Allamah in Tafsir of Al-Mizan while explaining this verse...

Allamah in Tafsir of Al-Mizan while explaining this verse, wrote: The first two verses are like a preparatory statement, with which a speaker tries to keep the audience calm and quiet, and this ensures that they do not become restless on hearing the tough commandment which he is to announce shortly. All the sentences in these two verses gently lead the hearer’s mind to the ordinance of the fast of Ramadan.

They mention such things as removing gloom and anxiety, cheering the soul, and imperceptibly assuaging the mood of unruliness and disobedience. They point to various concessions and indulgences which have been incorporated into the commandment. And all this is in addition to the goods of this world and the next which may be earned by following the law [3] . He also added: It is for this reason that the sentence “O you who believe!

Fasting has been prescribed for you” is followed by the phrase “as it was prescribed for those before you” hinting that you should not think it as a heavy burden nor should you feel gloomy, for it is not a new command for which you have been singled out; it was ordained for previous peoples also.

It further encourages them by pointing out: that by following this command you may get what you aim at by your faith — and that is piety (taqwa) which is the best thing for those who believe in Allah and the Day of Judgement — and you are believers. This is the import of the phrase “so that you may guard yourselves” (tattaqūn, from the same root as taqwa).

Moreover, this worthy action, which inspires the hope of piety in you (as it did in your predecessors), does not involve all your time, nor even most of it. It is only for a counted number of days [4] . Similarly, in the explanation of the verse by Ayatollah Faqih Imani in his Tafsir titled “An Enlightening Commentary into the Light of the Holy Qur’an” , he wrote: “… These current verses refer to another ordinance, i.e., fasting, which is one of the most serious acts of worship.

The Qur’an, with the same tone of emphasis that was applied to the previous verses, says: “O’ you who have Faith! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you…” .