UNDERSTANDING THE SIYAM VERSES 2:183-187
In our study Siyam is not fasting, but self-control through Quran study, we observed why the popular verses below are not about fasting – as traditionally misconstrued – but are about abstinence (siyam) from unsettling thoughts by getting engaged in constructive thoughts, i.e., by contemplating over divine messages:
O you who acknowledge, abstinence (ṣwm, ṣ-w-m) is prescribed for you, as it was for those before you, so that you remain aware. 2:183
For a certain number of days. Whoever of you is sick or travelling (cf. 73:20), then the same number from different days. As for those who can afford the redemption may redeem by providing (ṭ-ʿa-m; cf. 6:14) a needy. But whoever does good voluntarily, then it is better for him. And if you abstain it is better for you if only you knew. 2:184
The manifestation (shahru, sh-h-r)1 of inner burning (ramadan, r-m-d)1 is wherein the Reading (Quran, q-r-a) is being sent down1 as a guidance for people and clarifications (b-y-n) of the guidance and the Criterion (FURQAN, dawn, separator of light from darkness, 2:187). So whoever witnesses the manifestation, let him abstain/halt it. And whoever is sick or travelling (so cannot join these study sessions, 73:20), then the same number from different days. God wants to bring you ease and not to bring you hardship; and so that you may complete the count, and magnify God for what He has guided you, so that you may be grateful. 2:185
And if My servants ask thee about Me – behold, I am near: I respond to the call of him whoever calls, whenever he calls unto Me. So let them respond to Me and acknowledge Me, so that they may be rightly guided. 2:186
Permissible for you during the night of abstinence1 is to approach (r-f-th) your women. They are a garment (l-b-s) for you and you are a garment for them. God knows that you were deceiving yourselves so He turned towards you and remitted you; so now you can intimate (b-sh-r) with them. And SEEK WHAT God has prescribed for you and CONSUME and ABSORB (its messages)1 until the white thread is clarified (b-y-n) from the black thread of dawn (through your study of FURQAN, the separator or dawn, which clarifies messages by separating light from darkness, as just mentioned in 2:185; cf. 97:5), WHILE (thumma)1 you complete (t-m-m) the abstinence FOR/throughout (ilā)1 the night. And do not intimate with them while you are secluded (ayn-k-f ) in the projects (masjids). These are the boundaries of God, so do not transgress them. It is thus that God clarifies (b-y-n) His messages to the people so that they remain aware. 2:187
SOME REFLECTIONS ON THE ABOVE VERSES
Please note how the concepts CONSUME (eat, a-k-l) and ABSORB (drink, sh-r-b) occur in the context: And do not consume (eat) one another’s wealth unjustly, nor bribe the rulers so that you may consume (eat) a portion of the property of others viciously and knowingly. 2:188 (immediate context); Indeed, they who conceal what God has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price – those consume (eat) not into their bellies except the Fire. … 2:174 …; And they had absorbed (drunk) the calf inside their hearts by their rejection … 2:93. In these verses, a-k-l can only mean consume and sh-r-b can only mean absorb/imbibe. They cannot mean physical eating or drinking. With these interrelated occurrences in the context, they are some of the key verses towards understanding the meaning of “consume and absorb” (kuloo wa ashraboo; lit. eat and drink) above as referring to consuming and absorbing ideas and concepts. Traditional interpretations change this meaning to fit a certain, hearsay-based narrative, thus distorting the underlying messages entirely.
O you who acknowledge …
As noted here, most of the commanding verses which begin with “O you who acknowledge” were precisely addressed to the ‘believers’ during the time of Prophet Muhammad. Structured according to their own historical context, these verses often contain very specific, time-bound instructions which, if not freshly reinterpreted, cannot be applicable to us today in the same way as they were applicable to their direct listeners of the 7th century Hijaz.
abstinence (ṣwm, ṣ-w-m) is prescribed for you, as it was for those before you …
Though the Quran states that siyam/abstinence was also prescribed for earlier communities, the only example it mentions in this regard is Mary’s and probably Zachariah’s abstinence from speech (19:26; cf. 3:41). However, Mary’s abstinence from speech – i.e., a commitment to silence that fosters contemplation – paradoxically during a period when she was asked to “consume and absorb” (kulee wa ishrabee; lit. eat and drink), clearly demonstrates that siyam in the Quran has no relation with hunger or thirst. Apart from this, there is no mention of another type of abstinence, including fasting from physical food or drink, ever carried out by any prophet or any earlier religious group.
abstinence (ṣwm, ṣ-w-m) is prescribed for you … so that you remain aware
As noted, this is about abstinence from unsettling thoughts (shahru ramadan, or “the manifestation of inner burning”) through contemplating over divine messages. This is prescribed (kutiba) for those who witness these thoughts in their minds (“whoever witnesses the manifestation, let him abstain/halt it”). And this is prescribed solely for the benefit of the persons involved (“And if you abstain it is better for you if only you knew”) while the benefit is purely cognitive (“so that you remain aware”) and not health-related or medical. In other words, abstinence is prescribed – not made compulsory – to bring ease to the mind so that one can deal with the unsettling thoughts and thereby get relieved (“God wants to bring you ease and not to bring you hardship”). A prescription sometimes allows a patient certain harmless things, such as “Permissible for you during the night of abstinence is to approach your women”.
