As it was prescribed for those before you, for the prophets and nations from Adam until your time. Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: The first of them is Adam, meaning that fasting is an ancient, original act of worship. Allah did not exempt any nation from its obligation upon them. He did not impose it upon you alone so that you may attain piety by preserving it and honoring it for its originality and antiquity, or so that you may avoid sins, because the faster protects himself from wrongdoing. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'So upon him is fasting, for fasting is a shield.' Or perhaps you will be counted among the righteous, for fasting is their emblem. And it is said that its meaning is that it is like their fasting in the number of days, which is the month of Ramadan. It was prescribed for the people of the Gospel, and they experienced two deaths, so they added ten days before it and ten days after it. They made it fifty days. It is said that it occurred in extreme cold and extreme heat, making it difficult for them in their travels and livelihoods, so they placed it between winter and spring, adding twenty days as an expiation for changing its time. And it is said: The numbered days refer to Ashura and three days from every month. It was prescribed for the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, to fast them when he migrated. Then it was abrogated by the month of Ramadan. And it is said: It is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for them to avoid breaking the fast after they pray the night prayer and after they sleep, then this was abrogated by His saying: 'It is made lawful for you on the night of fasting...' The meaning of 'numbered' is that it is timed with a known number, or few, as in His saying: 'a few dirhams.' The origin is that a small amount of money is estimated by number and is restricted to it, while a large amount is heaped up and poured. The phrase 'days' is in the accusative case due to fasting, as you say: I intend to go out on Friday or on a journey, or I am riding for a journey, so it is a number. It can also be read in the accusative meaning: let him fast a number, and this is a concession. It is said: It is prescribed for them to break their fast and to fast a number of other days. There is a difference regarding the illness that permits breaking the fast. Some say: any illness, for Allah, the Exalted, did not specify one illness over another, just as He did not specify one journey over another. Just as every traveler is allowed to break the fast, so too is every sick person. Ibn Sirin reported that he entered upon him in Ramadan while he was eating, claiming to have a pain in his finger. Malik was asked about a man who suffers from severe eye pain or debilitating headache but is not bedridden, and he said: He is allowed to break the fast. Others say: It is the illness that makes fasting difficult and increases it, due to His saying: 'Allah intends for you ease.' And regarding the making up of missed fasts, the majority of scholars agree on the option. Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 'Indeed, Allah did not permit you to break your fast while He intends to make it difficult for you in making it up. If you wish, you can make them up consecutively, and if you wish, you can spread them out.' And Ali, Ibn Umar, Al-Sha'bi, and others said that it should be made up as it was missed consecutively. In the reading of Ubayy: 'So a number of other consecutive days.' If you say:

So how is it said (فَعِدَّةٌ) in the indefinite form and it was not said: فعدّتها, meaning the number of the counted days? I said: When it was said: فعدّة, and the عدّة means the counted, it was commanded to fast a number of counted days in place of it. It is known that the number does not affect its count, so this suffices for the definition by addition. And for those who are able to fast, and for those who are able to fast who have no excuse if they break their fast, there is a ransom: food for a needy person, half a صاع of wheat or a صاع of something else according to the people of Iraq, and according to the people of Hijaz, a مدّ. This was at the beginning of Islam: fasting was made obligatory upon them and they were not accustomed to it, so it became difficult for them. Thus, they were permitted to break their fast and pay the ransom. Ibn Abbas read: يطوّقونه, a form of تفعيل from الطوق, either meaning the capacity or the necklace, meaning they are made to bear it or they are adorned with it and told to fast. And from him: يتطوّقونه meaning they are made to bear it or they take it upon themselves. And they may say: يطوقونه with the تاء merged into the طاء. And they can say: يطيقونه and يطيقونه meaning they bear it, and their origin is يطيوقونه and يتطيوقونه, as they are from فيعل and تفعيل from الطوق, so the ياء was merged into the واو after it was changed into ياء, as they say: تدير المكان وما بها ديار. And there are two opinions in it: one is similar to the meaning of يطيقونه. The second is that they are made to bear it or they take it upon themselves with effort and difficulty, and they are the old men and the elderly women. The ruling for these is to break their fast and pay the ransom, and this ruling is established and not abrogated.

And it is permissible that this means يطيقونه, meaning they fast it with their effort and capacity and the extent of their ability. So whoever volunteers good and exceeds the amount of the ransom, it is better for him. Thus, volunteering is better for him or the good is better. And it was read: فمن يطوّع, meaning he volunteers. And that you fast, O those who are able or those who are adorned, and you have taken it upon yourselves and exerted your effort, is better for you than the ransom and the volunteering of good. And it may also include the sick and the traveler in the address.

And in the reading of أبي: والصيام خير لكم.