'O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous'. [Surah Baqarah, 2: 183]
In this verse the Creator states that He had enjoined fasting in some form upon the followers of earlier prophets. And He mentions the purpose behind it: “that you may become righteous.” So fasting is a means to attain righteousness, piety and consciousness of Allah (taqwá).
In a hadith qudsi, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ disclosed that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said, “ Fasting is for Me, and I [alone] reward for it.” [Bukhari]
“ No servant fasts one day in the way of Allah but that Allah puts between his face and the Hellfire a distance of seventy years.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
“ Fasting and the Qur’an intercede for a servant on the Day of Resurrection (Qiyámah). The fast says, ‘O my Lord, I prevented him from food and desires by day, so let me intercede.’ And the Qur’án says, ‘I prevented him from sleep by night, so let me intercede.’ So they are allowed to intercede. ” [Ahmad]
“ By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of a fasting person is sweeter to Allah on the Day of Resurrection than the smell of musk. And the fasting person has two joys: when he breaks his fast he rejoices for that and when he meets his Lord he rejoices for his fasting. ” [Ahmad and Muslim]
“ Paradise has a door called ‘ar-Rayyán’. On the Day of Resurrection it will be said, ‘Where are those who fasted?’ And when the last of them has entered the door will be closed.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Allah, the Most Merciful, is especially attentive to one who is fasting. The Prophet ﷺ affirmed, “ There are three whose supplication is not rejected – that of a fasting person until he breaks his fast, that of a just leader and that of someone oppressed. ” [At-Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Ibn Majah – saheeh]
Abu Hurairah narrated that:
The Messenger of Allah said: “ There are two joys for the fasting person: the joy when he breaks his fast, and the joy of when he meets his Lord. ” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Virtues of Ramadan
The fast of Ramadan is a religious obligation(fardh) by authority of the Qur’án, the Sunnah and a consensus of Muslim scholars. The Qur’án conveys the commands of Allah, the Almighty:
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you .[Surah Baqarah, 2: 183]
The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it… [Surah Baqarah, 2: 185]
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ mentioned additional benefits of Ramadan: " A blessed month has come. Allah has required you to fast it. During it the doors of Paradise are opened, the doors of Hell are closed and devils are chained. Therein is a night better than a thousand months. Whoever misses its benefit has surely been deprived. [Ahmad and an-Nasá’i]
Fasting is a Means for One's Sins to be Forgiven
" He who fasts Ramadan, due to iman and hoping for reward (from Allah) then his past sins are forgiven. "Al-Bukhari and Muslim
" The five prayers, Friday [prayer] to Friday and Ramadan to Ramadan are expiation for what is between them when the major sins are avoided." [Sahih Muslim]
"An ‘umrah during Ramadan is equal [in reward] to a hajj" . [Ahmad and al-Bukhari]
Month of Charity & Quran
Ibn ‘Abbás reported: “ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the most generous of people, and he was the most generous ever during Ramadan when [the angel] Jibreel would meet him. He would meet him every night of Ramadan and review the Qur’an with him. Then he was more generous than a swift, far-reaching breeze. ” [Al-Bukhari]
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “ Whoever gives a fasting person iftár will have a reward like his, without reducing the reward of the one who fasted. ” [At-Tirmidhi – saheeh]
Fasting from evil deeds
The Prophet ﷺ confirmed, “ Fasting is not only abstaining from food and drink, but from empty and immoral speech. So if someone should insult you or behave badly toward you, then say, ‘I am fasting, I am fasting.’ ” [Al-Hákim – saheeh]
And he ﷺ said, “ Anyone who does not refrain from making false statements and acting upon them – Allah has no need of his refraining from food and drink.” [Al-Bukhari]
Another hadith states, “ Possibly one who fasts gains nothing from his fast but hunger, and possibly one who stands in [night] prayer gains nothing from it but wakefulness.” [Ibn Májah and al-Hákim – saheeh]