Ramadan – protection and hidden act of worship
The Prophet ﷺ said:
قال رسولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : «بُنِيَ الإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ: شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلَاةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَحَجِّ الْبَيْتِ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ».
“The religion of Islam is built on five: the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, paying zakat, performing Hajj to the House, and fasting Ramadan.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Islam has been built on five
It has been narrated that Islam has been built on five pillars. When you trace the history of this narration, you find that it came towards the end of the Prophet’s ﷺ life, most likely around the 8th or 9th year after Hijrah. Although zakat and fasting were prescribed in the 2nd year after Hijrah, and salah was prescribed around 18 months before Hijrah, Hajj was prescribed later (around the 8th or 9th year after Hijrah). When you look at these obligations together, you also find them included within the Hadith of Jibril, when Jibril came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him about Islam, iman, and ihsan.
أَتَى جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الإِسْلَامِ. قَالَ: «الإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا».
“Jibril came to the Prophet and said: ‘Tell me about Islam.’ He said: ‘Islam is to testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish prayer, to give zakat, to fast Ramadan, and to perform Hajj to the House if you are able to do so.’”
(Sahih Muslim)
Why these pillars benefit us
When we go through the seerah, we see that these pillars are beneficial for us. Salah is our connection to Allah. Fasting (siyam) is like a shield, as the Prophet ﷺ said: when you are fasting it is a protection for you, unless you makes holes in it by doing what displeases Allah (such as sins of the tongue and limbs).
عن أبي هريرة، – رضى الله عنه – يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
“ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ إِلاَّ الصِّيَامَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ وَالصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلاَ يَرْفُثْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلاَ يَسْخَبْ فَإِنْ سَابَّهُ أَحَدٌ أَوْ قَاتَلَهُ فَلْيَقُلْ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ صَائِمٌ . وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَخُلُوفُ فَمِ الصَّائِمِ أَطْيَبُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْمِسْكِ وَلِلصَّائِمِ فَرْحَتَانِ يَفْرَحُهُمَا إِذَا أَفْطَرَ فَرِحَ بِفِطْرِهِ وَإِذَا لَقِيَ رَبَّهُ فَرِحَ بِصَوْمِهِ ” .
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said that Allah the Exalted and Majestic said:
Every act of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting. It is (exclusively) meant for Me and I (alone) will reward it. Fasting is a shield. When any one of you is fasting on a day, he should neither indulge in obscene language, nor raise his voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him he should say: I am a person fasting. By Him, in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the breath of the observer of fast is sweeter to Allah on the Day of judgment than the fragrance of musk. The one who fasts has two (occasions) of joy, one when he breaks the fast he is glad with the breaking of (the fast) and one when he meets his Lord he is glad with his fast. (Muslim)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Fasting is a shield so long as it is not pierced,” (Nasa’i)
“Fasting is a shield from the Fire, like the shield one of you uses in battle.” (Ibn Majah)
The reward of fasting is singled out
The Prophet ﷺ also taught that Allah multiplies the deeds of the son of Adam: a good deed is rewarded ten times its like, even seven hundred times depending on the intention behind and sincerity of the action. This is from the generosity of Allah. But fasting is singled out as an exception in a special way: Allah says that fasting is for Him, so He Himself will reward it. The fasting person leaves their desires and food for Allah’s sake. This is why Allah made fasting special.
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ، الحَسَنَةُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعِمِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ. قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: إِلَّا الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ، يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَطَعَامَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي».
“Every deed of the son of Adam is multiplied: a good deed is rewarded ten times its like up to seven hundred times. Allah the Most High said: ‘Except fasting, for it is for Me, and I will reward it. He leaves his desires and food for My sake.’”
(Muslim)
Since all deeds are for Allah and He is the One who rewards them, the scholars differed regarding the meaning of the statement: “Fasting is for Me, and I shall reward for it.” Why was fasting singled out in this way? Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalani mentioned ten explanations; the most important are:
- Fasting is more sincere and free from showing off (riya’).
- Unlike other acts of worship, fasting is hidden and known only to Allah. Hence, Allah attributed it to Himself.
- Its reward is unlimited and known only to Allah.
- Other deeds are multiplied from ten to seven hundred times or more, but fasting is rewarded without measure, as in the verses:
{مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنْبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنْبُلَةٍ مِائَةُ حَبَّةٍ وَاللَّهُ يُضَاعِفُ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ} [البقرة: 261] .
“The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like a seed that grows seven ears; in every ear are a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies (the reward) for whom He wills. And Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.” (2:261)
إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
(سورة الزمر ٣٩:١٠)
“Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.” (39:10)
These are why fasting is especially beloved to Allah. Hence, the statement “Fasting is for Me” indicates its high status and excellence over other acts. It is an attribution of honour and distinction. Just as the way Allah refers to mosques as his houses, and the phrase “the House of Allah,” signifies elevation and special virtue.
Patience, sabr, and ramadan
All deeds are rewarded, but the reward for patience is without limit. Allah mentions this in the Quran, and fasting is from the greatest forms of patience. Ramadan is the month of sabr, as the Prophet ﷺ referred to it:
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
شَهْرُ الصَّبْرِ يعني رمضان
The month of patience, which is Ramadan. (Nasai)
Through fasting, Allah is encouraging us to protect our ears, eyes, tongue, and limbs, so we do not ruin our reward.
The patient are rewarded without measure as mentioned above.
A hidden worship and a huge return
Scholars also commented that the reward for fasting is high because, unlike salah and other pillars which can be seen, fasting is between the servant and Allah. It is a deeply sincere worship, and it is also one of the longest acts of worship: taming desires and training the self to control whims, the tongue, and the limbs. The return on this investment is unimaginable, and that is why Allah kept its reward hidden and special.
With Ramadan very close, we ask Allah to allow us to reach Ramadan with open hearts. Ameen.
Based on the khutbah of Shaykh Haytham Tamim on 13th February 2026.