Verse 2:189 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

185 شَهۡرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أُنزِلَ فِیهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ هُدࣰى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَیِّنَـٰتࣲ مِّنَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَٱلۡفُرۡقَانِۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهۡرَ فَلۡیَصُمۡهُۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِیضًا أَوۡ عَلَىٰ سَفَرࣲ فَعِدَّةࣱ مِّنۡ أَیَّامٍ أُخَرَۗ یُرِیدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلۡیُسۡرَ وَلَا یُرِیدُ بِكُمُ ٱلۡعُسۡرَ وَلِتُكۡمِلُوا۟ ٱلۡعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ۝١٨٥ shahru ramaḍāna alladhī unzila fīhi l-qur'ānu hudan lilnnāsi wabayyinātin mina l-hudā wal-fur'qāni faman shahida minkumu l-shahra falyaṣum'hu waman kāna marīḍan aw ʿalā safarin faʿiddatun min ayyāmin ukhara yurīdu l-lahu bikumu l-yus'ra walā yurīdu bikumu l-ʿus'ra walituk'milū l-ʿidata walitukabbirū l-laha ʿalā mā hadākum walaʿallakum tashkurūn It was in the month of Ramadan that the Quran was revealed as guidance for mankind, clear messages giving guidance and distinguishing between right and wrong. So any one of you who is present that month should fast, and anyone who is ill or on a journey should make up for the lost days by fasting on other days later. God wants ease for you, not hardship. He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Him for having guided you, so that you may be thankful 186 وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِی عَنِّی فَإِنِّی قَرِیبٌۖ أُجِیبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡیَسۡتَجِیبُوا۟ لِی وَلۡیُؤۡمِنُوا۟ بِی لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡشُدُونَ ۝١٨٦ wa-idhā sa-alaka ʿibādī ʿannī fa-innī qarībun ujību daʿwata l-dāʿi idhā daʿāni falyastajībū lī walyu'minū bī laʿallahum yarshudūn [Prophet], if My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I respond to those who call Me, so let them respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be guided 187 أُحِلَّ لَكُمۡ لَیۡلَةَ ٱلصِّیَامِ ٱلرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَاۤىِٕكُمۡۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسࣱ لَّكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ لِبَاسࣱ لَّهُنَّۗ عَلِمَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَخۡتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمۡ فَتَابَ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَعَفَا عَنكُمۡۖ فَٱلۡءَـٰنَ بَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَٱبۡتَغُوا۟ مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۚ وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشۡرَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ یَتَبَیَّنَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡخَیۡطُ ٱلۡأَبۡیَضُ مِنَ ٱلۡخَیۡطِ ٱلۡأَسۡوَدِ مِنَ ٱلۡفَجۡرِۖ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا۟ ٱلصِّیَامَ إِلَى ٱلَّیۡلِۚ وَلَا تُبَـٰشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمۡ عَـٰكِفُونَ فِی ٱلۡمَسَـٰجِدِۗ تِلۡكَ حُدُودُ ٱللَّهِ فَلَا تَقۡرَبُوهَاۗ كَذَ ٰلِكَ یُبَیِّنُ ٱللَّهُ ءَایَـٰتِهِۦ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَتَّقُونَ ۝١٨٧ 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 yattaqūn 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 188 وَلَا تَأۡكُلُوۤا۟ أَمۡوَ ٰلَكُم بَیۡنَكُم بِٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ وَتُدۡلُوا۟ بِهَاۤ إِلَى ٱلۡحُكَّامِ لِتَأۡكُلُوا۟ فَرِیقࣰا مِّنۡ أَمۡوَ ٰلِ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝١٨٨ walā takulū amwālakum baynakum bil-bāṭili watud'lū bihā ilā l-ḥukāmi litakulū farīqan min amwāli l-nāsi bil-ith'mi wa-antum taʿlamūn Do not consume your property wrongfully, nor use it to bribe judges, intending sinfully and knowingly to consume parts of other people’s property

189 ۞ یَسۡءَلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلۡأَهِلَّةِۖ قُلۡ هِیَ مَوَ ٰقِیتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَٱلۡحَجِّۗ وَلَیۡسَ ٱلۡبِرُّ بِأَن تَأۡتُوا۟ ٱلۡبُیُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلۡبِرَّ مَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰۗ وَأۡتُوا۟ ٱلۡبُیُوتَ مِنۡ أَبۡوَ ٰبِهَاۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ۝١٨٩ yasalūnaka ʿani l-ahilati qul hiya mawāqītu lilnnāsi wal-ḥaji walaysa l-biru bi-an tatū l-buyūta min ẓuhūrihā walākinna l-bira mani ittaqā watū l-buyūta min abwābihā wa-ittaqū l-laha laʿallakum tuf'liḥūn They ask you [Prophet] about crescent moons. Say, ‘They show the times appointed for people, and for the pilgrimage.’ Goodness does not consist of entering houses by the back [door]; the truly good person is the one who is mindful of God. So enter your houses by their [main] doors and be mindful of God so that you may prosper

190 وَقَـٰتِلُوا۟ فِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِینَ یُقَـٰتِلُونَكُمۡ وَلَا تَعۡتَدُوۤا۟ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِینَ ۝١٩٠ waqātilū fī sabīli l-lahi alladhīna yuqātilūnakum walā taʿtadū inna l-laha lā yuḥibbu l-muʿ'tadīn Fight in God’s cause against those who fight you, but do not overstep the limits: God does not love those who overstep the limits 191 وَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡ حَیۡثُ ثَقِفۡتُمُوهُمۡ وَأَخۡرِجُوهُم مِّنۡ حَیۡثُ أَخۡرَجُوكُمۡۚ وَٱلۡفِتۡنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ ٱلۡقَتۡلِۚ وَلَا تُقَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ عِندَ ٱلۡمَسۡجِدِ ٱلۡحَرَامِ حَتَّىٰ یُقَـٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِیهِۖ فَإِن قَـٰتَلُوكُمۡ فَٱقۡتُلُوهُمۡۗ كَذَ ٰلِكَ جَزَاۤءُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ ۝١٩١ wa-uq'tulūhum ḥaythu thaqif'tumūhum wa-akhrijūhum min ḥaythu akhrajūkum wal-fit'natu ashaddu mina l-qatli walā tuqātilūhum ʿinda l-masjidi l-ḥarāmi ḥattā yuqātilūkum fīhi fa-in qātalūkum fa-uq'tulūhum kadhālika jazāu l-kāfirīn Kill them wherever you encounter them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, for persecution is more serious than killing. Do not fight them at the Sacred Mosque unless they fight you there. If they do fight you, kill them- this is what such disbelievers deserve 192 فَإِنِ ٱنتَهَوۡا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝١٩٢ fa-ini intahaw fa-inna l-laha ghafūrun raḥīmu but if they stop, then God is most forgiving and merciful 193 وَقَـٰتِلُوهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ لَا تَكُونَ فِتۡنَةࣱ وَیَكُونَ ٱلدِّینُ لِلَّهِۖ فَإِنِ ٱنتَهَوۡا۟ فَلَا عُدۡوَ ٰنَ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝١٩٣ waqātilūhum ḥattā lā takūna fit'natun wayakūna l-dīnu lillahi fa-ini intahaw falā ʿud'wāna illā ʿalā l-ẓālimīn Fight them until there is no more persecution, and worship is devoted to God. If they cease hostilities, there can be no [further] hostility, except towards aggressors