The first reason is that he has carried out one of Allah’s prescribed obligations, a duty that the Almighty Himself enabled him to fulfill. How many people now lying in their graves would long to fast a single day but can no longer do so! How many others intended to fast yet did not complete it! When the believer breaks his fast he is therefore delighted, for he has succeeded in performing an act that Allah has made mandatory.

His joy is doubled by a second favor: Allah now permits him to partake of what his very nature inclines toward—food, drink, and marital intimacy—after these had been forbidden to him during the daylight hours.

Thus, the two delights experienced at sunset are: first, gratitude for having completed the obligation, and second, gratitude for Allah’s allowing him once again to enjoy his cherished appetites of eating, drinking, and spousal relations.

Among the other lessons of this hadith is its reference to the wisdom behind the legislation of fasting. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When one of you is observing a fast, let him neither engage in obscene speech nor raise his voice in dispute.” In other words, he should not utter anything sinful, nor should he become loud and boisterous. Rather, he ought to remain dignified, calm, and deliberate. If someone reviles or insults him, he should not shout back; instead, he simply says, “I am fasting.” He does so to show the aggressor that he is perfectly capable of responding in kind but refrains because his fast restrains him. Hence, he says it aloud.

By saying, “I am fasting,” he also admonishes his own soul, as if to tell it, “Because I am fasting, do not retaliate against this person’s abuse.” This meaning is noble and profound. For that reason the Prophet ﷺ, whenever something of this world pleased him