[2:184] For days numbered; and if any of you be sick, or be on a journey, then a number of other days;
Whoever is present in the month fasts for God and whoever is present with the Creator of the month fasts through God. The fast for God leads to recompense, while the fast through God leads to nearness. The fast for God is the fulfillment of worship (taḥqīq al-ʿibāda) and the fast through God is the healing of spiritual desire (taṣḥīḥ al-irāda). The fast for God is an attribute of every worshiper (ʿābid) and the fast by means of God is the quality of every seeker (qāṣid). The fast for God is the practice of external things (qiyām al-ẓawāhir) and the fast by means of God is the practice of inner things (qiyām al-damāÌir). The fast for God is abstention according to legal explanations (ʿibārāt al-sharīʿa) and the fast by means of God is abstention through the allusions of reality (ishārāt al-ḥaqīqa).
Whoever is present in the month abstains from the things that break the fast, while whoever is present with the Real abstains at all times from witnessing created things.
Whoever fasts with his lower self is given to drink from the drink of Salsabīl and Zanjabīl. Whoever fasts in his heart is given to drink from the drink of that which causes love through the blessing of affirmation. Those who fast with their innermost selves are those about whom God has said, 'He will give them a pure drink to drink' [76:21]. What a drink! A drink that is not turned about in the hand but rather appears for one from kindness, a drink of becoming intimate, not the drink of a cup.
God Most High said, 'If any of you be sick, or be on a journey, then a number of other days', i.e., for anyone who breaks the fast for these reasons, there is a fast of a number of other days equaling those in which the fast was broken. The allusion is to one who is ailing in the health of his spiritual desire (irāda) and returns to other than Him, either through a permissive interpretation (rukhṣat taÌwīl) or because of a lack of strength or endurance, or a weakness in taking on the burdens of the decrees of reality. Then let his load be lightened until his resolve strengthens and his desire intensifies. At that time what was permitted to him in adopting [permissive] interpretation will be corrected in him. This is the sunna of God (s) in easing the way for novices. Their fulfillment of that will be obligatory at a later time.
[2:184 cont'd] and for those who are able to do it, a redemption: the feeding of a poor man. For him who volunteers good; that is good for him; but that you should fast is better for you, if you but knew.
The allusion in it is to those who have a remaining bit of power in themselves to dedicate to the demands of reality, but who nonetheless revert to lenience in the Sharīʿa and descend into permissive interpretation. The amends prescribed for them is what is necessary for the situation. It is the abandonment of whatever one has left in fixed wealth (maʿlūm māl) and mortal state (marsūm ḥāl) so that he remains stripped bare before the One.
It is said that since He knows that the imposition of obligation (taklīf) necessarily entails difficulty, He lightened that for you in your heart by showing the days of the fast to be few, for He said, 'for days numbered', i.e., the duration of this fast is but a few days, so hearing about it should not alarm you. This is like God Most High's saying, 'And struggle in the way of God, a struggle worthy of Him' [22:78], and then saying, 'and He has not laid upon you in your religion any hardship' [22:78], i.e., He does not burden you with too great a difficulty in performing a struggle worthy of Him.