The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page 292
CH. 2 R. 23. AL-BAQARAH PT. 2 ياَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ O ye who believe! fasting. 184 كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, SO that you may become righteous. 190 190. Important Words: (Fasting) is derived from meaning, he kept back or refrained from doing something; or he refrained from eating or drinking or talking or walking, etc. The Arabs say i. e. the wind became calm or صامت الريح motionless. to means, a horse from which food has been withheld, or a horse which is confined to its manger and not made to walk or race. Thus means: (1) keeping back or refraining from something; (2) refraining from eating and drinking, etc; and (3) formally refraining from eating, drinking, going in unto wives, etc. i. e. fasting from dawn till sunset as ordained by Islam. It is one who so refrains from food, etc. i. e. one who keeps a fast (Aqrab & Mufradāt). An interesting feature of the Arabic language is revealed when we notice that the word though derived from a different root, yet, owing to its having two root letters common with gives a somewhat similar meaning, for, whereas means, refraining from food, drink or speech, means: (1) refraining from speech; and (2) intensity of thirst, the latter state being the direct result of refraining from drink (Aqrab). Commentary: As the preceding verses contain a reference to patience in trials and 292 sacrifices as well as refraining from disputes and temptations, the Quran here fittingly turns to the subject of fasting, which is a most effective means of self-discipline. The command to fast, whatever its details, is to be found in most religions in one form or another. The early devotions and fasting of Buddha (see Lalitavistara & Buddhacharita), the fasting of Moses, prior to his receiving the Ten Commandments (Exod. 34:28; Deut. 9:9), the fasts of Jesus before his receiving the heavenly call (Matt. 4:2), all testify to the importance of this institution. In fact, fasting is a form of devotion and self-discipline which has a natural appeal to man. "By the greater number of religions," says the Encyclopaedia Britannica, "in the lower, middle and higher cultures alike, fasting is largely prescribed: and when it is not required, it is nevertheless practised to some extent by individuals in response to the promptings of nature. " The verse under comment, however, does not mean that fasting has been prescribed for the Muslims in the same form in which it was prescribed for the people of earlier faiths. Islam has greatly spiritualised this institution by attaching to it a number of highly useful regulations and restrictions.