The following is a short list of narrations about fasting as an encouragement for us all.

A Shield

Uthmān ibn Abī al-Āṣ al-Thaqafī (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«الصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ كَجُنَّةِ أَحَدِكُمْ مِنَ الْقِتَالِ»

“Fasting is a shield from the Fire just like a shield of yours is from battle.”¹

The Prophet’s Supplication (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ)

Anas ibn Mālik (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that when the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) would strive in supplication for someone, he used to say:

«جَعَلَ اللهُ عَلَيْكُمْ صَلَاةَ قَوْمٍ أَبْرَارٍ، يَقُومُونَ اللَّيْلَ وَيَصُومُونَ النَّهَارَ، لَيْسُوا بِأَثَمَةٍ وَلَا فُجَّارٍ»

“May Allah grant you the prayers of righteous people who stand at night, fast during the day, and who are neither sinful nor immoral.”²

Fasting and Prayer

Al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«مَثَلُ الْمُجَاهِدِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ كَمَثَلِ الصَّائِمِ نَهَارَهُ، وَالْقَائِمِ لَيْلَهُ، حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ مَتَى يَرْجِعُ»

“The example of the one who strives in the path of Allah is like the one who fasts during the day and stands in prayer during the night, up until he returns.”³

Fasting and Charity

Al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«نِعْمَ الشَّيْءُ الصِّيَامُ وَالصَّدَقَةُ»

“How excellent fasting and charity are!”⁴

There is Nothing Equal to it

Abū Umāmah (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«عَلَيْكَ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا مِثْلَ لَهُ»

“You must fast for there is nothing like it!”⁵

Being Freed from the Fire

Abū Umāmah (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«إِنَّ لِلهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عِنْدَ كُلِّ فِطْرٍ عُتَقَاءَ»

“Verily, Allah—Mighty and Majestic—has people whom He sets free [from the Fire] at every breaking of the fast.”⁶

An Answered Supplication

Abu Hurayrah or Abū Saʿīd (the narrator had a doubt as to who) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«إِنَّ لِلهِ عُتَقَاءَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ، لِكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مِنْهُمْ دَعْوَةٌ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ»

“Verily, Allah has people whom He sets free [from the Fire] every day and night, and every slave from them has a supplication that is answered.”^{7 8}

Hastening in Opening the Fast

Abū Hurayrah (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ) narrated that the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«لَا يَزَالُ الدِّينُ ظَاهِرًا مَا عَجَّلَ النَّاسُ الْفِطْرَ، لِأَنَّ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى يُؤَخِّرُونَ»

“The religion will continue to remain manifest so long as the people hasten the breaking of the fast because the Jews and Christians delay it.”⁹

The Ṣuḥūr is a Blessing from Allah

A man from the Ṣaḥābah (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ) said: I entered upon the Prophet (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) while he was having the pre-dawn meal. Then, he said:

«إِنَّهَا بَرَكَةٌ أَعْطَاكُمُ اللهُ إِيَّاهَا، فَلَا تَدَعُوهُ»

“It is a blessing Allah has given you so do not leave it.”¹⁰

The Reward of Ṣuḥūr

ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا) said: Allah’s Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الْمُتَسَحِّرِين»

“Verily, Allah and His Angels send ṣalāh upon those who have ṣuḥūr.”^{11 12}

Fasting Defeats Desire

ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr (رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

«خِصَاءُ أُمَّتِي الصِّيَام»

“The castration of my nation is fasting.”^{13 14}

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1. Aḥmad (16279), Ibn Mājah (1639), and others, and graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ’ (3879) and Shaykh Muqbil al-Wādiʿī in ‘Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ’ (1446) ↩︎
2. ʿAbd ibn Ḥumayd (3/170), and graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Al-Ṣaḥīḥah’ (1810) and Shaykh Muqbil al-Wādiʿī in ‘Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ’ (1447) ↩︎
3. Aḥmad (18401), and graded ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb’ (1322) and ḥasan by Shaykh Muqbil al-Wādiʿī in ‘Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ’ (1448) ↩︎
4. Ḥākim (4/286-287), and graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Al-Ṣaḥīḥah’ (2/772-773) and Shaykh Muqbil al-Wādiʿī in ‘Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ’ (1449) ↩︎
5. Al-Nasāʾī (2097), and graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Al-Ṣaḥīḥah’ (1937) and Shaykh Muqbil al-Wādiʿī in ‘Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ’ (1450) ↩︎
6. Aḥmad (22202) and graded ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb’ (1001) and ḥasan Shaykh Muqbil al-Wādiʿī in ‘Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ’ (1461) ↩︎
7. Aḥmad (7450) and graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmiʿ’ (2169) ↩︎
8. Al-Ḥāfidh Ibn Ḥajr (رَحِمَهُ اللهُ), in ‘Aṭrāf al-Musnad’ (7/203), mentioned that the aforementioned narration is specific to Ramadan. ↩︎
9. Abū Dāwūd (2353) and graded ḥasan by Shaykh al-Albānī in his checking of Sunan Abū Dāwūd (1001) and Shaykh Muqbil al-Wādiʿī in ‘Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ’ (1462) ↩︎
10. Al-Nasāʾī (2042) and graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in his checking of Sunan al-Nasāʾī and Shaykh Muqbil al-Wādiʿī in ‘Al-Jāmiʿ al-Ṣaḥīḥ’ (1464₎ ↩︎
11. Ibn Ḥibbān (880) and graded ḥasan by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Al-Ṣaḥīḥah’ (3409) ↩︎
12. Abū al-ʿĀliyah said: “Allah’s ṣalāh is His Praise…and the Angels’ ṣalāh is their supplication.” Reported by Ismāʿīl ibn Isḥāq al-Qāḍī in ‘Faḍl al-Ṣalāh ʿalá al-Nabī’ (95) and graded ḥasan by Shaykh al-Albānī in his checking of it. ↩︎
13. Aḥmad (6612), Ibn Saʿd (3/394), and others, and graded ṣaḥīḥ by Shaykh al-Albānī in ‘Al-Ṣaḥīḥah’ (1830) ↩︎
14. Al-Munāwī, in Fayḍ al-Qadīr (3/586), explained: “Fasting weakens the desire and breaks it, and prayer subdues the [rebellious nature of the] soul and gives it light, and by that it breaks the driver of desire. As a result, the soul is humbled and led back to its Lord.” ↩︎