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Katherine Ahmed
Professor Kurs
Fasting as Spiritual Technology
5/1/14
Fasting for Paradise:
Abstention and Its Rewards in the Islamic Tradition
The Prophet said: Whoever keeps a nafl fast, Allah will create a tree in Heaven
for him, the fruit of the tree will be smaller than a pomegranate and larger than an
apple. It will be as sweet and delicious as honey. On the Day of Judgement, Allah
will feed the fruits of this tree to the fasting person. (Al-Tabarani, Mu’jam Kabir)
In the Quran, every Muslim is commanded to fast during the holy month of
Ramadan from sunrise to sunset. While this action is prescribed, it is also a special
moment of gratitude for each Muslim to the God who revealed the scripture to their
Prophet during this month. From reading scripture alone, one might not have known that
many Muslims also complete additional fasts throughout the year- not only to make up
for those they might have nullified or missed during Ramadan- but to simply go above
and beyond the prescription. Why complete these nafl [supererogatory] fasts? What can
the Quran and Hadith [traditions of the Prophet and the companions] tell scholars about
the purpose of the fast for the individual and the ummah [Muslim community]? Using a
digital translation of the Quran and a translated digital compilation of the major hadith
collections, I have begun to answer these grand questions.
Unlike the obligatory fasts that are prescribed in the Quran, the nafl fasts are
mentioned only in hadith. The Prophet recommended completing additional fasts as a
way of releasing sins. These are bold statements that many Muslims struggle with
accepting despite their sahih [authentic] status. This is because the fasts of Ramadan are
not even described in the Quran as being able to erase sins. Despite this, plenty still treat
the claims recorded in hadith as truth. Such examples include a hadith attributed to Abu
Huraira: “the Prophet said: ‘whoever fasts during Ramadan out of sincere faith and
hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.’” (Bukhari) As
for nafl fasts: “For fasting the day of ‘Ashura’, I hope that Allah will accept it as
expiation for the year the went before.” (Muslim) This follows the tradition of Moses,
who had faith that God would reward his fast by expiating the grave sins of the Israelites.
(Deuteronomy 9:18-20)
Upon the Qiyama [The Day of Resurrection], it is said by the Prophet that
every day that was fasted removes the hellfire seventy years further away from his face.
(Bukhari, Muslim) He also describes fasting as a “shield with which a servant protects
himself from the Fire.”(Ahmad ibn Hanbal) Additionally, the Prophet said: “If someone
keeps a nafl fast and is given the whole earth full of gold, his reward will still remain
incomplete, he will be given his reward on the Day of Judgement only.” (Abu Ya’la) The
final reward for completing nafl fasts is unknown, but according to the strong and
authentic hadith of Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet described a gate in Paradise, named
ar-Rayyan, through which those who fasted will enter. Muhammad’s other poetic
descriptions of rewards are found in hadith such as one attributed to Abu Hurairah:
“Whoever fasts a day for the pleasure of Allah, Allah puts him as far away from Hell as

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is the distance covered by a baby crow flying continuously till it grows old and dies.”
(Ahmad ibn Hanbal) Another vivid illustration given by Abu Darda, a well-known
companion of the prophet, is as follows:
Every hair of a fasting person makes tasbih [a prayer of intercession] for
him. On the Day of Judgement, there shall be a mat of gold embroidered
with pearls and gems and it will be as large as the earth. It will be full of
Heavenly foods, drinks and fruits. The fasting people will eat and enjoy
themselves whereas other people shall be facing the difficulties of
accountability. (Firdaus - bima’ Šaur-ul- Khiṭāb, pp. 490, vol. 5, Ḥadīth
8853)
However, it must be noted that these nafl fasts are understood to erase only minor
sins, so long as the Muslim completes all of their necessary obligations such as salat,
zakat and obligatory fasts of Ramadan and did not commit any major transgressions. This
is explained by Imam an-Nawawi, a seventh-century author of fiqh and hadith: “It [nafl
fasting] expiates for all minor sins, i.e., it brings forgiveness of all sins except major
sins.” Then he said “If he had committed major sins but no minor sins, we hope that his
major sins will be reduced.” (Sharh al-Muhadhdhab) Ibn Taymiyyah, a 13th century
scholar, similarly said: “Taharah, salah, and fasting in Ramadan, on the day of Arafah
and on Ashura expiate for minor sins only.” (Al-Fatawa al-Kubra) As for completing
fasts despite one’s transgressions, the Prophet had this to say: “Whoever does not
abandon falsehood in word and action, then God has no need that he should leave his
food and drink.” (Bukhari)
Fasting tests the will of the Muslim and teaches him or her patience and self-
restraint. This is especially true for the nafl fast. When an individual fasts without the
company of the community, they enjoy special benefits. It is recorded in hadith that the
Prophet said to his companion, Bilal, upon learning of his fast, “O Bilal! Do you know
that angels keep making Dua [invocation] for the fasting person’s forgiveness and his
bones make Tasbih [a prayer of intercession] as long as someone eats before him?” (Ibn
Majah)
Completing nafl fasts further test the individual because it is done purely for the
sake of Allah. According to Abu Hurairah, the Prophet said: “Allah said: ‘Every deed of
the son of Adam is for him except fasting; it is for Me and I shall reward for it…’”
Unlike other deeds, fasting cannot be contaminated by the sin of riyaa [showing off for
the sake of others] because it cannot be seen, like prayer or zakat [alms-giving]. The sin
of showing off is not unique to Islamic theology; similar anxieties are found earlier- in
Biblical scripture: “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by
them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 6:1)
The testing of the individual prepares one for the Qiyama and entry into the
afterlife. For example, patience will be rewarded: “For those who do good in this world is
good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward
without account.” (39:10) Along with that, continual testing of the self through
supererogatory fasts results in a more honest understanding of one’s deeds both good and
bad. This prepares one for the moment of death in which one will be examined: “And the
intoxication of death will bring the truth; that is what you were trying to avoid.” (50:19)
On Qiyama, it is written that every Muslim will be tested and held accountable for
his or her actions on earth. Fasting is recommended as a means of preparation for this day

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as well as the day of death because it provides time for introspection and further study of
the ‘deen’ [path to righteousness]. Hassan Al-Basri, a seventh-century scholar and
contemporary of the companions of the Prophet, wrote:
The test of Adam, peace be upon him, was food and it is your test until
Qiyama. And, it used to be said: Whoever takes control of his stomach
gets control of all good deeds. And, wisdom does not reside in a full
stomach.
Ash-Shafi’i, whose teaching is the foundation of the Shafi’i madhab [Muslim law school]
named after him, made a similar statement: “I have not filled myself in sixteen years
because filling oneself makes the body heavy, removes clear understanding, induces
sleep and makes one weak for worship.”
Preparation is essential not only for one’s future encounter with God, but- as some
hadith suggest- Satan as well. It is recorded that the Prophet believed that Satan was near
at the time of death. According to Abu Nu’aym, as recorded in his Hilyat Al-Awliyaa, the
Prophet said:
Be present when the dying ones among you are breathing their last and
prompt them to recite ‘Laa ilaaha illa Allah [None has the right to
worshipped but Allah]’ as the wise among men and women gets mystified
at that moment of severity and difficulty, and at that moment of difficulty,
the devil is closer to the son of Adam than ever before.
This conjures up the story of the temptation of Jesus, recorded in Luke (4:1-4) and
Matthew (4:1-11) who was tested by the devil while in a state of fast. Jesus responds to
each of the devil’s inquiries by quoting scripture. If Jesus were not well versed in his
faith, would he have stood so firm against the devil while in a state of abstention?
In Islamic theology, inanimate things witness the deeds throughout the life of
every individual. On Qiyama, these things will speak on one’s behalf and reveal the good
and bad that one has done. It is said by the Prophet that the fast is an intercessor for the
servant of Allah on that day: “The fast will say: ‘O Lord, I prevented him from his food
and desires during the day. Let me intercede for him…and their intercession will be
accepted.” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal) For this reason, nafl fasts are encouraged so that each of
them will speak on the believer’s behalf.
Contemporary, secular advocates of fasting often praise its reputed health
benefits. Among the ummah, this conviction is also common because the Prophet was an
advocate for supplementary fasts and moderate eating as a path to not only spiritual but
physical well-being as well. A well-circulated hadith attributed to Al-Miqdaam ibn
Maadiy-Karib reads:
I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: ‘No human ever filled a vessel
worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels
to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one
third for his drink and one third for his breath.’
However, one must note that Muhammad’s penchant for moderation extended
also to the nature of one’s fast. Unlike his contemporary Christian ascetics who some of
which fasted unto death, he did not advocate for continual or consecutive fasts except for
Ramadan. A well-known hadith records the Prophet telling: “There is no reward for
fasting for the one who perpetually fasts.” (Bukhari, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Muslim)

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Along with this, other hadiths reveal the Prophet’s distaste of overeating. For
example, according to the most authentic hadith compilations- those attributed to
Muhammad al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj- the Prophet said:
The believer eats with one stomach while the kafir [unbeliever] eats with
seven stomachs,” he also said: “…[there] will come a [future generation
of] people who bear witness but are not asked to bear witness, who swear
oaths but do not fulfill them and fatness will appear among them.”
For this reason, Muslims strive to complete supplementary fasts and lighten their
appetites in hopes of following the ‘sunnah’ (the lifestyle of the Prophet). These
individuals are of a similar persuasion to those who complete fasts that emulate those of
other prophets, such as Moses (Deuteronomy 9:9; 9:18) and Jesus (Luke 4:1; Mark 4:1).
It is recorded that the Prophet said, “Keep fast, you will become healthy.” (Abu
Hurairah) By keeping good health through occasional fasting, one can potentially extend
his or her life. With this extra time on earth, each Muslim can offer additional good deeds
and repentance for the bad ones. In the words of the Prophet, “The best of people is one
whose life is long and his conduct is good.” (Tirmidhi) Caring for one’s health also
shows gratitude to Allah for being given life. This is surely a good deed because doing
the opposite (of self-care)- ending one’s life through suicide- is clearly prohibited in both
the Quran: “…do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful,” (4:29) and
hadith: “Indeed, whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be punished
in the Fire of Hell, wherein he shall dwell forever.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
Fasting is also a form of charity for the Muslim. Rewards are given not to the one
who fasts, but also the one who feeds the faster. The Prophet said, “He who gives food
for a fasting person to break his fast, he will receive the same reward as him, without
anything being reduced from the fasting person’s reward.” (Tirmidhi) The Prophet
encourages Muslims to share food and eat lightly when breaking fast: “The food of one
person is enough for two, food for two is enough for four, and food for four is enough for
eight.” (Muslim) After all, fasting is so that a Muslim will gain empathy for those who
starve unwillingly.
Along with their abstention from food and water, each Muslim is expected to put
their extra time during their fasts to good use and offer it as charity whether by
volunteering to feed the hungry or spending time in prayer for the community. It is stated
in the Quran: “Specific days (are designated for fasting)…If one volunteers more
righteous works, it is better.” (2:184)
The nafl fast itself can be used as charity for those who have passed away without
completing their obligatory fasts. This is revealed in a hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas, a
close companion and cousin of Muhammad:
A man came to the Prophet and said ‘O Allah’s Apostle! My mother died
and she ought to have fasted one month. Shall I fast on her behalf?’ The
Prophet replied in the affirmative and said, ‘Allah’s debts have more right
to be paid.’ And: ‘Whoever died owing fasts, then his guardian should fast
on his behalf.’ (Bukhari and Muslim)
Giving food is also a substitute for fasting for those who cannot complete them. The sick,
upon recovery, as well as the guardians of the deceased are told to feed the hungry to
make up their missed fasts if they cannot complete them: “…if one is ill or traveling, an
equal number of other days may be substituted. Those who have the ability may

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substitute feeding one poor person (for each day missed).” (2:184) This reveals that each
Muslim will be held accountable for their fasts on Qiyama.
If one were to begin their reading of the Quran from beginning to end, rather than
chronologically, the very first mention of fasting one would come across appears in the
second surah, entitled Surat al-Baqarah, which is translated as ‘The Cow’: “O you who
have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that
you may become righteous.” (2:183) The word that is being translated as righteous, ‘al-
muttaqoon,’ is the name for an elect community of believers; these individuals are the
ones who possess the almost enigmatic quality of ‘taqwa.’ Taqwa can be described as to
guard, to fear, or to be cautious. It is mentioned many times in the scripture and is
translated differently throughout. At some instances as righteousness, “And cooperate in
righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression,” (5:2) or
understanding and piety, “And whoever honors the symbols of Allah - indeed, it is from
the piety of hearts,” (22:32) or God-fearing, “But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment
and fears Allah - then indeed, Allah loves those who fear Him.” (3:76)
To have taqwa, one must complete all prescribed and obligatory deeds as well as
recommended ones while guarding oneself from acts of disobedience. It is well
documented in the Quran and hadith that those who possess taqwa will enter Paradise.
According to the well-known hadith collection written by Tirmidhi, the Prophet said:
“The most common thing that leads people to Paradise is taqwa of Allah and good
conduct…” And in the Quran it is stated, “...the good end is for the people of taqwa”
(20:132).
Not only does fasting prepare the individual for the afterlife, but the whole
ummah as well. First, it is important to highlight that the fasts are prescribed for the
community, so that they gain taqwa and become the community of muttaqeen who will
inherit paradise. Certain days and months are marked as holy in both the Quran and
hadith and are celebrated and revered by the community as a whole. When an individual
completes a fast as reverence during these times, he or she joins the ummah. The
recognition of the sacred nature of these times is what unites the community. This
phenomenon can be also read in the Jewish scripture:
Mark, on the tenth after this seventh New-Moon,
it is the Day of Atonement…
You are to afflict your selves…
Indeed, if any person does not afflict himself on that same day,
he is to be cut-off from his kinspeople… (Leviticus 23:27; 23:29)
The Quran describes the sacred months “Verily, the number of months with Allah
is twelve months in a year, so it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the
heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred.” (9:36) The four months are outlined by
the Prophet- they are Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab Mudar. (Bukhari)
During these months, it is said that good deeds have double the reward and bad deeds,
double the punishment. Not only are these months chosen as times to complete nafl fasts,
it is well documented that the Prophet fasted often during the month of Sha’ban.
According to the hadith of Muslim, it is likely that the virtue of Muharram was not
revealed to Muhammad until the end of his life. However, Abu Hurairah also narrates:

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“The Messenger of Allah said: ‘the best of fasting after Ramadan is fasting Allah’s month
of Muharram. (Muslim)
Along with months, certain days are described as sacred and are better to keep
nafl fasts on. One such day is the 10th of Muharram, referred to as the day of ‘Ashura.’
The importance of this day is explained in well-known hadith attributed to Ibn Abbas, a
companion of the Prophet: “The Prophet came to Madinah and saw the Jews fasting on
the day of ‘Ashura.’ He said, ‘What is this?’ They said, ‘This is a righteous day, it is the
day when Allah saved the Children of Israel from their enemies, so Musa fasted on this
day.’ (Bukhari) Upon hearing this, the Prophet fasted on that day and commanded the
Muslims to fast on that day as well because they also revered Moses. Thus was the start
of the communal fast among the Muslims [Muhammad fasted on Ashura before the
introduction of the Ramadan fasting], which was inspired by the fast of the Jews on that
same day.
Another time that is preferred for fasting is the day of Arafat. This is the day that
the final revelation was given to Muhammad on the plain of Arafat: “This day I have
perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you
Islam as your religion.” (5:3) By fasting on this day, Muslims are united in their belief of
that revelation and their hopes of releasing their sins. According to Imam an-Nawawi,
keeping with the tradition of the Prophet, “Fasting the day of Arafah expiates for two
years, and the day of Ashura expiates for one year.” Why are certain days preferred for
fasting? Al-Izz ibn Abdus-Salaam explains: “Times and places [are] given preferred
status…because Allah bestows His generosity on His slaves at those times or in those
places.” (Qawa’id al-Ahkam) This explains the instances of Muslims choosing to fast on
Mondays [the day of the week Muhammad was born] (Abu Hurairah) or the three full-
moon days [13th, 14th and 15th] of every lunar month. (Abu Dhair)
Perhaps the greatest goal of all Muslims and the ummah as a whole is to become a
part of the muttaqeen- the community of believers who possess taqwa. The Quran
describes how to become a part of this elect group in two places, first: “O mankind,
worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become al-
muttaqoon,” (2:21) and second: “this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do
not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way. This has He instructed
you that you may become righteous.” (6:153) But that is not simply all one must do, each
Muslim is encouraged to complete supererogatory deeds. Sufyan ath-Thauri, founder of
the Thauri madhab [law school], said: “they are called muttaqeen because they even
guard against things that are not to be guarded against.” (Ibn Rajab, Jami' al-Ulum wa al-
Hikam)
It is written in the Quran that Paradise is prepared for this community of
believers:
And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the
heavens and earth, prepared for ul-muttaqeen…their reward is forgiveness
from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise],
wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent is the reward of the
laborers. (3:133, 3:136)
The connection between fasting and entering paradise is even more explicit in
several hadith. Abu Umamah, a companion of the Prophet, claimed that he went to the
Messenger and said: “Order me to do a deed that will allow me to enter Paradise,” the

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Prophet replied “Stick to fasting, as there is no equivalent to it.” He went to him again
and again he said, “Stick to fasting.” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal) The power of a fast cannot be
denied for the Prophet said: “Whoever fasts one day seeking the pleasure of Allah, if that
is the last day of his life, he will enter Paradise.” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal) How great is a
deed if it can guarantee entry into Paradise!
Using the translated scripture and hadith collections, I have begun to tackle the
large questions that I have introduced at the start of my writing. I must admit the
shortcomings of such research- that is working from solely from translation rather than
primary text. It leaves much to be uncovered simply because many terms cannot be
perfectly translated into English. It is also the only way to read many of these hadith and
tafseer compilations, because they are very rare and old. However, I found using digital
databases useful because it allowed me to be much more precise in my investigation of
terms throughout the very large scripture. Despite these drawbacks, I believe that I have
presented a fresh scholarly insight, one that I have not come across in my studies thus far.
Bibliography
Bukhari, Muslim, Malik, Dawud Hadith Collection. Web.
<http://www.quranexplorer.com/Hadith/English/index.html>.
"Quranic Verses and Hadith on the Month of Ramadan and Fasting." Minhaj-ul-Quran.
N.p., 20 Dec 2007. Web. 25 April 2014.
<http://www.minhaj.org/english/tid/2954/Quranic-Verses-and-Hadith-on-the-
Month-of-Ramadan-and-Fasting.html>.
Ramzan Sunni Hanafi Jalali Razavi, Muhammad Imran, ed. "Benefits of Nafl fasts." The
Kanz-ul-Eman Network. The Kanzul Eman Network. Web. 25 April 2014.
<http://kinzulemaan.blogspot.com/2013/02/islamfastingnafl-fastsbenefits-of-
nafl.html>.
The Noble Qur'an. Web. <Quran.com>.