Virtues of Fasting in the Holy Month of Ramadan

Muslims are obligated to fast in the month of Ramadan-the ninth month of Islamic lunar calendar, as stated, along with concessions, in the following verses of the Qur'an:

"O You who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn to be God-conscious. (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; But if any of you is ill, or on a journey , the prescribed number (should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (with hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent but he that will give more, of his own free will - it is better for him. And it better for you that you fast, if you only knew. (Al Baqarah 2:183-184).

In conformity with this obligation is the following saying of the Prophet (PBOH) reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim, authentically narrated by Abi Abd Al Rahman Abdul Allah Ibn Umar Ibn Al Khathab, "Islam is built upon five pillars: Testimony that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Apostle, performing prayer, paying the Zakat, fasting the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Makkah, for those who can afford it.

The following description on the Virtues of Ramadan mostly taken from Islam Q&A:

1. Allah revealed the Quran in this month, as He says in the following: "The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)..."[al-Baqarah 2:185]

And Allah says "Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree)." [al-Qadr 97:1]

2. Allah has made Laylat al-Qadr in this month, which is better than a thousand months, as described in the following verses:

"Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree). And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is? The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months of. worshipping Allah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months. Therein descend the angels and the Ruh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allah's Permission with all Decrees, (All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn." [al-Qadar 97:1-5]

"We sent it (this Quran) down on a blessed night [(i.e. the Night of Al-Qadr) in the month of Ramadan - the 9th month of the Islamic calendar]. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of worship]." [al-Dukhan 44:3]

3. Allah has blessed Ramadan with Laylat al-Qadr . Explaining the great status of this blessed night, Surat al-Qadr was revealed, and there are many ahadith which also speak of that, such as the hadith of Abu Hurayrah who said: The Messenger of Allahﷺ said there has come to you Ramadan, a blessed month which Allah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived." (Narrated by al-Nasai, 2106; Ahmad, 8769, classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Targhib, 999.)

And Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever spends Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins." (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1910 and Muslim, 760).

4. Allah has made fasting Ramadan and spending its nights in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward a means of forgiveness of sins, as reported by al-Bukhari, 2014; Muslim, 760 from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven."

5. The Muslims are unanimously agreed that it is Sunnah to pray qiyam at night in Ramadan. Al-Nawawi said that what is meant by praying qiyam in Ramadan is to pray Tarawih.

6. Fasting Ramadan is a means of expiation for the sins committed since the previous Ramadan, so long as one avoids major sins. It was narrated in Sahih Muslim (233) that the Prophet ﷺ said: "The five daily prayers, from one Jumu'ah to the next and from one Ramadan to the next are expiation for (sins committed) in between, so long as you avoid major sins."

7. Fasting in Ramadan is equivalent to fasting ten months, as is indicated by the hadith in Sahih Muslim (1164) narrated from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari: "Whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it with six days of Shawwal , it will be like fasting for a lifetime."

Ahmad (21906) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan, a month is like ten months, and fasting six days after al-Fitr will complete the year."

8. Whoever prays qiyam in Ramadan with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawud (1370) and others from the hadith of Abu Dharr that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever prays qiyam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer." (Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Salat al-Tarawih, p. 15)

9. 'Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj . Al-Bukhari (1782) and Muslim (1256) narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When Ramadan comes, go for 'Umrah, for 'Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj." According to a report narrated by Muslim, "... is equivalent to doing Hajj with me."

11. It is Sunnah to observe i'tikaf (retreat for the purpose of worship) in Ramadan, because the Prophet always did that, as it was narrated in the hadith of 'Aishah that the Prophet ﷺ used to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in i'tikaf until he passed away, then his wives observed i'tikaf after him." Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1922; Muslim, 1172.

12. It is mustahabb (approved/favored) in the sense of being strongly recommended in Ramadan to study the Quran together and to read it a great deal. You may study the Quran together by reciting it to someone else and by having someone else recite it to you. The evidence that this is mustahabb is the fact that Jibril used to meet the Prophet ﷺ every night in Ramadan and study the Quran with him. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6; Muslim, 2308)

Reading Quran is mustahabb in general, but more so in Ramadan.

13. It is also mustahabb in Ramadan to offer iftar to those who are fasting , because of the hadith of Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever gives iftar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the fasting person's reward in the slightest." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 807; Ibn Majah, 1746; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 647.).

14. Fasting is a Shield. It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Fasting is a shield. So the fasting person should avoid obscene speech, and should not behave foolishly and ignorantly, and if somebody fights with him or insults him, he should tell him twice, 'I am fasting.' By the One in Whose hand is my soul, the smell that comes from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the scent of musk.

15. It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah that The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: "Fasting does not just mean giving up food and drink, rather fasting means giving up idle speech and obscene conduct. If anyone insults you or treats you in an ignorant manner, then he should say, 'I am fasting, I am fasting.'"

And it was also narrated by Abu Hurayrah that said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting in accordance with it and acting in an ignorant manner, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6057.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: "Fasting does not just mean giving up food and drink, rather fasting means giving up idle speech and obscene conduct. If anyone insults you or treats you in an ignorant manner, then say, 'I am fasting, I am fasting.' Three times

And it was also narrated by Abu Hurayrah that The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: "Whoever does not give up false speech and acting in accordance with it and acting in an ignorant manner, Allaah has no need of him giving up his food and drink." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6057.

In an authentic Hadith reported by Sahl ibn Sa'd said that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Verily, there is a gate in Paradise called al-Rayyan through which only those who fasted will enter on the day of resurrection. No one else will enter it along with them. It will be said: Where are those who fasted? They will stand and no one ill enter it along with them. When they enter it, it will be closed and no one else go through it.(Sahi al-Bukhari 1896; Shih Muslim 1152)

finally.Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:

"Every (good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward, Allah, said: With the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake. There are two occasions of joy for one who fasts, joy when he breaks it, and joy when he meets his Lord.".

Ramadan Kareem!