الصيام وتعظيم الله
أخرج البخاري ومسلم من حديث أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : (( قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ :كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ لَهُ إِلَّا الصِّيَامَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ ، وَالصِّيَامُ جُنَّةٌ فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ صَوْمِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلَا يَرْفُثْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَلَا 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 )) (1) ، وفي رواية لمسلم (( كُلُّ عَمَلِ ابْنِ آدَمَ يُضَاعَفُ ؛ الْحَسَنَةُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعمِائَة ضِعْفٍ ، قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَّا الصَّوْمَ فَإِنَّهُ لِي ، يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وَطَعَامَهُ مِنْ أَجْلِي ))(2)
Imam Al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim reported from the hadith of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
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; or 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. (1)
In a narration in Sahih Muslim ‘Every (good) deed of the son of Adam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold rewards. Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, has said: With the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give a reward for it, for one abandons his passion and food for My sake.’ (2)
إن الله تفضلاً منه وإكراماً لعباده يضاعف لهم الحسنات أضعافاً مضاعفة ؛ الحسنة بعشر أمثالها إلى سبعمائة ضعف على ما يفعلونه ويقومون به من الطاعات من أداء للواجبات وترك للمحرمات وترفُّع عن المكروهات ومنافسة ومسابقة في النوافل والمستحبات ، أما الصوم فإن الله قد نسبه إليه تشريفاً لشأنه ورفعاً لقدره ومنزلته عنده ولم يخبر بثوابه وأجره واكتفى بقوله : (( وَأَنَا أَجْزِي بِهِ )) فما ظنك بجزاء الله وعظيم تفضله لعباده الصائمين !! وليس أحدٌ من الناس يمكنه أن يحدِّد هذا الجزاء ولكن إذا عرفوا هذا الإله المتفضل والرب المكرم عرفوا عظم أجره وثوابه الذي يفرح بسببه العبد فرحتين ، فالله سبحانه هو الحي القيوم ، الكبير المتعال ، ذو الكبرياء والعظمة ، وهو القوي العزيز ، الغني الحميد ، ذو الجلال والإكرام ، لا يعجزه شيء ، ولا شيء يثقله أو يكرثه ، ولا يحتاج لأحدٍ ليرفعه أو يزيده ، ولا يخشى أحداً يضره أو ينقصه ، له القوة جميعاً وله الغنى المطلق ، لا تنفعه طاعة الطائعين ولا تضره معصية العاصين ، ولا ينقص خزائنه نفقاته التي أعطاها ويعطيها السائلين وغير السائلين منذ خلق السموات والأرض وإلى يوم لقائه ، الكل فقير إليه إنسهم وجنَّهم ، حيوانهم ونباتهم ، حجرهم ومدرهم ، حيّهم وميتهم ، من في الأرض ومن في السماء وما بينهما
Indeed, Allah, out of His kindness and honor to His servants, multiplies their good deeds many times over. One good deed is worth ten like it. It can be increased up to seven hundred times according to their obedience in performing their duties, refraining from prohibitions, avoiding disliked actions, and competing in voluntary acts of worship. As for fasting, Allah has attributed it to Himself as an honor and elevation of its status and rank with Him. He did not specify its reward and compensation, but merely said, ‘And I shall reward it.’ So, what do you think of Allah’s reward and great kindness to His fasting servants? No one among people can determine this reward, but if they know generousity of their Lord, they will know the greatness of His reward and compensation, which causes the servant to rejoice twice. Allah, the Exalted, is the Living, the Sustainer, the Great and Exalted One, the Mighty and Powerful, the Rich and Praiseworthy, the One of Majesty and Generosity. Nothing can weaken Him nor burden Him or diminish His glory. He needs no one to lift Him up or increase His status, nor does He fear anyone, no one can harm Him or diminish His greatness. He possesses all power and absolute wealth. The obedience of the obedient does not benefit Him, nor does the disobedience of the disobedient harm Him. His treasures are not diminished by His spending, which He has been giving to both those who ask and those who do not since the creation of the heavens and the earth until the day of meeting Him. Everyone on earth and in the heavens, whether they are humans, animals, plants, stones, or anything else, is in need of Him.
{ وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ [49] يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ } [النحل: 49-50]
And to Allah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the live moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e. they worship their Lord (Allah) with humility]. They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded. (Surah Nahl Ayah 49-50)
وقال تعالى: { أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ وَالنُّجُومُ وَالْجِبَالُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ الْعَذَابُ وَمَنْ يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ مُكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ } [الحج: 18]
See you not that to Allah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and Ad-Dawab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and many of mankind? But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily! Allah does what He wills. (Surah Al-Hajj Ayah 18)
والله ذو المنّ والعطاء والهبات العظيمة { الَّذِي أَعْطَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى } [طه: 50] تفضل على عباده بالهداية إلى هذا الدين وأكرمهم ببعثة محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وشرفهم بإنزال القرآن في شهر رمضان هدى للناس وبينات من الهدى والفرقان ليخرجهم من الظلمات إلى النور ، وكتب لهم الأجور العظيمة جزاءً لما يقومون به من واجبات ويجتنبونه من منهيات ومحرمات ، وأفعالهم التي يقومون بها لا تعدل شيئاً إذا قوبلت بنعمه على خلقه ؛ ولكنه محض تفضله سبحانه وإكرامه لعباده ؛ فهو الذي خلق وهو الذي هدى ووفَّق وهو الذي يعين ويكلأ ، وهو الذي يثيب ويكرم بأفضل الجزاء وأكمله ، فما أعظمه وما أجله وأكرمه وما أرحمه وأحلمه ، يأمر بالقليل ويجازي بالكثير ، والصائم تقرب إلى الله بطاعةٍ عظيمة عنده محبوبة إليه السر فيها بينه وبين عبده أكثر من العلن ، يظهر فيها كمال الإخلاص والخشية والمراقبة وجمالها ، فالصائم جمَعَ بين جمال الظاهر والباطن فسكنت جميع جوارحه لله والتزمت أمره وامتلأ قلبه حباً لله وإخلاصاً ، والله جميل يحب الجمال؛ فيحب من عبده أن يجمِّل لسانه بالصدق ، وقلبه بالإخلاص والمحبة والإنابة والتوكل ، وجوارحه بالطاعة ، وبدنه بإظهار نعمه عليه في لباسه وتطهيره له من الأنجاس والأحداث والأوساخ والشعور المكروهة والختان وتقليم الأظافر ، فيعرفه بصفات الجمال ، ويتعرف إليه بالأفعال والأقوال والأخلاق الجميلة فيعرفه بالجمال الذي هو وصفه ويعبده بالجمال الذي هو شرعه ودينه
Allah, the One who bestows favors and gifts and the One who gave everything to his creation and guided them, bestowed His guidance upon His servants to this religion and honored them with the sending of Muhammad (peace be upon him) to them and honored them with the revelation of the Quran in the month of Ramadan as guidance for mankind, clear proofs of guidance and distinction between right and wrong, to lead them from darkness into light. He has written for them great rewards as a result of fulfilling their obligations and avoiding what is forbidden. Their actions do not equate to anything when compared to Allah’s blessings upon His creation, but rather it is His pure favor and honor for His servants. He is the One who creates, guides, enables, supports, rewards and honors with the best and most complete of rewards. How great and noble He is, how generous and merciful, and how patient He is! He commands very little and rewards greatly. The one who fasts draws near to Allah with a great act of obedience that is beloved to Him. The secret of this act lies between Him and His servant more than the public display. The beauty of sincerity, fear and observation appear in it. The fasting person combines the beauty of the outward and the inward. All his limbs are devoted to Allah, and he follows His command. His heart is filled with love for Allah and sincerity. Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty. He loves His servant to beautify his tongue with truth, his heart with sincerity, love, repentance and trust. He loves his limbs with obedience, his body by displaying His blessings upon him in clothing and purifying him from impurities, circumcision, trimming nails, and making him aware of the attributes of beauty. He recognizes him through his deeds, words, and beautiful morals, and thus knows him through his own description, worships Him through the beauty of His Shariah and religion. (3)
