Advising the great Sahabi Abu Tharr al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him, regarding the fast being a protection against the fire, he (pbuh) is quoted saying, “Shall I inform you of a deed which, if you do it, will keep Satan away from you as much as the distance between the east of the earth and the west?”
People answered, “O yes, indeed, O Messenger of Allah!”
He (pbuh) said, “Fast darkens his (Satan’s) face; alms break his back; the desire to please Allah and the giving of assistance to do good deeds cut his tail off, and seeking Allah’s forgiveness cuts off his aorta.”
Then he added, “For everything there is purification (zakat), and the purification of bodies is the fast.”
He (pbuh) is also quoted saying, “One who fasts is considered to adore his Creator even while sleeping on his bed as long as he does not backbite any Muslim.”
He (pbuh) has also said, “There are two merry occasions for anyone who performs the fast: one when he breaks his fast: and one when he meets his Lord, the Exalted, the Almighty. I swear by the One Who controls Muhammad’s life, the excess on the mouth of one who fasts is better in the sight of Allah than the sweet smell of musk.” He (pbuh) has also said that the Exalted and Almighty has said (in a Hadithe- Qudsi) that all good deeds of a descendant of Adam are His (to reward) “except the fast, for it is mine, and I shall reward for it. All good deeds of the son of Adam are rewarded with ten to seven hundred times except perseverance, for it is mine and I reward for it.” So, the knowledge of the rewards of perseverance is with Allah, and “perseverance” means fast.
Regarding the interpretation of His saying (in the Holy Qur’an) “. . and seek aid with perseverance,” meaning the fast, it is reported that the person who fasts enjoys the gardens of Paradise and the angels keep praying for him till he breaks his fast. If a believer stands during a portion of the night to perform additional optional prayers, then he wakes up fasting, no sin will be recorded against him.
Whenever he takes one step, it will be recorded as a good deed for him, and if he dies during daytime, his soul will ascend the heights of heaven. If he lives to break his fast, the Almighty will consider him among those who often return to Him for forgiveness. In the book titled Thawab al- A’mal, relying on the authority of Abu Abdullah who quotes his forefathers, peace be upon all of them, the author, namely Shaikh al-Qummi al-Saduq, quotes one tradition indicating that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has said, “The sleep of someone fasting is like adoration, and his breath praises the Almighty.”
