Sura-2 [Al-Baqara medina 87]

The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَى نِسَآئِكُمْ...

2:187. Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives.

... هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ...

They are your garments. And ye are their garments.

C195. Men and women are each other's garments: i.e., they are for mutual support, mutual comfort, and mutual protection, fitting into each other as a garment fits the body.

A garment also is both for show and concealment.

The question of sex is always delicate to handle: here we are told that even in such matters a clear, open, and honest course is better than fraud or self-deception. The sex instinct is classed with eating and drinking, an animal thing to be restrained, but not to be ashamed of. The three things are prohibited during the fast by day, but permitted after the fast is broken at night till the next fast commences.

... عَلِمَ اللّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ...

Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you;

... فَالآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُواْ مَا كَتَبَ اللّهُ لَكُمْ...

so now associate with them, and seek what Allah hath ordained for you,

C196. There is difference of opinion as to the exact meaning of this. I would connect this as a parallel clause with the clause "eat and drink", which follows, all three being governed by "until the white thread", etc.

That is, all three things must stop when the fast begins again in the early morning.

Or it may mean: What is permitted is well enough, but seek the higher things ordained for you.