First: It is among the greatest acts of devotion—an intimate secret between the servant and his Lord, representing the highest fulfillment of trust.

Second: It is an exercise in the virtue of patience, uniting all three of its forms: patience in obeying Allah, patience in abstaining from sin, and patience in bearing the painful decrees of Allah.

Third: By tasting deprivation and hunger, the fasting person is reminded of Allah’s incessant favors and calls to mind his poor brethren who endure such deprivation for their entire lives.

Fourth: It brings health benefits. Fasting grants the digestive system rest—a holiday from continual filling and emptying—allowing it to recuperate, refresh, and regain its strength.

Thus, fasting is a lofty act of worship that gathers every good quality and repels every evil one. For this reason Allah the Exalted prescribed it for the nations before us, saying: “O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become mindful of Allah” (al-Baqarah 2:183).