Obligatory Fast During Ramadan

God Commands Muslims To Fast During The Month Of Ramadan

In The Al Quran, Chapter/Surah Al Baqarah (The Cow) (Surah 2)
God (Allah) has Commanded as follows:

Verses 183 and 184, “O Believers, the Fast has been made obligatory on you just as it was prescribed for the followers of the Prophets before you. It is expected that this will produce piety in you. The Fast is to be observed for a fixed number of days. If, however, anyone of you be sick or on a journey, he should fast the same number of other days. As for those who can fast (but do not), the expiation of this shall be the feeding of one needy person for one fast day, and whoso does more than this with a willing heart does it for his own good. But if you understand the thing, it is better for you to observe the Fast”.

Verse 185, “Ramadan is the month in which the holy Qur'an was sent down : this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of clear teachings which show the right way and are a criterion of Truth and falsehood. Therefore from now on whoever witnesses it, it is obligatory on hire to fast the whole month, but if one be ill or on a journey, he should make up for the same number by fasting on other days. Allah desires to show leniency to you and does not desire to show any hardship. "therefore this method is being shown to you so that you may complete the number of Fast days and glorify Allah for the Guidance He has shown to you and be grateful to Him”.

Verse 186, “And if My servants ask you, O Prophet. concerning Me, tell them that I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant, when he calls to Me. So let them respond to My call and believe in Me. Convey this to them, O Prophet; so that they may be guided aright”.

Verse 187, “It has been made lawful for you to go to your wives during the nights of the fast days. They are as a garment to you and you are as a garment to them. Though Allah knew that you were secretly dishonest to yourselves***, He has pardoned your guilt and forgiven you. NOW you are permitted to have intercourse with your wives and enjoy what Allah has made lawful for you. You are also pemitted to eat and drink during the nights of the Fast months until you can discern the white streak of dawn from the blackness of night. Then (abstain from all these things and) complete your fast till nightfall. But you should not have intercourse with your wives while you confine yourselves to mosques. These are the bounds set by Allah; so do not go near them. In this way Allah makes His Commands clear to mankind. It is expected that they will guard themselves against wrong ways (evils)”.

*** Until this verse 187 was revealed, the Muslims use to fast completely from the evening meal of one day till the evening meal of the next day, and if they fell asleep before they had taken their meal they had considered it their duty to abstain from it, with the result than men fainted and came near death. Intercourse with their wives had been similarly restricted.