—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that Allah Most High did not forbid the fasting person to eat because He needs him to abstain from food and drink, as a master might withhold some of his property from his slaves. Rather, the intended aim is what Allah Most High loves—namely, the attainment of piety. If he fails to attain it, then he has performed a deed that Allah neither loves nor is pleased with, so he receives no reward for it; yet he is not punished (1) as one who abandons the fast is punished.
Accepted good deeds expiate bad deeds. Hence the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said in the authentic hadith (2):
“The five prayers, one Friday prayer to the next, and one Ramadan to the next are an expiation for whatever occurs between them, provided the major sins are avoided.” (3)
If everything were expiated by the five prayers (4), there would be no need for the Friday prayer. Expiation, however, is brought about by accepted good deeds. Most people are credited with only part of their prayer, and it expiates sins in proportion to that part; what remains still requires expiation.
For this reason, it has been transmitted through more than one route from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that he said:
“The first of a servant’s deeds for which he will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection is the prayer. If it is complete, then all is well; otherwise, it will be said, ‘See whether he has any voluntary prayers.’ If he has voluntary prayers, the obligatory prayer will be completed by them (5). The rest of his deeds (6) will then be treated in the same manner.” (7)
(1) B alone reads: “But he is not punished for it.”
(2) N and M read: “in the authentic hadith.”
(3) This hadith, with variations in wording, is narrated from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—in *Sahīh Muslim*, 1/209, Book of Purification, chapter “The Five Prayers”; and *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 1/138, Book of Prayer, chapter “What Has Been Related concerning the Virtue of the Five Prayers.” Al-Tirmidhī said: “Reports on this subject are also narrated from Jābir, Anas, and Hanzala al-Usayyidī. The hadith of Abū Hurayra is *hasan sahīh*.”
(4) A reads: “by the category.”
(5) W reads: “it was completed by it.”
(6) A reads: “the actions”; H and B read: “his deeds.”
(7) This hadith, with variations in wording, is narrated from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—in *Sunan al-Tirmidhī*, 1/258–259, Book of Prayer, chapter “What Has Been Related concerning Prayer Being the First Thing for Which a Servant Will Be Called to Account on the Day of Resurrection.” It begins: “Indeed, the first thing for which a servant will be called to account on the Day of Resurrection…” Al-Tirmidhī said: “The hadith of Abū Hurayra is a *hasan gharīb* hadith through this route. It has also been narrated from Abū Hurayra through another route.” The hadith is also found in *Sunan Abī Dāwūd*, 1/317, Book of Prayer, chapter “The Prophet’s Statement—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—‘Every Prayer That Its Performer Does Not Complete’”; *Sunan al-Nasāʾī*, 1/187–189, Book of Prayer, chapter “Being Called to Account for Prayer”; *Sunan Ibn Mājah*, 1/458, Book of Establishing Prayer and the Sunnah concerning It, chapter “What Has Been Related concerning Prayer Being the First Thing for Which a Servant Will Be Called to Account”; and *al-Musnad*, al-Maʿārif ed., 15/19–26. Ahmad Shākir—may Allah have mercy on him—said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic,” and discussed the hadith. The hadith also appears in *al-Musnad* in many other places.