يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fast) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun* (the pious). [Surah Al-Baqarah 2 v. 183]
*Al-Muttaqūn – the pious believers of Islamic Monotheism who fear Allāh much (abstains from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allāh much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)].
Narrated Abû Hurairah رضي الله عنه : Allâh’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “As-Siyâm (the fasting) is Junnah (protection or shield or a screen or a shelter from the the Hell-Fire*). So, the person observing Saum (fast) should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should say to him twice, ‘I am fasting. “The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم added, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better with Allâh تعالى than the smell of musk. (Allâh says about the fasting person), ‘He has left his food , drink and desires for My sake. The Saum (fast) is for Me.** So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.”(Sahîh Al-Bukhârî, Hadîth No. 118, Vol. 3).
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* See Fath Al-Bârî,
Vol. 5, Page 5.
** Although all
practices of worshipping are for Allâh, here Allâh تعالى singles out Saum (fast)
because fasting cannot be practiced for the sake of showing-off, as nobody except
Allâh can know whether one is fasting or not. Therefore, fasting is a pure
performance that cannot be blemished with hypocricy. (Fath Al-Bârî, Vol. 5,
Page 10)
Translation: al-Hilâlî &
Muhsin Khân , The Noble Qur'
