(It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast...) [2:187].
According to the report of al-Walibi, Ibn ‘Abbas said: “This is because after the nightfall (‘Isha’) prayer during Ramadan, the Muslims were forbidden to have food or sex until the following night. But some Muslims, among whom were ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, complained to Allah’s Messenger, Allah bless him and give him peace, about this. And so Allah, exalted is He, revealed this verse”.
Abu Bakr al-Asfahani informed us> Abu’l-Shaykh al-Hafiz> ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Razi> Sahl ibn ‘Uthman al-‘Askari> Yahya ibn Abi Za’idah> his father and others> Abu Ishaq> al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib who said: “After breaking their fast, the Muslims used to be allowed to eat, drink and have sexual intercourse for as long as they did not sleep. Once they went to sleep, they were forbidden to do all these things until the following day when they broke their fast. Qays ibn Sirma al-Ansari went to his wife at the time of breaking the fast. His wife went out to get something [to eat]. While he was waiting, he fell asleep [and therefore could not eat until the following night]. The following day he fainted in the middle of the day. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab also had sexual intercourse with his wife after he found her sleeping. He mentioned what had happened to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and the verse was (is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast…) was revealed, up to Allah’s saying (…of the dawn.). The Muslims were very happy with this”.
Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Hamid> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Shaybani> Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Daghuli> al-Za‘farani> Shababah> Isra’il> Abu Ishaq> al-Bara’ who said: “The Companions of Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, when one of them was fasting and was still sleeping at the advent of the time of breaking the fast, he was not allowed to eat that night or the following day until the advent of the time of breaking the fast of the following day. Qays ibn Sirma al-Ansari was fasting. When the time of breaking fast came, he went to his wife and asked her: ‘Do you have any food?’ She said: ‘No! But I will go and find something for you’. As he was working all day, he fell asleep. When his wife came back and saw that he had slept, she said: ‘What a disappointment!’ And so he had to carry on his fast. At midday on the following day, he fainted. He mentioned what had happened to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace. Then the verse (It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast…), and they were overjoyed”. Narrated by Bukhari from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn Musa from Isra’il.
Al-Hasan ibn Muhammad al-Farisi informed us> Muhammad ibn al-Fadl> Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Hafiz> Muhammad ibn Yahya> Hisham ibn ‘Ammar> Yahya ibn Hamzah> Ishaq ibn Abi Farwah> al-Zuhri> al-Qasim ibn Muhammad who said: “At the beginning of the prescription of fasting, one used to fast from the night to the following night. Once one went to sleep, one could not touch one’s wife or eat or sleep. That is until ‘Umar went to his wife and seeing that he wanted to sleep with her, she told him that she had slept. ‘Umar slept with her anyhow. Sirma ibn Anas also was fasting and slept before he broke his fast—that is because once they slept they could not eat or drink — and had, therefore to fast until the following day. Fasting was so hard on them that it nearly killed them, and so Allah, glorified and exalted is He, sent down this dispensation and revealed (and He hath turned in mercy toward you and relieved you…)”.
Sa‘id ibn Muhammad al-Zahid> his grandfather> Abu ‘Amr al-Hiri> Muhammad ibn Yahya> Ibn Abi Maryam> Abu Ghassan> Abu Hazim> Sahl ibn Sa‘d who said: “The verse (… and eat and drink until the white thread becometh distinct to you from the black thread…) but (of the dawn) was not revealed yet. As a result, when one of them wanted to fast, he tied one white thread and another black thread to his legs and ate and drank until he could distinguish between the two threads. Allah then revealed (… of the dawn), and understood from the verse that Allah meant by the black and white threads the night and day”. Narrated by Bukhari from the report of Ibn Abi Maryam, and also by Muslim from the report of Muhammad ibn Sahl from Ibn Abi Maryam.
Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi , trans. Mokrane Guezzou