Narrated Abu Huraira Radiyallahu anhu: Allah’s Apostle said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.” (hadits narrated by Bukhari).
Narrated Ibn `Umar: I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “When you see the crescent (of the month of Ramadan), start fasting, and when you see the crescent (of the month of Shawwal), stop fasting; and if the sky is overcast (and you can’t see it) then regard the month of Ramadan as of 30 days.” (hadits narrated by Bukhari)
The time runs so fast… we enter the holy month of Ramadan. Many of our brothers and sisters who may have been called by Allah SWT in advance than us and do not get the chance to enjoy the rewards that Allah has promised us in the holy month of Ramadan. O Muslim will we squander this opportunity? Of course we as Muslims do not want to be placed with the people of losers that is people who do not take advantage for the rest of their lives by extending charity while still have a contract of living with Allah SWT in this world.
The command of fasting has been around since before the people of Prophet Muhammad pbuh, as mentioned in the Letter Al-Baqarah (2:183):
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous.
As a human who was born as a Muslim, and for whom just got guidance to be Muslim would have to understand that fasting is not only to retain hunger and thirst from dawn until sunset. But fasting should also restrain lust, anger, and other acts prohibited by Allah SWT.
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Fasting is a shield (or a screen or a shelter). So, the person observing fasting should avoid sexual relation with his wife and should not behave foolishly and impudently, and if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, ‘I am fasting.” The Prophet added, “By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, the smell coming out from the mouth of a fasting person is better in the sight of Allah than the smell of musk. (Allah says about the fasting person), ‘He has left his food, drink and desires for My sake. The fast is for Me. So I will reward (the fasting person) for it and the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times.” (Hadith narrated by Bukhari).
Fasting actually is not just in the month of Ramadan. There are other sunnah fasts to complement the mandatory (wajib) fast such as fasting of prophet Daud AS (one day fasting and one day not), fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, fasting in the month of Shawwal (for 6 days), fasting nishfu (in the mid of each Hijr month), fasting in the day of Arafat (for people who do not perform haj), or fasting on the 10th of Muharam. We have to conduct fasting based on sunnah Rasulullah SAW.
Do you really know the benefits of fasting? Read here!
