Fasting is for Me

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Fasting in Ramadhan is one of the pillars of Islam. Pillars are supports and is no slight matter. Imagine someone who neither fasts, nor prays, nor pay zakat, nor perform hajj (while able), he is living in a house without pillars. In other words, he is being suspended in mid air and the gravity will send him crashing down. At this point he can only hope for the Mercy of Allah.

"O you who believe; fasting has prescribed on you as it was prescribed on those before you - haply you will be Godfearing." Qur'an 2:183

Fasting is so important that it is as if it is a part of belief itself. Fasting is not new to Islam. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, told us that the best fasting is the fasting of his brother, Prophet Dawood, Allah grant him peace, who fasted on every alternate day.

Allah gives us a reason for fasting, "haply you will be Godfearing." Fasting is an act of self control/restraint from which a person is meant to acquire a state which is of the most and emphasized of human state--a state of being conscious of your Lord and wary of disobeying Him in one's action. So Allah says, hopefully you will acquire this act.

All the acts of worship have an outer reality which test our slavehood to Allah. The outer reality always feeds and gives the fruits which is the inner reality.

The person who is fasting should avoid all kinds of unlawful actions, such as gossiping, backbiting, tale-bearing, slandering, lying, cheating, duping, hating, nursing grudge, keeping malice, hurting people, obscenity, etc, otherwise his reward may all be lost.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“It may be that a fasting person gets nothing from his fast except hunger.” (Ibn Majah)

“When any of you is fasting, let him not commit sin…”

"He who does not leave lying and ignorance and acting by it then Allah has no need for him to leave his food and drink." Ibn Majah

"How many a faster has no share of his fasting save hunger and how many a person who stands the night in prayer has no share of his prayer except sleeplessness." Al-Nasa'i

"Fasting is for Me. And it is I who shall reward it." (Bukhari) When the Generous One says this, it is a tremendous reward, something you cannot imagine. Only Allah knows the extent of his reward and how much his good deeds will be multiplied.

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Every deed of the son of Adam will be rewarded between ten and seven hundred fold. Allah said: ‘Except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for it’”

This is like the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning.”
(Qur'an Al-Zumar 39:10)

The words “Fasting is for Me” are sufficient to indicate the superiority of fasting over all other acts of worship. (Al-Nasaa’i)

So, while every Muslim adult must observe fasting in Ramadhan, we are losing out on this tremendous reward if we only fast in Ramadhan and neglect to do some sunnah fasting, such as on Mondays, Thursdays, the white days (13th, 14th, 15th of Hijri months), the days in the months of Sha'ban and Zulhijjah, and many more days which are spread out throughout the year.

One should try to pick up a few days a month to begin with and as one progresses one may increase the number of days of sunnah fasting. Fasting is a tremendous act of worship and one should aspire to do more of it. InshaAllah, there will be a time in your life that you will be able to reach the fasting of Prophet Dawood, Allah grant him peace. Make that intention and ask Allah to help you and give you tawfiq. And Allah alone gives success.

May Allah give you tawfiq. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam