Meaning: Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever prayed at night the whole month of Ramadhan out of sincere faith and hoping for a reward from ALLAH, then all his previous sins will be forgiven. (Narrated by Bukhari)
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER :
Among the reasons behind fasting are:
1. Fasting makes us appreciate all pleasures we enjoy. For fasting means giving up eating, drinking and intercourse, which are among the greatest pleasures. By giving them up for a short time, we begin to appreciate their value. Because the blessings of ALLAH are sometimes ignored, and only when you abstain from them, you begin to recognize them, so this motivates you to be grateful for them.
2. Fasting makes us give up haram things, because if a person can give up halal things in order to please Allah and for fear of His painful torment, it will be easier to then refrain from doing haram things. So fasting is one of the means of avoiding the things that ALLAH has forbidden.
3. Fasting enables us to control our desires, because when a person is full his desires grow, but if he is hungry then his desire becomes weak. Hence the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: O young men! Whoever among you can afford to get married, let him do so, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and protecting one's chastity. Whoever cannot do that, let him fast, for it will be a shield for him.
4. Fasting makes us feel compassion and empathy towards the poor, because when the fasting person tastes the pain of hunger for a while, he remembers those who are in this situation all the time, so he will hasten to do acts of kindness to them and show compassion towards them. So fasting is one of the means of feeling empathy towards the poor.
5. Fasting humiliates and weakens the Shaytan; it weakens the effects of his whispers (waswaas) on a person and reduces his sins. That is because the Shaytan "flows through the son of Adam like blood as the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, but fasting narrows the passages through which the Shaytan flows, so his influence grows less.
6. Fasting trains the person to remember that Allah is always watching, so he gives up the things that he desires even though he is able to take them, because he knows that ALLAH can see him.
7. Fasting makes the Muslim get used to doing a great deal of acts of worship, because a fasting person usually does more acts of worship than the one who does not fast.
8. These are some of the reasons why fasting is enjoined. We ask ALLAH to help us to achieve them and to worship Him properly. WALLAHU’ALAM