For a certain number of days. Whoever of you is sick or travelling (cf. 73:20), then the same number from different days. As for those who can afford the redemption may redeem by providing (ṭ-ʿa-m; cf. 6:14) a needy.
Evidently, this refers to the Quran study projects (73:20, 73:1-7; cf. 47:24, 23:68, 3:79, 4:82) wherein those male believers who experienced burning questions and disquieting thoughts in their minds participated “for an assigned number of days”. Apparently the numbers varied according to the individual assignments. This was essential for delivery of the message during the time of the Quranic revelation. Some of the participants were even secluded whilst totally devoted in the projects (2:187). Those who were sick or travelling could participate in their assignments in a later period (cf. mention in 73:20 about participants in night study groups who could be sick or travelling). Also, those who could afford a redemption could do so by providing a needy (e.g., with food, clothing, shelter, education, drinking water, loan, medicine and so on; cf. 2:259 for a deeper meaning of food and drink).
The manifestation (shahru, sh-h-r)1 of inner burning (ramadan, r-m-d)1 …
‘Shahr’ in the Quran simply means MANIFESTATION, especially full manifestation, of something or some process, i.e., fully grown or fully visible. On the other hand, because ‘ramadan’ was not a name of a month, and because ‘ramadan’ essentially means burning, which cannot mean physical burning in the context of 2:185, we should understand it as psychological or INNER BURNING. This is why we translated the phrase “shahru ramadan” as “the manifestation of inner burning”.
The manifestation (shahru, sh-h-r)1 of inner burning (ramadan, r-m-d)1 is wherein the Reading (Quran, q-r-a) is being sent down1 as a guidance for people and clarifications (b-y-n) of the guidance and the Criterion (FURQAN, dawn, separator of light from darkness, 2:187).
Contrary to the popular misconception that the Quran came down in the burning heat of the month called Ramadan – the Quran is actually revealed in the minds of those with manifested ‘inner burning’, i.e., those who are experiencing burning questions and disquieting thoughts (cf. And no question do they bring to thee but We bring to thee the truth and the best explanation. 25:33). This is how it provides “a guidance for people and clarifications of the guidance and the Criterion.” As explained elsewhere, while the Quranic revelation must occur in a heightened or inquisitive mental state, it makes little or no sense that its ‘coming down’ has anything to do with a scorching hot month or a time of war.
So whoever witnesses the manifestation, let him abstain/halt it.
So whoever witnesses the manifestation of ‘inner burning’, i.e., burning questions and disquieting thoughts, let him abstain/halt/stop/pause it through contemplating over divine messages. The Quran itself delivers great importance to the study of the Quran: Do they not study the Quran? Or are there locks on their minds? 47:24; Be Lord servers by spreading the knowledge of the Book, and by your deep study thereof. 3:79; Do they not study the Word, or has what come to them not come to their forefathers of old? 23:68; Do they not study the Quran? And if it were from any other than God they would have certainly found therein many contradictions. 4:82
God wants to bring you ease and not to bring you hardship
As noted above, siyam/abstinence from unsettling thoughts along with the related study is prescribed to bring ease to the mind so that one can deal with these thoughts and thereby get mentally relieved.
and so that you may complete the count, and magnify God for what He has guided you, so that you may be grateful
This continues addressing to those male believers who participated in the related Quran study projects “for an assigned number of days”. These believers, with their completed assignments, glorify and thank God for the guidance they received throughout their study. So the whole topic is about receiving guidance from the Quran and not about fasting from food or drink.
And if My servants ask thee about Me – behold, I am near: I respond to the call of him whoever calls, whenever he calls unto Me. So let them respond to Me and acknowledge Me, so that they may be rightly guided.
This Quran study programme is not related to asceticism or self-denial in any way. The ritualists erroneously believe that enduring hardships and denying themselves the basic needs like food and water will bring them close to God. But God reassures that a difficult or austere path is not required for this, since any sincere seeker of guidance who turns to the divine messages will be responded adequately and will be guided in the right direction. Performing a mindless ritual prayer or fasting is not the right way for seeking God’s guidance, because God ultimately communicates with man through His messages (42:51). See reflection on 40:60 in Quran rejects atheism and anthropocentrism.
Permissible for you during the night of abstinence1 is to approach (r-f-th) your women. They are a garment (l-b-s) for you and you are a garment for them. God knows that you were deceiving yourselves …
Once again, the reassurance is that no austerity or self-denial is required. This allowed the participants to approach their spouses during the night of abstinence, something they previously refrained from. The expression “night of abstinence” (laylat al-siyam) clearly indicates that siyam/abstinence is during the night. In fact, the Quran never says “day of abstinence”, evidently because: Verily the time of the night impresses the mind most strongly and speaks with the clearest voice,/ Whereas there is for thee by day prolonged occupations. 73:6-7. It is interesting to note the words garments/adornment, masjid/compliance and ‘eat and drink’ in both 2:187 and 7:31.
