up to seven-hundred-fold. Allah the Exalted says: “Except for fasting—for it is Mine, and I Alone reward for it. He has left his passions and his food for My sake. The fasting person has two moments of joy: joy when he breaks his fast, and joy when he meets his Lord. And the breath of a fasting person is more pleasing to Allah than the fragrance of musk.”
[Explanation]
This hadith of Abu Hurayrah is quoted by the author—may Allah have mercy on him—in the chapter on the obligation of fasting in Riyad al-Salihin, after citing the relevant verses.
It contains a number of points of benefit:
- Allah, glorified and exalted, has set the fast apart for Himself, whereas the other deeds of the son of Adam—meaning everything besides fasting—are for the son of Adam. Allah says: “Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting; it is Mine.”
The meaning is that Allah singles fasting out from all other acts, for fasting is, without exception, the greatest act of worship: it is a secret between a person and his Lord. A man may sit among the people and no one knows whether he is fasting or not; his intention lies hidden within. Because it embodies the highest level of sincerity, Allah has distinguished it from every other deed.
Some scholars have explained the hadith as follows: on the Day of Resurrection, if a person owes others compensation for the wrongs he committed against them, those people will be given recompense from his good deeds—except his fasting. None of it will be taken, because it belongs to Allah Most High, not to the person himself. This is a fine interpretation, for it shows that the reward for fasting remains fully intact for its owner and no—