يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ 183
Translations
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous -
Transliteration
Ya ayyuha alladhina amanu kutiba alaykumu as-siyamu kama kutiba ala alladhina min qablikum laaallakum tattaqun
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes fasting (sawm) as an obligatory act of worship for the Muslim community, just as it was prescribed for the nations before them. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, the phrase 'laaallakum tattaqun' (perhaps you will attain taqwa) indicates that fasting is a means to develop God-consciousness and piety, refining the soul and strengthening one's connection to Allah. Al-Qurtubi emphasizes that the prescription of fasting upon Muslims mirrors the divine wisdom in previous scriptures, demonstrating the continuity of this important practice across all divinely-guided religions.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in Medina during the second year of Hijrah and marks the institution of fasting in Ramadan as obligatory for Muslims. It appears within the section of Surah Al-Baqarah that addresses the major pillars of Islamic practice (prayer, charity, and fasting), establishing the legislative framework for the Muslim community's spiritual disciplines.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: 'Fasting is a shield' (Sahih Bukhari 1904), emphasizing its protective spiritual role. Additionally, in Muslim 1151, the Prophet stated that fasting is 'for Me [Allah] and I will give the reward for it,' highlighting the intimate relationship between the faster and their Lord.
Themes
Key Lesson
Fasting in Ramadan is not merely physical abstinence but a comprehensive training mechanism for spiritual elevation and moral development. By acknowledging that all believers before us were similarly commanded to fast, we recognize our place in a continuous spiritual tradition and find motivation in the shared human struggle toward piety across generations.
Related Ayahs
وَلِلْمُطَلَّقَـٰتِ مَتَـٰعٌۢ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ
And for divorced women is a provision according to what is acceptable - a duty upon the righteous.
وَقَالُوا۟ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌۢ ۚ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلًا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
And they said, "Our hearts are wrapped." But, [in fact], Allāh has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is it that they believe.
وَٱتَّقُوا۟ يَوْمًا تُرْجَعُونَ فِيهِ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ ثُمَّ تُوَفَّىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
And fear a Day when you will be returned to Allāh. Then every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be wronged [i.e., treated unjustly].
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمُ ٱلْعَذَابُ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
Those are the ones who have bought the life of this world [in exchange] for the Hereafter, so the punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be aided.