Surah Al-Baqarah (البقرة) • The Cow

Quran 2:187

2:187

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ ٱلصِّيَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَآئِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَٱلْـَٔـٰنَ بَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبْتَغُوا۟ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۚ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلْخَيْطُ ٱلْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْطِ ٱلْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ ٱلْفَجْرِ ۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّيَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّيْلِ ۚ وَلَا تُبَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَـٰكِفُونَ فِى ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

uḥilla lakum laylata l-ṣiyāmi l-rafathu ilā nisāikum hunna libāsun lakum wa-antum libāsun lahunna ʿalima l-lahu annakum kuntum takhtānūna anfusakum fatāba ʿalaykum waʿafā ʿankum fal-āna bāshirūhunna wa-ib'taghū mā kataba l-lahu lakum wakulū wa-ish'rabū ḥattā yatabayyana lakumu l-khayṭu l-abyaḍu mina l-khayṭi l-aswadi mina l-fajri thumma atimmū l-ṣiyāma ilā al-layli walā tubāshirūhunna wa-antum ʿākifūna fī l-masājidi til'ka ḥudūdu l-lahi falā taqrabūhā kadhālika yubayyinu l-lahu āyātihi lilnnāsi laʿallahum yattaqūna

It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations]. They are a clothing for you and you are a clothing for them. Allāh knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He accepted your repentance and forgave you. So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allāh has decreed for you [i.e., offspring]. And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]. Then complete the fast until the night [i.e., sunset]. And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques. These are the limits [set by] Allāh, so do not approach them. Thus does Allāh make clear His verses [i.e., ordinances] to the people that they may become righteous.

— Saheeh International

You [believers] are permitted to lie with your wives during the night of the fast: they are [close] as garments to you, as you are to them. God was aware that you were betraying yourselves, so He turned to you in mercy and pardoned you: now you can lie with them- seek what God has ordained for you- eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black. Then fast until nightfall. Do not lie with them during the nights of your devotional retreat in the mosques: these are the bounds set by God, so do not go near them. In this way God makes His messages clear to people, that they may guard themselves against doing wrong.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

It is made lawful for you to have sexual relations with your wives on the night of As-Saum (the fasts). They are Libâs [i.e. body cover, or screen, or Sakan, (i.e. you enjoy the pleasure of living with them - as in Verse 7:189) Tafsir At-Tabarî ], for you and you are the same for them. Allâh knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He turned to you (accepted your repentance) and forgave you. So now have sexual relations with them and seek that which Allâh has ordained for you (offspring), and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your Saum (fast) till the nightfall. And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikâf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques. These are the limits (set) by Allâh, so approach them not. Thus does Allâh make clear His Ayât (proofs, evidence, lessons, signs, revelations, verses, laws, legal and illegal things, Allâh’s set limits, orders) to mankind that they may become Al-Muttaqûn (the pious - See V.2:2).

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 2Page 29medinan

Word by Word

أُحِلَّuḥillaPermitted
لَكُمْlakumfor you
لَيْلَةَlaylata(in the) nights
ٱلصِّيَامِl-ṣiyāmi(of) fasting
ٱلرَّفَثُl-rafathu(is) the approach
إِلَىٰilāto
نِسَآئِكُمْۚnisāikumyour wives
هُنَّhunnaThey
لِبَاسٌۭlibāsun(are) garments
لَّكُمْlakumfor you
وَأَنتُمْwa-antumand you
لِبَاسٌۭlibāsun(are) garments
لَّهُنَّۗlahunnafor them
عَلِمَʿalimaKnows
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
أَنَّكُمْannakumthat you
كُنتُمْkuntumused to
تَخْتَانُونَtakhtānūnadeceive
أَنفُسَكُمْanfusakumyourselves
فَتَابَfatābaso He turned
عَلَيْكُمْʿalaykumtowards you
وَعَفَاwaʿafāand He forgave
عَنكُمْۖʿankum[on] you
فَٱلْـَٔـٰنَfal-ānaSo now
بَـٰشِرُوهُنَّbāshirūhunnahave relations with them
وَٱبْتَغُوا۟wa-ib'taghūand seek
مَاmāwhat
كَتَبَkatabahas ordained
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
لَكُمْۚlakumfor you
وَكُلُوا۟wakulūAnd eat
وَٱشْرَبُوا۟wa-ish'rabūand drink
حَتَّىٰḥattāuntil
يَتَبَيَّنَyatabayyanabecomes distinct
لَكُمُlakumuto you
ٱلْخَيْطُl-khayṭuthe thread
ٱلْأَبْيَضُl-abyaḍu[the] white
مِنَminafrom
ٱلْخَيْطِl-khayṭithe thread
ٱلْأَسْوَدِl-aswadi[the] black
مِنَminaof
ٱلْفَجْرِۖl-fajri[the] dawn
ثُمَّthummaThen
أَتِمُّوا۟atimmūcomplete
ٱلصِّيَامَl-ṣiyāmathe fast
إِلَىilātill
ٱلَّيْلِۚal-laylithe night
وَلَاwalāAnd (do) not
تُبَـٰشِرُوهُنَّtubāshirūhunnahave relations with them
وَأَنتُمْwa-antumwhile you
عَـٰكِفُونَʿākifūna(are) secluded
فِىfīin
ٱلْمَسَـٰجِدِۗl-masājidithe masajid
تِلْكَtil'kaThese
حُدُودُḥudūdu(are the) limits
ٱللَّهِl-lahi(set by) Allah
فَلَاfalāso (do) not
تَقْرَبُوهَاۗtaqrabūhāapproach them
كَذَٰلِكَkadhālikaThus
يُبَيِّنُyubayyinumakes clear
ٱللَّهُl-lahuAllah
ءَايَـٰتِهِۦāyātihiHis verses
لِلنَّاسِlilnnāsifor [the] people
لَعَلَّهُمْlaʿallahumso that they may
يَتَّقُونَyattaqūna(become) righteous