2. Reward for observing Sawm

The Beloved and Blessed Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: Every righteous    act of a man is rewarded ten to seven hundred times. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has said,         ‘اِلَّا الصَّوۡمَ فَاِنَّهُ لِيۡ وَ اَنَا اَجۡزِيۡ بِهٖ’ i.e. except Sawm because Sawm is for Me and I will give its reward Myself. A bondman refrains from eating and satisfying his desires only for My sake. There are two joys for a Sawm-observing person: One, at the time of Iftar and the other one when he meets his Rab عَزَّوَجَلَّ. The smell that comes from the mouth of a Sawm-observing person is purer than Musk [a special type of fragrance] in the sight of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.

(Sahih Muslim, pp. 580, Hadees 1151)

3. Sawm is a shield

The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: Sawm is a shield; when any of you is observing Sawm, he should neither utter words of indecency nor shout. Then if someone else abuses him or wants to fight against him, he should say, I am observing Sawm. (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 624, Hadees 1894)

Special reward for Sawm

Dear Islamic brothers! In the abovementioned blessed Ahadees many features of observing Sawm have been stated. Very good news is for the Sawm-observing person who observes Sawm in a way as it should be observed, that is to say, if he protects all his body parts from committing sins besides avoiding eating, drinking and intercourse, so the Sawm by the grace and mercy of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will become the expiation for all his past sins.

Moreover, the saying of the blessed Hadees has to be paid special attention in which the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has told us the blessed saying       of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ: ‘فَاِنَّهُ لِيۡ وَ اَ نَا اَجۡزِيۡ بِهٖ’ i.e.  Sawm is for Me and I will give its reward Myself. Some blessed Muhaddiseen^[1] have also read this blessed saying          of Hadees-e-Qudsi in the following manner ‘اَنَا اُجۡزٰي بِهٖ’ as it is stated in