Question
Mr. Ghamidi interprets “Ayyamam Ma’doodaat” to mean the complete fasting days of Ramadan. However, an Arabic speaker suggested that “Ayyamam Ma’doodaat” typically refers to a plural quantity of less than ten, as it does in the context of Hajj. Given this, how can it refer to the thirty days of Ramadan?
Answer
The context of the term “Ayyamam Ma’doodaat” in the Qur’an (2:184) clearly indicates that it pertains to the days of Ramadan. While the term literally means “a few days” or “a certain number of days,” its application varies depending on the context. For instance, when compared to a thousand days, thirty days can indeed be considered a few. Arabic linguistic norms do not strictly limit this expression to periods of less than ten days.
The internal use of the term ‘Ma’dood’ within the Qur’an further clarifies that it does not necessarily imply fewer than ten. For example, in the narrative where Joseph’s (Yusuf) brothers sold him, the Qur’an states:
وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍ بَخْسٍ دَرَاهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍ وَكَانُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الزَّاهِدِينَ
The (brothers) sold him for a miserable price, for a few dirhams counted out: in such low estimation did they hold him! (12:20)
According to Biblical accounts, Joseph was sold for twenty shekels of silver (Genesis 37:28), which exceeds ten.
Additionally, the Qur’an mentions the Jewish people boasting about their brief stay in hellfire:
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لَن تَمَسَّنَا النَّارُ إِلَّا أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَاتٍ
“They declare: “We shall endure the Fire for a few days only” (3:24)
Many Jews believed this duration to be as long as twelve months (Mishna Eduyot 2:10).
In the context of Surah Baqarah, the expression “Ayyamam Ma’doodaat” is employed not to specify the number of days but to encourage believers by suggesting that the twenty-nine or thirty days of Ramadan are manageable and will pass swiftly.
Furthermore, the Qur’an in Surah Baqarah (2:184) states:
“The fast has been made obligatory upon you as it was made upon those before you…”
This reference pertains exclusively to the fast of Ramadan, which is obligatory for Muslims. Therefore, “Ayyamam Ma’doodaat” in this context unequivocally refers to the fasting days of Ramadan.
Hope this helps.
Answered by: Mushafiq Sultan
Date: 2018-04-10
