18 – Al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Ḥasan related to us; Yazīd ibn Hārūn narrated to us. He said: Hishām ibn Abī Hishām informed us, from Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn al-Aswad, from Abū Salamah, from Abū Hurayrah, who said:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“My community has been granted in the month of Ramadan five distinctions that were not given to any nation before it:

1. the breath of the fasting person is, in Allah’s sight, more fragrant than the scent of musk;
2. the angels seek forgiveness for them until they break their fast;
3. the rebellious devils are chained so that they cannot do what they normally do outside this month;
4. every day Allah adorns His Garden and proclaims, ‘Soon My fasting servants will cast off their hardships and hurts and will come to you’; and
5. they are forgiven on the last night.”

It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, is that the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr)?”

He replied, “No; rather, the labourer receives his wages when he has completed his work.”