The Beginning Of The Ordainment Of Fasting Sunan Abi Dawud 2313
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ شَبُّويَةَ، حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ النَّحْوِيِّ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ } فَكَانَ النَّاسُ عَلَى عَهْدِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَاصَلَّوُا الْعَتَمَةَ حَرُمَ عَلَيْهِمُ الطَّعَامُ وَالشَّرَابُ وَالنِّسَاءُ وَصَامُوا إِلَى الْقَابِلَةِ فَاخْتَانَ رَجُلٌ نَفْسَهُ فَجَامَعَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَقَدْ صَلَّى الْعِشَاءَ وَلَمْ يُفْطِرْ فَأَرَادَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ ذَلِكَ يُسْرًا لِمَنْ بَقِيَ وَرُخْصَةً وَمَنْفَعَةً فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ { عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنْتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ } . وَكَانَ هَذَا مِمَّا نَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهِ النَّاسَ وَرَخَّصَ لَهُمْ وَيَسَّرَ .
Translation
Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas
Regarding the verse:
«O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you», during the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), when people prayed the night prayer (al-atamah), food, drink, and women became forbidden to them, and they would fast until the following night. A man betrayed himself and had sexual intercourse with his wife after having prayed al-isha and without having broken his fast. Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, intended to make that a ease for those who remained, a concession, and a benefit, so He, glorified be He, said:
«Allah knows that you used to betray yourselves». And this was part of what Allah benefited the people with, granting them concessions and making things easy.