Just a quick recap, to refresh and energise you as to the purpose/virtues of fasting and Ramadhan...
Time to renew and refresh your intentions,put your deen into gear and jump start your emaan inshaAllah.
May Allah give us all the tawfiq. Ameen.
DEFINITION
Linguistically, siyaam in Arabic means abstinence. In Islamic terminology, it means abstaining from things that break the fast, from dawn until sunset, having first made the intention (niyyah) to do so.
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The virtues of fasting are great indeed, and one of the things reported in authentic (saheeh) ahaadeeth is that Allaah has chosen fasting for Himself, and He will reward it and multiply the reward without measure, as He says [in a Hadeeth Qudsi5]:
“Except for fasting which is only for My sake, and I will reward him for it." (Al Bukhari)
Fasting has no equal (Al‐Nasaa`i, 4/165; Saheeh at‐Targheeb, 1/413), and the du‘aa (supplication) of the fasting person will not be refused. (Reported by al‐Bayhaqi, 3/345; al‐Silsilat al‐Saheehah, 1797).
‐ The fasting person has two moments of joy: one when he breaks his fast, and one when he meets his Lord and rejoices over his fasting (Reported by Muslim, 2/807.)
‐ Fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgment and will say,
“O Lord, I prevented him from his food and physical desires during the day, so let me intercede for him.” (Reported by Ahmad, 2/174. Al‐Haythami classed its isnaad as hasan in al‐Majma’, 3/181. See also Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/411.)
‐ The smell that comes from the mouth of a fasting person is more beloved to Allaah than the scent of musk. (Muslim, 2/807).
‐ Fasting is a protection and a strong fortress that keeps a person safe from the Fire. (Reported by Ahmad, 2/402; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/411; Saheeh al‐Jaami’, 3880.)
‐ Whoever fasts one day for the sake of Allaah, Allaah will distance him from the Fire a distance of seventy years from the Fire. (Reported by Muslim, 2/808).
‐ Whoever fasts one day seeking the pleasure of Allaah, if that is the last day of his life, he will enter Paradise. (Reported by Ahmad, 5/391; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/412).
‐ “In Paradise there is a gate called al‐Rayyaan through which those who fast will enter, and no one will enter through it except them; when they have entered it will be locked, and no‐one else will enter through it.” (Al‐Bukhaari, Fath, no. 1797).
‐ Ramadan is a pillar of Islam, the Qur`aan was revealed in this month, and in it there is a night that is better than a thousand months.
‐ “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are put in chains.” (Reported by al‐Bukhaari, al‐Fat’h, no. 3277.)
‐ Fasting Ramadan is equivalent to fasting ten months. (See Musnad Ahmad, 5/280; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/421).
‐ “whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and with the hope of (Allah’) reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.” (Reported by al‐Bukhaari, Fath, no. 37.)
‐ With the breaking of every fast, Allaah will choose people to free from Hellfire. (Reported by Ahmad, 5/256; Saheeh al‐Targheeb, 1/419).
Excerpt from: "Seventy Matters related to fasting" by Shaykh Al Munajjid
available for download here: http://75.126.222.101/data/en/ih_books/signal/en_Matters_Related_to_Fasting.pdf
