Surah Al-Baqarah, akin to a profound and boundless ocean, encompasses a cohesive collection of divine rulings, knowledge, and guidance. Verse 185 of this Surah, centred on fasting during the blessed month of Ramadan and emphasising divine ease and mercy, shines as a luminous beacon, directing mankind towards felicity and perfection. This verse not only delineates the injunctions concerning fasting but also, through the interweaving of rulings and wisdom, presents a comprehensive system of religion free from rigidity and discord. In this treatise, adopting a scholarly and epistemological approach, the exegesis of this verse and its relation to the principles and realities of religion are elucidated. The objective is to offer a perspective that introduces fasting not merely as a ritual act but as a bridge towards knowledge, unity, and divine guidance.
فَمَنْ شَهِدَ مِنْکُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْیَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَنْ کَانَ مَرِیضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَیَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ یُرِیدُ اللَّهُ بِکُمُ الْیُسْرَ وَلَا یُرِیدُ بِکُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُکْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُکَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاکُمْ وَلَعَلَّکُمْ تَشْکُرُونَ
Whoever among you witnesses the month [of Ramadan] shall fast it, and whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days. Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you, and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful.
Verse 185 of Surah Al-Baqarah, within the context of fasting injunctions, explicates religious principles and wisdom. This verse, by integrating practical rulings (fasting, completion of the prescribed days) with spiritual insights (ease, glorification, gratitude), offers a comprehensive religious system. The opening segment of the verse asserts the legal ruling on fasting during Ramadan; however, its subsequent references to divine ease, completion, glorification, and gratitude highlight the profound epistemological dimension of this devotional act. This structure prevents reducing religion to dry and lifeless rulings, presenting fasting as a bridge toward perfection and divine guidance.
The term Ramadan appears only once in the Noble Quran, in this verse, which emphasises the exceptional importance of this month as the occasion for the revelation of the Quran and fasting. Unlike other months not specifically mentioned by name (such as Shabn or afar), Ramadan is highlighted as a distinguished time for worship and knowledge. This characteristic elevates Ramadan as the focal point for the manifestation of divine guidance.
Verse 185 of Surah Al-Baqarah, by presenting the rulings of fasting within a framework of divine knowledge and principles, refrains from rigidity in the understanding of religion. This verse introduces fasting not merely as an act of worship but as an epistemological journey towards ease, glorification, and gratitude. The singular mention of Ramadan in the Quran underscores its unparalleled status as a vessel of guidance and devotion.
One of the most prominent messages of verse 185 is the emphasis on divine ease: Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship for you. This expression portrays the spirit of religion as a means to facilitate human ease and felicity. Religion, like a clear and pure stream, is meant to smooth the path of life, not a quagmire that engulfs humanity. Fasting, as a pivotal commandment of Islam, within this context is a simple and accessible practice that leads to physical and spiritual health.
Rigidity in the comprehension of rulings, which has led to the separation of religious ordinances from their spiritual and epistemic content, has historically been a major affliction of the Islamic community. This approach, which divorces rulings from their deeper wisdom, has caused division and the emergence of multiple sects. Verse 185, by blending rulings and knowledge, avoids such division and presents religion as a unified and comprehensive system. Rigidity, like a sharp blade, has fragmented the body of religion and caused schism among the community.
Continued rigidity in the understanding of religion, especially in the present era, exacerbates the problems faced by the Islamic community manifold. This approach deprives religion of a fluid and attractive presentation, thereby hindering the engagement of the younger generations with divine knowledge. Verse 185, with its emphasis on ease, advocates a religion aligned with contemporary needs while rooted firmly in divine principles.
Divine ease, as the governing spirit of religion, renders fasting a simple and felicitous practice. The critique of rigidity, which leads to division and fragmentation, reveals the necessity of returning to the comprehensiveness of religion. Verse 185, by presenting fasting within a framework of ease and knowledge, offers a pathway towards unity and perfection.
In the past, due to the vastness of religious knowledge, books were categorised into principles, branches, rulings, and logic to facilitate understanding. This classification, when confined to books, was commendable; however, gradually it resulted in the separation of specialisations and people. Jurists, philosophers, and mystics each confined themselves to segments of religion, neglecting other dimensions. This fragmentation, like a tree whose branches are detached from the trunk, weakened the structure of religious knowledge.
Jurists who disregarded wisdom and philosophers deprived of jurisprudence alike failed to grasp the comprehensiveness of religion. Religion, like a seamless fabric, requires the interweaving of jurisprudence, philosophy, and mysticism. Verse 185, by presenting fasting as a comprehensive practice, underscores the necessity of this interconnection. Fasting is not only a legal ruling but an epistemological journey guiding jurists, philosophers, and mystics towards a unified understanding of religion.
The multiplicity of specialisations in religious sciences, without coordination and comprehensiveness, has weakened the epistemic system of religion. Religious science requires the participation of all specialisations, including jurisprudence, philosophy, mysticism, sociology, and psychology. Verse 185, by presenting fasting amidst knowledge, calls for this participation and cautions against one-dimensionality.
The division of books and specialisations, if it leads to the separation of individuals and epistemic fragmentation, harms religious sciences. Verse 185, by presenting fasting as a comprehensive act, calls for the unity of specialisations and the interweaving of jurisprudence, philosophy, and mysticism. This comprehensiveness is the key to the revival of religious sciences and the elimination of division.
Verse 185, with the phrase Whoever among you witnesses the month shall fast it, refers to moon-sighting as the basis for fasting and breaking the fast. Islamic tradition, exemplified in the hadith Fast on the sighting and break fast on the sighting, promotes a simple and popular culture. This culture avoids unnecessary complexities and makes fasting a communal practice.
Disputes in moon-sighting, sometimes arising due to political or non-religious reasons, damage the unity of the community. Verse 185, by emphasising a collective testimony (of several witnesses), avoids such disputes. Moon-sighting, like testimonies in natural phenomena such as earthquakes or eclipses, does not require universal confirmation; testimony of a few individuals suffices for the whole society.
The determination of the beginning and end of Ramadan is within the jurisdiction of a unified leadership in the Islamic society. Multiplicity in this matter, akin to having several village chiefs in one settlement, leads to chaos and division. Verse 185, by emphasising simplicity in moon-sighting, calls for unity and avoids unnecessary complications.
The culture of moon-sighting in fasting invites simplicity and unity in the implementation of rulings. Verse 185, by stressing collective testimony and avoiding non-religious disputes, renders fasting a unifying and popular act
