Encouragement for Voluntary Fasting and Its Virtue
❀ «عن ابي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: قال الله:” كل عمل ابن آدم له، إلا الصيام فإنه لي، وانا اجزي به، والصيام جنة، وإذا كان يوم صوم احدكم فلا يرفث ولا يصخب، فإن سابه احد او قاتله، فليقل: إني امرؤ صائم، والذي نفس محمد بيده، لخلوف فم الصائم اطيب عند الله من ريح المسك، للصائم فرحتان يفرحهما: إذا افطر فرح، وإذا لقي ربه فرح بصومه”.»
Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Allah the Almighty says: Every deed of the son of Adam is for himself except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward it. Fasting is a shield, so when any one of you fasts, let him neither speak obscenely nor raise his voice in anger, and if anyone insults him or fights with him, let him say: I am fasting. By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad (peace be upon him)! The smell coming from the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the fragrance of musk. The fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast, and the other when he meets his Lord and is pleased with his fasting.”
❀ «عن ابي هريرة رضي الله عنه، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” كل عمل ابن آدم يضاعف الحسنة عشر امثالها إلى سبعمائة ضعف، قال الله عز وجل: ” إلا الصوم فإنه لي، وانا اجزي به، يدع شهوته وطعامه من اجلي.»
Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied, each good deed from ten times to seven hundred times, except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward it. The fasting person abandons his desires and his food for My sake.”
❀ «عن أبى أمامة الباهلي رضى الله عنه، قال: قلت: يا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، مرني بأمر ينفعني الله به، قال: عليك بالصيام، فإليه لا مثل له.»
Hazrat Abu Umamah Bahili (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that I said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): O Messenger of Allah! Command me with a deed by which Allah will benefit me. He (peace be upon him) said: “Hold fast to fasting, for there is nothing like it.”
«عن على رضى الله عنه، قال: قال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” إن فى الجنة غرفا ترى ظهورها من بطونها، وبطونها من ظهورها “، فقام اعرابي، فقال: لمن هي يا رسول الله؟ قال: ” لمن اطاب الكلام، واطعم الطعام، وادام الصيام، وصلى لله بالليل والناس نيام .»
Narrated Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “In Paradise, there are palaces whose outer parts will be visible from the inside, and the inner parts will be visible from the outside.” An Arab stood up and asked: O Messenger of Allah! For whom will these be? He (peace be upon him) replied: “For those who speak good words, feed others, fast regularly, and pray at night while people are asleep.”
«عن ابي سعيد الخدري رضى الله عنه قال: سمعت النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول:” من صام يوما فى سبيل الله بعد الله، وجهه عن النار سبعين خريفا .»
Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said that I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “Whoever fasts for one day in the way of Allah, Allah will distance his face from the fire (of Hell) by seventy years’ distance.”
Fasting as a Means to Control Desires
«عن عبد الرحمن بن مسعود رضى الله عنه، عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يا معشر الشباب، من استطاع الباءة فليتزوج، فإنه اغض للبصر، واحصن للفرج، ومن لم يستطع فعليه بالصوم فإنه له وجاء”.»
Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O group of young people! Whoever among you has the ability to marry should marry, for marriage lowers the gaze and protects the private parts. And whoever does not have the ability should fast, for fasting diminishes sexual desire.”
Fasting as a Means to Protect from Trials
«عن حذية الله عنه، قال: قال عمر ربنا عنه، من يحفظ حديثا عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم فى الفتنة ؟ قال حذيفة: أنا سمعته يقول: فتنه الرجل فى أهلي وماله وجاره، تكفرها الصلاة والصيام والصدقه.»
Hazrat Hudhaifa (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked if anyone remembered a hadith from the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding trials. Hazrat Hudhaifa said: I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “The expiation for the trials that afflict a person concerning his children, wealth, and neighbors is prayer, fasting, and charity.”
A specific gate for the fasting person to enter Paradise
«عن سهل رضي الله عنه، عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال:” إن فى الجنة بابا، يقال له: الريان، يدخل منه الصائمون يوم القيامة، لا يدخل منه احد غيرهم، يقال: اين الصائمون؟ فيقومون، لا يدخل منه احد غيرهم، فإذا دخلوا اغلق، فلم يدخل منه احد”.»
