[Al-Baqarah: 187] "It has been made permissible for you, on the night of fasting..."
Context: A man, upon reaching evening, was permitted to eat, drink, and have intercourse until he prayed the Isha prayer or slept. If he did either, food, drink, and women became forbidden to him until the following night. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) had intercourse with his wife after Isha, then wept and blamed himself. He went to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I apologize to Allah and to you for this sinful self of mine," and informed him of what he had done. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "You were not worthy of that, O Umar." Then, other men stood up and confessed to having done the same after Isha, and this verse was revealed.
"It has been made permissible for you on the night of fasting, al-rafath (intercourse)..."
Al-rafath is the explicit mention of what should be alluded to, like the word al-nayk. A man is said to have arfatha (spoken obscenely). Ibn Abbas, when asked about a poem he recited while in ihram containing the word nak, replied, "The rafath is only what occurs with women." Allah says: "There is no rafath nor fusuq (sin) [in Hajj]." It is used as a metonym for intercourse because it is rarely free from such talk.
If you ask: Why use the term al-rafath here, which implies ugliness, unlike other terms like ifda' (intimacy), taghashaha (covering), mubashara (direct contact), lams (touching), dukhul (entering), athw (coming to), or istimta' (enjoyment)?
I say: It is to express disapproval of what they were doing before it was permitted, just as He called it "betraying yourselves."
"They are a garment for you..."
This is an isti'naf (a new beginning) explaining the reason for the permission: since there is such intimacy and closeness between you and them, your patience for them is thin and avoiding them is difficult, so you have been granted a concession.
"...betraying yourselves..."
Meaning: you wrong yourselves and diminish your share of goodness. Ikhtiyan (betrayal) is from khiyana (treachery), similar to iktisab (earning) from kasb (gain), implying intensity.
"...so He accepted your repentance..."
When you repented from what you committed of the forbidden.
"...and seek what Allah has ordained for you..."
Seek what Allah has decreed and written in the Preserved Tablet regarding offspring through intercourse. Do not engage in it merely for the sake of satisfying desire, but for the procreation for which Allah established marriage. It is also said to be a prohibition against 'azl (coitus interruptus), or a command to seek the lawful place Allah has permitted, rather than the forbidden.
"The white thread..."
This is the first appearance of the horizontal dawn on the horizon, like an extended thread.
"...and the black thread..."
This is the darkness of the night that extends with it. It is a simile. The mention of "from the dawn" clarifies the "white thread," and it suffices for the "black thread" as well, as clarifying one clarifies the other.
If you ask: Is this a metaphor or a simile?
I say: The addition of "from the dawn" removes it from the category of metaphor (like saying "I saw a lion"). If you add "from so-and-so," it becomes a simile.
If you ask: Why add "from the dawn" and make it a simile, when a metaphor is more eloquent?
I say: A metaphor requires the context to indicate the meaning even if the term is not mentioned. If "from the dawn" were not mentioned, one would not know the threads were metaphorical. Thus, it was added, making it an eloquent simile.
Regarding the confusion of 'Adi ibn Hatim: He placed two threads under his pillow, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) laughed and said, "Your pillow is indeed wide," meaning the whiteness of the day and the blackness of the night. The Prophet pointed to his own nape to indicate the man's lack of intelligence.
Regarding the narration of Sahl ibn Sa'd: That the verse was revealed without "from the dawn," and men would tie threads to their legs until the phrase was revealed later. Those who do not permit the delay of clarification (the majority of jurists) consider this report invalid. Those who permit it argue it is not futile, as the listener benefits by knowing the obligation and preparing to act once the meaning is clarified.
"...then complete the fast until the night."
This is evidence for the permissibility of the intention for Ramadan fasting during the day, the delay of ghusl until dawn, and the prohibition of wisal (continuous) fasting.
"...while you are akifun (retreating) in the mosques."
I'tikaf is to confine oneself in the mosque for worship. Mubashara here means intercourse. It is evidence that i'tikaf is only valid in a mosque, though there is disagreement on whether it must be a congregational mosque or any mosque.
"These are the limits of Allah, so do not approach them."
If you ask: Why say "do not approach them" when elsewhere it says "do not transgress them"?
I say: One who obeys Allah is within the realm of Truth. He is forbidden from transgressing it, as that leads to the realm of Falsehood. He is further forbidden from even approaching the boundary (the barrier between Truth and Falsehood) so that he does not come near the Falsehood, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Every king has a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah is His prohibitions. Whoever grazes around the sanctuary is likely to fall into it." Grazing around the sanctuary and approaching its boundary are the same.
