What is mentioned on the excellence of fasting and its reward

Mutarrif bin Abdullah bin al-Shikhkhir said: Once I came to Sayyiduna Uthman bin Abi al-As (may Allah be pleased with him). He called for milk of a milch she-camel for me. I said: I am fasting. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Fasting is a shield against the Fire just as you take a shield against the enemy in battle. A good fast is fasting three days of every month."

Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Fasting is a shield against the Fire, just as any one of you takes up a shield as a weapon against the enemy as far as he is able.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah and Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty says: 'Fasting is for Me, and I alone give its reward.' The fasting person has two joys: one when he breaks his fast, he rejoices; and the other when he meets his Lord, he will rejoice. By the One in whose Hand is my soul, the smell of the fasting person's mouth is more pleasing to Allah than the fragrance of musk."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied: the reward of one good deed is increased from ten times up to seven hundred times. Allah Almighty says: 'Except fasting, for fasting is for Me and I alone give its reward. The fasting person gives up his food, his drink and his desire for My sake.' The fasting person has two joys: one joy he has when he breaks his fast, and the other joy he will have when he meets his Lord. The smell of the fasting person's mouth is more pleasing to Allah than musk. Fasting is a shield, fasting is a shield."

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, tell me of a deed that will admit me into Paradise" (or words to that effect). He said: "Keep to fasting, for there is nothing like it." After that, the state of Sayyiduna Abu Umamah was that smoke was seen from his house in the daytime only when a guest was at his house.

Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Paradise has a gate called "al-Rayyan"; the fasting people will enter through it. When the last fasting person has entered Paradise, it will be closed.

Something similar is reported through another chain from Sayyiduna Sahl bin Sa'd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

Iyad bin Ghutayf said: We came to Sayyiduna Abu Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: Fasting is a shield as long as a person does not tear it.

Iyad bin Ghutayf said: We came to Sayyiduna Abu Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him) during his illness, and he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Fasting is a shield as long as a person does not tear it."

Abdullah bin Rabah said: We set out as a delegation to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). On the way we met a monk. We were with him when food was brought. The people ate, but I did not eat. The monk asked me: "Why do you not eat?" I said: "I am fasting." He said: "Shall I not give you glad tidings about your fast? Tables will be spread, and the first to eat from them will be the fasting people."

Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Once we were travelling by sea, and we had raised our sails. No island was visible to us, nor could we see anything else. Then we heard a voice: "O people of the ship! Stop, and I will tell you something." We stood up and began to look, but we saw nothing. The caller called out seven times. The seventh time I stood up and said: "Whoever you are, tell us what you want to tell us; you see our condition and know that we cannot stop for you." He said: "I wish to inform you of a decree of Allah Almighty which He has made binding upon Himself: whoever makes himself thirsty for the sake of Allah on a hot day, Allah Almighty will quench his thirst on the Day of Resurrection."
In the narration of Abu Usamah there is the addition: After that, whenever there was a long day, you would always find Sayyiduna Abu Musa fasting.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The supplication of the fasting person is not rejected."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In Paradise there is a special gate for every deed; the people of that deed will be called through that gate. The gate of the fasting people is named 'al-Rayyan'."