والعبد كلما عظمت معرفته بالله وعلمه به في نفسه ازداد تعلقه بربه وشوقه إليه وامتلأ قلبه طمعاً ورغبة ورجاء في رضاه وثوابه وجنته ، وخشيةً وخوفاً من غضبه وعقابه ، والناس يتفاوتون في هذه المعرفة وهذا العلم ، قال ابن القيم رحمه الله : ” من الناس من يعرف الله بالجود والإفضال والإحسان ، ومنهم من يعرفه بالعفو والحلم والتجاوز ، ومنهم من يعرفه بالبطش والانتقام ، ومنهم من يعرفه بالعلم والحكمة، ومنهم من يعرفه بالعزة والكبرياء ، ومنهم من يعرفه بالرحمة والبِرِّ واللطف ، ومنهم من يعرفه بالقهر والملك، ومنهم من يعرفه بإجابة دعوته وإغاثة لهفته وقضاء حاجته. وأعمّ هؤلاء معرفة: مَن عرفه من كلامه ؛ فإنه يعرف رباً قد اجتمعت له صفات الكمال ونعوت الجلال ، منزه عن المثال ، بريء من النقائص والعيوب ، له كل اسم حسن وكل وصف كمال ، فعال لما يريد، فوق كل شيء ، ومع كل شيء ، وقادر على كل شيء ، ومقيم لكل شيء ، آمرٌ ناهٍ متكلمٌ بكلماته الدينية والكونية ، أكبر من كل شيء ، وأجمل من كل شيء ، أرحم الراحمين ، وأقدر القادرين، وأحكم الحاكمين. فالقرآن أنزل لتعريف عباده به، وبصراطه الموصل إليه، وبحال السالكين بعد الوصول إليه ” (4) اه
When a servant’s knowledge of Allah and His attributes increases, his attachment and yearning for Him grows, and his heart becomes filled with desire, hope, and anticipation for His pleasure, reward, and paradise. He also becomes fearful and apprehensive of His wrath and punishment. People vary in their knowledge and understanding of Allah and His attributes. Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Some people know Allah through His generosity, favor, and kindness. Some know Him through His forgiveness, forbearance, and pardon. Some know Him through His power and vengeance. Some know Him through His knowledge and wisdom. Some know Him through His majesty and greatness. Some know Him through His mercy, benevolence, and gentleness. Some know Him through His dominance and sovereignty. Some know Him through His acceptance of their supplication, relief of their distress, and fulfillment of their needs. The most comprehensive knowledge of Him is the one acquired through His words, as it leads to knowing a Lord whose attributes embody perfection and majesty, free from any imperfections or deficiencies. He is characterized by all the beautiful names and perfect attributes, capable of achieving what He wills, above and beyond everything, overseeing everything, issuing commands through His divine speech, greater than everything, more beautiful than everything, the Most Merciful of the merciful, the Most Capable of the capable, and the Wisest of the wise. The Quran was revealed to introduce His servants to Him, His path that leads to Him, and the state of those who follow that path after reaching Him. (4)
والصائمون هم أحق الناس بمعرفة الله وتوقيره لينالوا وافر العطاء وعظيم الجزاء يوم القيامة ، والصائم كلما ازداد معرفةً بالله ازداد قرباً منه وعظم الله أجره لما اجتمع له من فضل الصيام الذي يجزي الله به ، وهذه المعرفة التي جعلته يتقن صيامه ويحسن أعماله ويعبد الله كأنه يراه فيراقبه في سره وخلوته كمراقبته له في علانيته ؛ فاستوى سره وعلنه لكمال علمه واعتقاده برؤية الله له ، وهذا يثمر له تعظيماً لربه ، وحياءً منه ، وصلاحاً في جميع أعماله ، وتوبة وخشوعاً لله في كل أوقاته .
اللهم تقبل صيامنا واجعله خالصاً لوجهك ، ووفِّقنا للإخلاص في جميع أعمالنا ، وجنِّبنا الرياء والنفاق وسيئ الأخلاق .
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The worshippers who fast are the most deserving of people to know and honor Allah, so that they may obtain abundant gifts and great rewards on the Day of Resurrection. The more a person who fasts increases in knowledge of Allah, the closer he gets to Him, and Allah rewards him greatly for his fasting, with the blessings and benefits that come with it. This knowledge has enabled the worshipper to perfect his fasting, improve his deeds, and worship Allah as if he sees Him, so he observes Him in secret and in privacy, and his private and public actions are equally good, reflecting his perfect knowledge and belief in Allah’s watchfulness over him. This results in his great reverence for his Lord, his shyness and modesty towards Him, and his righteousness in all his deeds, repentance, and humility before Allah at all times.
O Allah, accept our fasting and make it solely for Your sake, grant us sincerity in all our deeds, and protect us from hypocrisy, pretense, and bad manners.
(1) البخاري (1904)، ومسلم (1151) واللفظ له .
(2) مسلم (1151).
(3) انظر الفوائد (ص: 267ـ 268).
(4) الفوائد (ص: 258)
(1) Al-Bukhari (1904) and Muslim (1151) with the wording attributed to him.
(2) Muslim (1151).
(3) See Al-Fawaid (pp. 267-268).
(4) Al-Fawaid (p. 258).
https://al-badr.net/muqolat/2531
I have used Dr. Muhsin Khan’s translation of the meaning of the Quran. Hadith translation is from https://sunnah.com/ – Arabic is provided so English translation should not be solely relied on. For any comments, suggestions, or advice please email me. May Allah reward you with goodness and make us facilitators of good.
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