Before the revelation concerning fasting came down, people would eat and drink, and it was lawful for them to approach their wives. But once one of them had slept, he could no longer eat or drink or go to his wife until he broke his fast the following evening.We were told that Umar bin Khattab, after he had slept and the fast had become binding upon him, went in to his wife. Then he came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "I complain to Allah and to you of what I have done."The Prophet asked, "What have you done?"He replied, "My soul tempted me, and I went in to my wife after I had slept, though I intended to fast."They say the Prophet ﷺ then said, "You were not one to be expected to do such a thing."Then the revelation came down, "It has been made lawful for you, on the night of the fast, to go to your wives" [Baqarah 2:187].
إن الناس كانوا قبل أن ينزل في الصوم ما نزل يأكلون ويشربون، ويحل لهم إتيان النساء، فإذا نام أحدهم لم يطعم، ولم يشرب، ولا يأتي أهله حتى يفطر من القابلة، فبلغنا أن عمر بن الخطاب بعد ما نام، ووجب عليه الصوم وقع على أهله، ثم جاء إلى النبي ﷺ فقال: أشكو إلى الله وإليك الذي صنعت، قال: وماذا صنعت؟ قال: سولت لي نفسي فوقعت على أهلي بعد ما نمت، وأنا أريد الصوم، فزعموا أن النبي ﷺ قال: ما كنت خليقا أن تفعل فنزل الكتاب: {أحل لكم ليلة الصيام الرفث إلى نسا إنكم}
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Narrated by Musa bin Uqba, from Kurayb, from Ibn Abbas. Hafiz bin Kathir mentioned it in his tafsir, and its chain of transmission is sahih, except for his statement, "It was not fitting for you to do that," for there is something strange about it, because it occurs in another account that it was Umar's wife who fell asleep.