Discovering Allah's Blessings:

A person experiences the hardship of the poor. He should then be thankful to Allah Who has blessed him with His bounty while others are deprived. This should make him more sympathetic and willing to share this bounty. The poor rediscovers that fasting helps a person be more devoted to worship. More able to concentrate and meditate. He should then be able of this devotion all year long, a blessing he should thank Allah for.


Acquiring strength and endurance:

It has been discovered that depriving the body of food for a period of time helps its defense and endurance mechanism. This in turn this protects the body from certain diseases.


Remember that fasting is not only dependent on abstentions:

Many believe that fasting consist only of certain abstentions, forgetting that Allah established certain acts of worship with fasting. Among which are:

Qyamul-layl: The Prophet (SAW) said:

"Whoever performed the night prayer during Ramadan out of belief and anticipating God's rewards, will be forgiven his previous sins. " (Related by Muslim).

Performing Umrah: The Prophet (SAW) said:

"An Umrah during Ramadan is like a Hajj with me." (Related by Al-Hakim)

Offering iftar (meal) to those who fasted. The Prophet (SAW) said:

"Whoever feeds a fasting person has the same reward as him, except that the reward of the fasting person will not be diminished." (Related by Ahmad).


Reading and completing the Qur'an: The Prophet (SAW) said:

"Fasting and [reading] Qur'an will intercede for the person: fasting will say: O Lord I forbade him eating and drinking so let intercede for him, and the Qur'an will say: I deprived him from his night sleep so let me intercede for him," he then said: "So they will intercede." (Related by Ahmad).

The Prophet (SAW) used to recite the whole Qur'an to Angel Jibreel each Ramadan.


Giving in charity: Ibn Abbas (RA) said:

"The Prophet (SAW) was the most generous among people, and he was more generous during the month of Ramadan." (Related by Muslim)


I'tikaf: which is to confine oneself in the masjid for prayer and invocation leaving the worldly activities. Ibn Abbas (RA) said:

"The Prophet (SAW) used to perform I'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan." Related by Muslim). It is surprising that many people have abandoned I'tikaf though the Prophet (SAW) never abandoned it from the time he arrived to Madinah until he died.


Supplication: In the verses dealing with fasting, Allah said:

"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then answer them, I am indeed near to them. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me."

Sura Al-Baqarah (2:186)

This is an encouragement for the fasting person to increase his invocation. The Prophet (SAW) said: Three invocations will be answered:

1. The invocation of the fasting person
2. The invocation of the oppressed
3. And the invocation of the traveler. (Related by Muslim)

Repentance: Ramadan is the time of repentance and return to Allah, for it is a time when the devils are chained, and when many people are saved from hell fire every night by the grace of Allah.