The Meaning of the ḥadīth: “All the deeds of the son of Adam are for him except fasting”
Question: In the sacred ḥadīth Allah, exalted be He, says: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is Mine, and I alone shall reward it.” Would Your Eminence kindly explain this ḥadīth and clarify why fasting has been singled out in this way? May Allah bless you.
Answer: This is a tremendous and fully authenticated ḥadīth that the Prophet ﷺ relates from his Lord. He said: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is Mine, and I alone shall reward it.” The narration highlights the excellence of fasting and its special rank among all other acts of worship, for Allah has set it apart for Himself from among His servant’s deeds. This is an honour conferred upon fasting and a preference granted to it over other works.
The scholars have offered several explanations for the divine words, “Fasting is Mine, and I alone shall reward it.”
- Some have said that the meaning is this: a person’s other deeds may be taken from him in requital for the wrongs he inflicted on others. Thus the wronged will settle their accounts with him on the Day of Resurrection by taking portions of his good deeds, as in the ḥadīth: “A man will come on the Day of Resurrection with righteous deeds as huge as mountains, but he will have insulted this one, struck that one and consumed the wealth of another. A share of his good deeds will be taken for this person and a share for that; when his good deeds are exhausted and nothing remains, the sins of the wronged will be placed upon him, and he will be hurled into the Fire.” Fasting, however, will not be taken from him on that Day; rather, it will be stored away for him