Rewards of Fasting

There are many virtues and rewards of fasting in ramzan. Many ahadith and Quranic ayahs can b found regarding this subject. These rewards are necessary to acknowledge in order for perfecting our fasting and seeking Allah’s pleasure and mercy.

Taqwa

Fasting is the best way to attain taqwa. Taqwa comes through utmost excellence in the worship of Allah. The reward of taqwa is paradise. People of taqwa are successful in this life and hereafter where they would dwell in paradise for eternity. Allah says in the Holy Quran:

Allah says [meaning]: "O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for people before you so that you will (learn how to) attain Taqwa" [al-Baqarah, 2:183]

Allah recommends Fasting

"and fast, it is better for you, if only you knew" [al-Baqarah, 2:184]

Indeed if Allah says that something is better of us, it is really better for us and we should strive to perfect it.

Practices of the prophets

Fasting has been recommended not only to the ummah of the last prophet Muhammad (saw) rather it been the practice of all the previous prophets and their races.  Hence if fasting has been made fard then it means it really does hold something precious in itself with endless rewards.

The actual reward

There are many ahadith regarding the rewards and virtues of fasting in Ramadan. Here are some narrated by Abu Huraira (RA)

The Prophet said that your Lord said, "Every (sinful) deed can be expiated; and the fast is for Me, so I will give the reward for it; and the smell which comes out of the mouth of a fasting person, is better in Allah's Sight than the smell of musk." [Bukhari]

The Prophet said, "Allah said: The Fast is for Me and I will give the reward for it, as he (the one who observes the fast) leaves his sexual desire, food and drink for My Sake. Fasting is a screen (from Hell) and there are two pleasures (moments of happiness or joys) for a fasting person, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time when he will meet his Lord. And the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better in Allah's Sight than the smell of musk." [Bukhari]

The Prophet said, "(Allah said), 'Every good deed of Adam's son is for him except fasting; it is for Me. and I shall reward (the fasting person) for it.' Verily, the smell of the mouth of a fasting person is better to Allah than the smell of musk." [Bukhari]

He also said: "Every action of the son of Adam is given manifold reward, each good deed receiving ten times its like, up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said: 'Except for fasting, for it is for Me and I will give recompense for it, he leaves off his desires and his food for Me'. For the fasting person there are two times of joy; a time of joy when he breaks his fast and a time of joy when he meets his Lord, and the smell coming from the mouth of the fasting person is better with Allah than the smell of Musk." [Muslim]

The greatest reward is, of course, Paradise. this will be covered under the section "Ramadan; a way to Paradise".