So, there is no overlapping between the verse which impose fasting as an obligatory and the verse that states the rulings of fasting, whereby the verse of supplication separated between them, since, in fact, supplication is part of the fast and it is one of the most important acts of worship.
( أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ…) (It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations].…): As long as you hear the word “It has been made permissible”, then you realize that this act was unlawful before.
(… الرَّفَثُ .. ) (..for sexual relations..): It refers to sexual intercourse. In fact, before the revelation of this verse, sexual intercourse was not permissible during the entire month of Ramadan, so Allah (swt) says:
( أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ…) (It has been made permissible for you the night preceding fasting to go to your wives [for sexual relations].…): Because some of them have forbidden themselves during the night of fasting to have sexual relations with their wives. The night of fasting is from sunset to dawn.
( أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ…) (It has been made permissible for you.…): Meaning, what is relating to the intercourse and its introductions is permissible on the night of fasting, Allah (swt) says:
{وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ }
(And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.) (Ar-Room: 21)
Look at the accuracy of the verses! the human beings’ problem is that they do not think with superior intelligence of the perfection of the words of Allah (swt), while doing so, there would be no problem in our life, when He (swt) says: (It has been made permissible for you). What does come to the human mind? His thinking may go to the lust of sex. That is because it was forbidden during fast as the case with food and drink. So as he was allowed to eat and drink at night, he was allowed of this lust. However, the revelation directly gave the woman a right, which the laws of all the world could not and would not give it to her by saying: (They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them.)
How great is this expression of equality in getting the rights for women, which can never come in one sentences in any other place. All the laws and all the regulations can never come up with a sentence like this.
(… هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ .. ) (..They are clothing for you..): The clothing is the cover that is close to the body. Hence, the husband is as a cover for the wife, same as the wife is a cover for her man. The woman and the man have the same role. This is a reciprocal and equal relationship. This is the value of women. Therefore, women are not tools for pleasure as ignorant people may think. Look at the greatest of the verses of the Holy Qur’an that show the relationship between the married couples, and give women their full rights:
{ وَأَخَذْنَ مِنكُم مِّيثَاقًا غَلِيظًا }
(and they have taken from you a solemn covenant?) (An-Nissaa: 21)
(It is the marriage contract). Some of those who attack the Islamic laws, criticizes the divorce in Islam. However, Islam allowed divorce for reasons and necessities. Divorce is not practiced according to the whims and desires of the man. As such, the Prophet (saws) said:
“Of all the lawful acts the most detestable to Allah is divorce.”[1]
(… هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ .. ) (..They are clothing for you..): So that, that the relation between the couples is not just a sexual relationship.
(… عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ .. ) (..Allah knows that you used to deceive yourselves,..): That is to mean, that you used to betray yourselves and were embarrassed of the sexual intercourse in the nights of Ramadan.
(… فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ .. ) (..so He accepted your repentance..): Allah (swt) opens the door of repentance to the servant until he repents.
(… وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ .. ) (..and forgave you..): for what you have done, and here are the standards of good. ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet (saws):
”O Messenger of Allah, If I realize the night of Qadr (Night of Power), what should I supplicate in it?” He (saws) replied:
(Say, O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me).”[2]
Consider when Allah (swt) pardon you, what beautiful life will be yours, and what a happiness you will have in the Hereafter.
(… وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ .. ) (..and seek that which Allah has decreed for you..): Allah (swt) wants the sexual relation between the husband and wife to be protected through marriage, this guarantees the reproduction to be in a proper family setting, taking into consideration not to turn this relation to just an act of enjoying, so that not to be a slave to it.
(… وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ .. ) (..And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread [of night]…): One of the Companions felt embarrassed when he slept before breaking his fast and woke up before dawn. He thought that when he slept, he should not eat or drink again. Thereby, the ruling came that it is allowed to eat and drink until the white thread; the dawn light, appear. There is a false dawn and a true dawn.
