´Muhammad bin 'Abdullah bin Abi Yaqub said:` "Raja bin Haiwah narrated that Abu Umamah said: 'I came to the Messenger of Allah and said: Tel l me of something that I may take (learn) from you. He said: "Take to fasting, for there is nothing like it."' '
Hadith Referenceسنن نسائي / كتاب الصيام / 2222
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح | زبیر علی زئی:إسناده صحيح
1؎: That is, in breaking desires and repelling the commanding self (nafs al-ammara) and Satan, there is no act of worship equal to fasting (sawm), or in the abundance of reward, there is no act of worship equal to it.
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
Urdu marginal note: “There is nothing like it.” Is this in terms of reward and recompense, or in terms of protection from sin? Some have interpreted “fasting” (sawm) in this narration to mean “taqwa” (piety), because the meaning of sawm is to abstain, and the meaning of taqwa is also approximately the same. However, the first meaning is correct, which is the well-known one. But it should be remembered that the objective of fasting (sawm) is also the attainment of taqwa (piety).
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 2222