Muḥammad Ghazālī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said, اَلْجُوْعُ رَاْسُ مَالِنَا - “Hunger is our capital.” The meaning of this is that the blessings, security, pleasure in worship and beneficial knowledge attained by the saints is achieved due to their hunger for the pleasure of Allah.^[1] Hunger is a treasure from the treasures of Allah that He only bestows upon His favoured servants.^[2]

O devotees of the Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ! Just as we endure hunger and thirst when keeping fasts in the blessed month of Ramaḍān, in order to maintain the same level of devotion we felt in Ramaḍān after the month ends, we should continue to endure hunger and thirst. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه The effects of the nafs ammārah will disappear and we will attain piety.

The excellences and benefits of nafl fasts

Fasting is the best method of attaining the benefits of hunger. Try to keep nafl fasts after Ramaḍān; اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه Ramaḍān’s spirit of devotion will last throughout the year.

Two merits of nafl fasts

1.   Whoever keeps one nafl fast to please Allah, will be kept away from Hellfire the distance a fast rider covers in 50 years.^[3]

2.   The Companion Abū Umāmah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said, “I requested, ‘O Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ! Inform me of an action that will lead to me entering Paradise.’ He replied, ‘Make fasting incumbent upon yourself, because there is no action like it.’”