In the time of the Prophet (saws) there were two callings for prayer (Athans); one is making the call of the night prayer, and the other is for the dawn prayer. So, Muslim can eat and drink until dawn. This is the rule.
(… ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ .. ) (..Then complete the fast until the sunset…): That is, to the sunset prayer.
(… وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ .. ) (..And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques…): This ruling relates to mosque retreat (I’tikaaf). It is well known that the spiritual retreat in the last ten days of Ramadan is a Sunnah of the Prophet (saws). This explains that men must not think that as long as they are allowed to have sexual relations with women on the night of Ramadan, so can have it during the mosque retreat. Why? Because whoever enters the mosque to practice the mosque retreat (I’tikaf) so everything relate to the worldly matters should be kept outside the mosque.
The Companions of our Prophet (saws) used to say: ‘We take off all worldly matters and life’s troubles from our minds and leave them at the door of the mosque just as we do with our shoes.’ Mosques are places for worship, so you must not occupy yourself with anything outside of worship. As long as you are in the situation of (i’tikaaf) in the mosque, it is not permissible to do anything other than worship.
(… تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا .. ) (..These are the limits [set by] Allah, so do not approach them…): When there is a prohibition, then this limit is stated by Allah (swt), so that do not approach it for the sake not to fall into. As said by the Prophet (saws):
” Sins are Allah’s Hima (i.e. private pasture) and whoever pastures (his sheep) near it, is likely to get in it at any moment.”[3]
These limits should not be approached. Allah (swt) says:
{وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا }
(And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way.) (Al-Issraa: 32)
The advice of not to come near means to avoid, it is, even, more severe than the prohibition. That mean stay away from the limits, away from suspicion, likewise, do not sit in a place where alcohol is served, so that you are not exposed to suspicion.
( كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ…) (Thus does Allah make clear His ordinances to the people that they may become righteous.…): (Ayah) in Arabic refers to something marvelous:
{ فَأْتِ بِآيَةٍ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِين }
(You are but a man like ourselves, so bring a sign, if you should be of the truthful.) (Ash-Shu’ara:154)
{تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ }
(These are the verses of the clear Book.) (Ash-Sh’ara: 2)
Those are the miracles of the clear Book; each verse is a miracle.
(… يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ .. ) (..Allah make clear His ordinances…): Here the same Arabic word (Ayah) refers to the rulings which were revealed, which are all miracles, in every word there is a miracle.
The verses about fasting begins with:
{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ }
(O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.) (Al-Baqara: 183)
Hence, the purpose of fasting is to approach the great goal of piety. Piety is the highest degree of faith. Allah (swt) says:
إِنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ * آخِذِينَ مَا آتَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَبْلَ ذَٰلِكَ مُحْسِنِينَ * كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِّنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ * وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ * وَفِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ لِّلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ
(Indeed, the righteous will be among gardens and springs, % Accepting what their Lord has given them. Indeed, they were before that doers of good. % They used to sleep but little of the night, % And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness, % And from their properties was [given] the right of the [needy] petitioner and the deprived..) (Al-Hajj:39-40)
Allah (swt) does not say, Indeed, the believers, rather he says, Indeed, the righteous. He (swt) describes them as “doers of good”. Doing good (Ihsaan) is doing more than what Allah (swt) ordered you to do, this is how you become a pious. When Allah (swt) decreed a worship like fasting upon you, the purpose is not to make you suffer of hardships by preventing yourself from eating and drinking, rather, Allah (swt) wants the raise you to reach the target, which is the piety. So the verses of fasting began by Allah (swt) says: “that you may become righteous” and the rulings of fasting ended by saying: “that you may become righteous”.
[1] Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Divorce, Hadith No. 2178.
[2] Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book of Supplications (Duaa), Hadith No.3513.
[3] Sahih Al-Bukhari, Book of Sales and Trades, Chapter: Legal and Illegal Things are Obvious and in Between them are Doubtful matters, hadith No. 1946.