Spiritual Benefits of Fasting

Fast is one of thefive pillars of Islamand fasting of themonth of Ramadanis obligatory act for Muslims. Along with the fasts of Ramadan some Muslims do fast in other days of the year to get pleasure of Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّas Heعَزَّوَجَلَّordered the Muslims for fasting. Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّsaid in Holy Quran:

Fasting is a special gift of Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّ. There are countless benefits of fasting. It is beneficial for our spiritual, social, physical fitness. It keeps us away from various diseases and keeps our health strong along with this there are lots of spiritualbenefits of fastingdiscussed below:

Fasting strengthens one’s believe in Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّ. A fasting person does not eat or drink anything even if he is sitting alone and nobody is watching him because he knows that Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّis watching him and his fast is for thesake of Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّ. This strong belief of a fasting person gives a practical outcome of fasting which is not possible in the case of other worships. As Salah, Hajj and otherIslamic deedsare physically shown to people and one cannot hide these from the common people but fasting is the act which we can do secretly only for the sake of Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّ.

Fasting is the compensation of all previous sins as Holy Prophetصَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَsaid: “If anyonefasts in Ramadanrealizing its limits and avoiding what should be avoided, this will compensate for all his previous sins”.

(Al-Iḥsān bittartīb Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, pp. 183, vol. 5, Ḥadīš 3424)

Thereward of fastingis far more than the reward of other good deeds. It is stated that the reward of every good deeds is from ten to seven hundred times but it is not so in the case of fasting as Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّsaid that: “Fast is for me and I will give its reward myself”.

Fasting is a shield against sins and protects a person form wrong doings acts. When a person thinks about doing something wrong then suddenly his mind reject this thought by thinking that he is in fast. For example a fasting person does not reply abusing to a person who is shouting on him due to his fast. Fast is a source of keeping a person away from hell as Holy Prophetصَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَsaid that:

(Musnad Abī Ya’lā, pp. 383, vol. 1, Ḥadīš 917)

The researchers found that crow lives alive for a very long time according to a report the life of a crow exceeds from five hundred years. The fasting person is rewarded by Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّin this manner that all of his deeds are being considered as worships of Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّeven his sleep. As Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāĥ Bin Abī Aufāرَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہ has narrated that the Beloved and Blessed Prophetصَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَsaid:

(Shu’ab-ul-Īmān, pp. 415, vol. 3, Ḥadīš 3938)

Not only this but all of his body parts say tasbih of Allahعَزَّوجَلَّ. As in a blessed Hadith Holy Prophet saidصَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَthat:

(Shu’ab-ul-Īmān, pp. 299, vol. 3, Ḥadīš 3591)

The fasting person will be rewarded with the heavenly fruits and drinks in the reward of his patience by preventing himself from eating and drinking in the day during fast. As The Nobel Prophetصَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَhas said:

(Shu’ab-ul-Īmān, pp. 410, vol. 3, Ḥadīš 3917)

The fasting person will eat at the dining mat of gold in heaven as The Holy Prophetصَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَsaid:

(Kanz-ul-‘Ummāl, pp. 214, vol. 8, Ḥadīš 23640)

The fasting person will be kept away from hell as Holy prophetصَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَسَلَّمَhas stated:

(Mu’jam Kabīr, pp. 120, vol. 17, Ḥadīš 295)

The fasting person also gets reward when someone else eats before him as Sayyidatunā Umm-e-Anṣāriyyaĥرَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہhas stated,

(Al-Iḥsān bittartīb Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān, pp. 181, vol. 5, Ḥadīš 3421)

Fasting is full of blessings in every aspect as the death during fasting is rewarded by Allahعَزَّوَجَلَّas Holy Prophetصَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَhas said:

(Firdaus - bimā’ Šaur-ul-Khaṭṭāb, pp. 504, vol. 3, Ḥadīš 5557)