And SEEK WHAT God has prescribed for you and CONSUME and ABSORB (its messages)1 until the white thread is clarified (b-y-n) from the black thread of dawn (through your study of FURQAN, the separator or dawn, which clarifies messages by separating light from darkness, as just mentioned in 2:185; cf. 97:5)
So the instruction is: SEEK WHAT God has prescribed for you as you CONSUME and ABSORB it, until the message is clarified through your study of the FURQAN (Splitter, or Criterion; cf. 2:185), which splits the darkness of ignorance from the Dawn’s light of knowledge (2:187). The Quran repeatedly defines the beginning of revelation as the Dawn (al-Fajr) that brings into the day the light of divine guidance (2:187, 89:1-2, 17:78, 25:32, 44:3, 73:2-5, 97:5; cf. Black and White in the Quran). Note the word ‘clarified’ and its root b-y-n, which occurs twice in 2:187 and occurs in 2:185 as a direct reference to the Quran. Evidently, in this particular context, consume means ponder and understand the messages; and absorb means imbibe and assimilate them.
WHILE (thumma)1 you complete (t-m-m) the abstinence FOR/throughout (ilā)1 the night.
So “you have completed your study FOR this particular night” of your “assigned number of days” as soon as the given texts of study have become clear to you (“the white thread is clarified from the black thread of Dawn/Furqan”). Here the word ‘WHILE’ (thumma) shows that contemplating over divine messages is simultaneous to the abstaining from unsettling thoughts, a process that continues as long as the night/darkness (lack of clarification) prevails.
It is thus that God clarifies (b-y-n) His messages to the people so that they remain aware.
It is through this study of FURQAN, or Dawn – which clarifies (b-y-n) messages (2:185) by clarifying (b-y-n) the light of knowledge from the darkness of ignorance (2:187) – that God clarifies (b-y-n) His messages/ayat to the people “so that they remain aware” (2:187”; cf. “so that you remain aware. 2:183”). So the purpose of this programme is purely cognitive and is not health-related or medical.
SO 2:183-187 IS ABOUT QURAN STUDY, NOT FASTING
This is how the Quran encourages the earlier Muslims to establish Quran study groups for making some concentrated effort to reflect on the words during a large portion of the night (73:20, 73:1-7, 2:183-187; cf. 47:24, 23:68, 3:79, 4:82), as further elaborated in the following verses:
Indeed, your Sustainer knows that you (singular, addressed to the messenger) rise a little less than two thirds of the night, and half of it, and one third of it, as well as a GROUP of those who are with you. God measures the night and the day. He knows that you (plural) will not be able to keep up, so He pardons you. So STUDY what is made easy of the Quran. He knows that in time some of you may be sick, and others have to travel seeking God’s bounty, and others who are fighting in the cause of God, so STUDY (plural) what you can of it. And establish the communication, and contribute towards betterment and loan God a goodly loan. Whatever you put forth yourselves, you will find it with God, for it is better and a greater reward. And seek God’s forgiveness, for God is Forgiving, Compassionate. 73:20
Please note above the words SICK and TRAVEL, which also occur in 2:184 and 2:185. We get further clarification about this night study in the following interrelated verses:
O you enwrapped one!/ Keep awake at night except for a little./ Half of it, or a little less than that./ Or a little more, and articulate the Quran thoughtfully and distinctly./ We shall certainly bestow upon you a saying which is heavy./ The time of the night is more effective and better for STUDY./ For you are hard pressed with a long schedule of occupations during the day. 73:1-7
This clearly indicates that the abstinence or the night study/meditation was meant “FOR the night” (2:187), not for the day, since the day is “full of many other duties” (73:7). In other words, night of abstinence is a night of meditation, which is the great time of revelation that presents “Peace till the break of dawn” (97:5, 44:3)”.
Isn’t laylat al-siyam, which completes at the clarification of fajr/dawn, same as lailat al-qadr that lasts till fajr/dawn?
For a more holistic and comparative reading, it is important that we go through all the verses related to abstinence (ṣwm, ṣ-w-m).
Related articles:
Siyam is not fasting, but self-control through Quran study
Quranic siyam vs ritual fasting
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Note 1
Please see notes in Siyam is not fasting, but self-control through Quran study: Shahru ramadan (the manifestation of inner burning), Note 1; Not “was sent down”, but “is being sent down”, Note 2; Night of abstinence (laylat al-siyam) is a night of meditation, Note 3; Eat and Drink (kuloo wa ashraboo) means “consume and absorb”, Note 4; Thumma/while, Note 5; Abstinence for/throughout (ilā) the night, Note 6.
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