling is the obligation of fasting as it was for those before, and its purpose is piety. As-ṣiyām is a verbal noun meaning to fast. Another view is that it is the plural of ṣawm, referring to fasting the three white days (the 13th, 14th, and 15th of the lunar month), which was previously obligatory but was later abrogated by the obligation to fast in the month of Ramadan.
[184] This verse contains the second ruling regarding the excuse from fasting and the ruling on compensation (fidya). Ayyāman maʿdūdāt (a specified number of days) serves as encouragement to fast, as it is only a few days—a single month is little compared to the whole year.
Yuṭīqūnahu has several interpretations: one meaning is that a person, despite having the strength, does not fast and gives fidya instead—this ruling was later abrogated by the next verse.
Another meaning is that it refers to very elderly people or those with chronic illness who truly cannot fast; for them, fidya is required.
So there are three explanations for yuṭīqūnahu:
1. A hidden lā (negation) is implied, meaning “cannot bear it.”
2. It means “they cannot endure fasting.”
3. The word ṭāqa is used for someone who can only fast with extreme difficulty.
The verse also has another meaning: fa-man taṭawwaʿa khayran—whoever volunteers goodness—meaning that sincerity and contentment should be present whether in fasting or giving fidya.
Wa an taṣūmū khayrun lakum—under the first interpretation, it means fasting is better than giving fidya.
Under the second, it means fasting in itself contains many benefits.
[185] In this verse is the third ruling: the obligation of fasting the month of Ramadan and the wisdom behind making up missed fasts.
There are four points: first, exemption due to excuse; second, postponement of fasting; third, making up the fast later; fourth, accepting this command of Allah.
These four points are explained in order: for the first, “Allah intends ease for you”; for the second, “and does not intend hardship for you”; for the third, “so that you may complete the number”; and for the fourth, “so that you may glorify Allah.”
“The month in which the Qur’an was revealed” means that the revelation began during it on the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr).
Another view is that the entire Qur’an was sent down from the Preserved Tablet to the lowest heaven in one night.
“And clear proofs of guidance”—min here means “as” or “among”; the guidance referred to by al-hudā is the earlier guidance found in previous scriptures, and “guidance for mankind” refers to the guidance of the Qur’an itself.