Hazrat Suhail bin Saad (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: There is a gate in Paradise called Rayyan, on the Day of Judgment only those who fast will enter through it, no one else will enter through it. It will be asked, “Where are the fasting people?” They will stand up, and no one except them will be able to enter through this gate. When they have entered, the gate will be closed, and no one else will enter through it.
«عن ابي هريرة رضي الله عنه، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال:” من انفق زوجين فى سبيل الله نودي من ابواب الجنة: يا عبد الله، هذا خير، فمن كان من اهل الصلاة دعي من باب الصلاة، ومن كان من اهل الجهاد دعي من باب الجهاد، ومن كان من اهل الصيام دعي من باب الريان، ومن كان من اهل الصدقة دعي من باب الصدقة”، فقال ابو بكر رضي الله عنه: بابي انت وامي يا رسول الله، ما على من دعي من تلك الابواب من ضرورة، فهل يدعى احد من تلك الابواب كلها، قال: نعم، وارجو ان تكون منهم.»
Narrated Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “Whoever spends a pair (i.e., two things) in the way of Allah will be called from the gates of Paradise, ‘O servant of Allah! This gate is good.’ The one who is a prayerful person will be called from the gate of prayer, the one who is a mujahid will be called from the gate of jihad, the one who fasts will be called from the gate of Ar-Rayyan, and the one who gives charity will be called from the gate of charity.” Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: O Messenger of Allah! May my parents be sacrificed for you! It is no problem to be called from any of these gates, but will there be anyone who will be called from all these gates? The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “Yes, and I hope that you will be among them.”
Fasting as a Means of Entering Paradise
❀ «عن ابي هريرة، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” من اصبح منكم اليوم صائما؟، قال ابو بكر رضى الله عنه : انا، قال: فمن تبع منكم اليوم جنازة؟ قال ابو بكر رضى الله عنه : انا، قال: فمن اطعم منكم اليوم مسكينا؟ قال ابو بكر رضى الله عنه : انا، قال: فمن عاد منكم اليوم مريضا؟ قال ابو بكر رضى الله عنه : انا، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ما اجتمعن فى امرئ إلا دخل الجنة “.»
Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked: “Who among you is fasting today?” Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) said: I am. The Prophet (PBUH) then asked: “Who among you attended a funeral today?” Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) said: I did. The Prophet (PBUH) asked: “Who among you fed a poor person today?” Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) said: I did. The Prophet (PBUH) asked: “Who among you visited a sick person today?” Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) said: I did. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “These qualities do not come together in a person except that he enters Paradise.”
Fasting and the Quran will intercede for the servant on the Day of Judgment
❀ «عن عبد الله بن عمرو رضي الله عنهما، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: الصيام والقرآن يوم القيامة يشفعان للعبد، يقول الصيام: رب، منعته الطعام والشراب بالنهار، فشفعني فيه، ويقول القرآن : رب، منعه النوم بالليل، فشفعني فيه، فيشفعان.»
Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Fasting and the Quran will intercede for the servant on the Day of Judgment. Fasting will say: O my Lord! I prevented him from food and drink during the day, so accept my intercession for him. The Quran will say: I prevented him from sleeping at night, so accept my intercession for him.” Then the intercession of both will be accepted.”
Fasting is a shield
❀ «عن أبى هريرة الله عنه، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : الصيام جنة.»
Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Fasting is a shield.”
❀ «عن عثماني بن أبى العاص الثقفي رضي الله عنه، قال: سمعت رسول صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: الصيام جنة كجنة أحدكم من القتال.»
Hazrat Usman bin Abi Al-As Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) said that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Fasting is a shield, just as any one of you has a shield in battle.”
❀ «عن جابر بن عبدالله رضي الله عنهما، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم . قال : قال ربنا عزوجل: الصيام جنة يستجن بها العبد من النار، وهو لي وأنا أجزي به.»
Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Fasting is a shield through which a servant protects himself from the fire (of Hell), and fasting is for Me, and I shall reward it.”
Fasting is an act of patience
❀ «عن سنان بن سنة ال سلمي رضى الله عنه، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : العطام االشاكر له مثل أجر الصائم الصابر.»
Hazrat Sinan bin Sunah Aslam (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The one who eats and gives thanks is equal in reward to the one who fasts and is patient.”
