The Merits for fasting for Allah’s Pleasure

Siyam (fasting) : Linguistically means to refrain. Allah says,

إِنِّي نَذَرْتُ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ صَوْمًا فَلَنْ أُكَلِّمَ الْيَوْمَ إِنْسِيًّا

Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficent Allah, so I shall not speak to any man today.

[ Maryam 26] refrain from speaking

Siyam in Islamic terms means: An intentional act of refraining from all things which breakfast from Fajr until Maghrib .

Virtues of Fasting:

· Fasting sincerely distant one from Hell

أَبِى سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِىِّ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ بَاعَدَ اللَّهُ بِذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ وَجْهَهُ عَنِ النَّارِ سَبْعِينَ خَرِيفًا

Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said ,” Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “ Any servant who fasts one day in the path of Allah , Allah will keep his face away from the fire for 70 years.”

[Collected by Bukhari 2840 and Muslim 2767]



· Fasting enters a person into Jannah

أَبِى أُمَامَةَ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- فَقُلْتُ مُرْنِى بِعَمَلٍ يُدْخِلُنِى الْجَنَّةَ. قَالَ « عَلَيْكَ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ مِثْلَ لَهُ

Abu Ummamah said, “I went to the Allah’s messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: Command me with an action that will cause me to enter Jannah.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Fast, there isn’t anything like it.”



[Collected by An-Nisa’ 2232 ]





· Whoever dies while fasting Allah will place him in Jannah



قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: يا حُذَيفَة مّنْ خَتَمَ لَه بِصِيامٍ يَومٍ يَرِيدُ بِهِ وجه الله أَدْخَلَهُ الجنة

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘ Oh Huthayfah whoever dies while fasting sincerely for Allah’s pleasure will enter Jannah.”



[Collected by Ibn Shaheen 2/23 in Afrad , Akabr Al-Asbaahaan 1/218-219] Graded as being Saheeh by Shaykh Al-Albani in Silsilatu Saheehah #1643]





· Fasting intercedes for the Slave on the Last Day



عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ « الصِّيَامُ وَالْقُرْآنُ يَشْفَعَانِ لِلْعَبْدِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَقُولُ الصِّيَامُ أَىْ رَبِّ مَنَعْتُهُ الطَّعَامَ وَالشَّهَوَاتِ بِالنَّهَارِ فَشَفِّعْنِى فِيهِ.

وَيَقُولُ الْقُرْآنُ مَنَعْتُهُ النَّوْمَ بِاللَّيْلِ فَشَفِّعْنِى فِيهِ. قَالَ فَيُشَفَّعَانِ »



Abdullah ibn Amr narrated that Allah’s messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Fasting and the Quran will intercede for the servant of the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say “My Lord because of me he was prohibited from food and satisfying his desires throughout the day, so let me intercede for him. The Quran will say “I prevented him from sleep at night, so let me intercede for him.” They will both be allowed to intercede.

· There is a special reward unknown to man from Allah for fasting

أَبِى هُرَيْرَةَ - رضى الله عنه - عَنِ النَّبِىِّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قَالَ « كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ ، إِلاَّ الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِى ، وَأَنَا أَجْزِى بِهِ ، وَلَخَلُوفُ فَمِ الصَّائِمِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ



Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah‘s messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) said, “Allah says every deed is for the son of Adam except Fasting. Fasting is for Me and I will give the reward for it. The unpleasant smell coming out of the mouth of a fasting person is better than the smell of misk in the sight of Allah.”

[Collected Bukhari 5927 / Muslim 2760]





· There is a special door in Jannah for a fasting person to enter



عَنْ سَهْلٍ - رضى الله عنه - عَنِ النَّبِىِّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قَالَ « إِنَّ فِى الْجَنَّةِ بَابًا يُقَالُ لَهُ الرَّيَّانُ ، يَدْخُلُ مِنْهُ الصَّائِمُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ، لاَ يَدْخُلُ مِنْهُ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُمْ يُقَالُ أَيْنَ الصَّائِمُونَ فَيَقُومُونَ ، لاَ يَدْخُلُ مِنْهُ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُمْ ، فَإِذَا دَخَلُوا أُغْلِقَ ، فَلَمْ يَدْخُلْ مِنْهُ أَحَدٌ »



Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him )narrated that Allah’s Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is a gate in Paradise called Ar-Rayyan and those who observe fasting will enter through it on the Day of Resurrection. And only the people who fasted will enter it. It will be said, “Where are those who used to fast?” They will stand up and enter the gate and once they have entered it will be closed. No one else will be allowed to enter.”

[Collected by Bukhari 1896/ Muslim 2766]

· Sincerely Fasting in Ramadan earns expiation from past sins



أَبِى هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صلى الله عليه وسلم : مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ



Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Allah’s messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “ Whoever fasts Ramadan with faith and seeks Allah’s reward will have his past sins forgiven.”

[Collected by Bukhari 38 / Muslim 1817]



· Fasting suppresses desires



النَّبِىِّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فَقَالَ « مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ ، فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ ، فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ



The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,” Whoever has the ability to marry then let him. Marriage helps one to lower his gaze and protect his private part. And whoever doesn’t have the ability to get married should fast. Fasting is a shield of protection.



[Collected by Bukhari 1905/ Muslim 3466]



Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar.