The ahadith about fasting mention two distinct kinds of fasting which are contrary to each other. On one hand we are told:
“Whosoever fasts in Ramadan with sincere faith and to seek Allah’s pleasure will be forgiven all his previous sins. And whoever stands in prayer during the nights of Ramadan with sincere faith and to seek Allah’s pleasure will be forgiven all his previous sins.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
We are also told that,
“Every good deed of man is rewarded ten to seven hundred times more than is due to it except fasting. About it (fasting) Allah (SWT) says that it is exclusively for Me and I will Myself reward it.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
On the other hand we have ahadith like the following:
“Many observers of fast are there who get nothing out of fasting except thirst and many of those who spend their nights standing in prayers gain nothing but sleeplessness out of it” (Darimi)
Another hadith says that “one who does not abandon falsehood and acting up to it, God is in no need of his giving up food and drink.” (Bukhari)
These two classes of ahadith draw our attention to the real purpose for which fasting has been prescribed. Sawm (fasting) as the Quran tells us has been prescribed to cultivate the virtue of taqwa (God-consciousness) among us in a way as to serve as a watchman over us for the rest of the year. If our fasting serves this purpose, we fall in the category of those whose sins are forgiven as a reward for fasting and who earn unaccounted and incalculable recompense form Allah. If, on the other hand, fasting is a mere physical exercise and leaves our thinking, feeling and perception unaffected and brings about no change in our behaviour, we fall in the category of those who gain nothing out of their fasting but hunger and thirst. To which category do we belong? Let us close our eyes and seek an answer.          

Lastupdate on : Thu, 2 Aug 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 2 Aug 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 3 Aug 2012 00:00:00 IST