The Secret of Fasting in Ramadan by
By Yaser Birjas | 2026-01-13T12:31:26.960498+00:00 | Topic: Ramadan
The Secret of Fasting in Ramadan
Opening
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَصَلَّى اللهُ وَسَلَّمَ وَبَارَكَ عَلَى أَبِينَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْلِيمًا كَثِيرًا، ثُمَّ أَمَّا بَعْدُ
Introduction
What is the main secret of the month of Ramadan? For you, what exactly are you trying to achieve? One of the best things that you should really work on to achieve during the month of Ramadan and that is the greatest secret of the month of Ramadan. What is it? Can you guys guess? I mean, you've been eating and drinking, so what was your main goal? To get fat? Lose weight? Stay up at night? What was your main goal, the secret of your month of Ramadan? To achieve what? Attain taqwa.
To achieve taqwa, attain taqwa, righteousness, fear of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Why do you say that? It's because Allah said so, right? It's because Allah said so. What did Allah say about the month of Ramadan? About fasting.
The Purpose of Fasting - Achieving Taqwa
"O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become righteous."
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, Ya ayyuhal ladheena aamanu, O you who believe كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ Fasting has been prescribed upon you like it was prescribed for those who were before you لَعَلَّكُمْ so that you might eat and drink, sleep during the day and stay up during the night. He didn't say that. He said, لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ so that you might become righteous.
So the main secret of the month of Ramadan, wallahi, it's not about abstaining from eating or drinking. It's not about you staying up at night, sleeping during the day. That's not the secret of the month of Ramadan.
Secret of the month of Ramadan is to achieve taqwa, fearing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. It's all about righteousness. The fear of Allah azza wa jal. That is the main purpose of fasting in the month of Ramadan. That's why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala prescribed the fasting of Ramadan for. Where do we get that from and why do we say that? First of all, let's try to understand what's the meaning of achieving that goal.
Meaning, when you say Allah says that you need to achieve taqwa, righteousness, fearing Allah azza wa jal, piety. What does that mean? How do I achieve that? Our ulama, they were asked so much about this. The sahaba radiallahu ta'ala anhum, they gave so many meanings of the word taqwa.
Perhaps you've heard the word taqwa hundred times since past Friday. Just since Friday, Jumu'ah. Maybe you've heard it so many times in the Qur'an, in ahadith, in khutab, in speeches, in the imam when he talks, when you hear the khatrah during the month of Ramadan.
They all bring the word taqwa اتَّقُوا اللة fear Allah يَتَّقُونَ مُتَّقِينَ . These words we heard so much but do we really understand the meaning of it? Are we really working on it in the month of Ramadan? If I know that this is the whole ultimate goal, the whole ultimate goal that we are looking for to achieve during the month of Ramadan, are we working on it? Do I understand it in the first place so I can work on it so hard? Let's try to understand what taqwa is and then insha'Allah we see how taqwa and Ramadan are correlated together.
Because if the secret of Ramadan is achieving taqwa, righteousness, then it should be part of the essence, the core of the meaning of fasting during the month of Ramadan.
Understanding Taqwa - The Example of the Thorny Path
So when it comes to taqwa, ulama they give different interpretations. One of the most beautiful interpretations of the word taqwa came from Umar ibn Khattab radiallahu anhu. Another narration was Abu Huraira radiallahu anhu. He was asked about the meaning of taqwa.
He was asked, he says, tell me, what is taqwa? And you see sometimes the best interpretation of words, if you make them tangible, something that you can visualize, you can see and you can touch. So he asked the one who asked him. He asked the man who asked him.
He says, okay, have you ever been into any of these pastures where you have a lot of stickers and a lot of these thorns? He says, yeah, I did. He said, what did you do? He says قَالَ اجْتَهَدْتُ وَأُمِّرْ . Usually I would roll up my sleeves and I hold my thawb, making sure that I don't get stuck by these things.
And then he says. وَأَجْتَهِدُ And make my effort. Basically when I put my foot, I make sure that I look before I step, before I put my step anywhere.
He said to him, that's exactly what taqwa is. That's exactly what taqwa is. But in this case, the pasture is your life.
The events of this world, everything around you, that's when you have to go through it because it's a journey. It's a long journey until you meet Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. How are you living your life? How are you achieving these goals? Have you started rolling your sleeves up in this life? Are you doing it? Ramadan started.
Alhamdulillah, Ramadan is a chance when many people start coming back to Allah azza wa jal. Because it's a good chance to repent, to reconnect, rejuvenate and energize themselves for after Ramadan bi- idhnillahi wa ta'ala. Have you started your effort? We all know that there are 10 nights are coming inshaAllah at the end of the month of Ramadan and we're almost done with the first third. One more third and we have the last one.
So the last leg of Ramadan, are you ready for it? Are you charging your battery for that time? Are you getting ready for that? That's how you need to understand how do you go. So you're going to have a long way to go. Roll your sleeves up.
And then what? He says قَالَ وَاجْتَه. Then I pay attention where I put my foot. And that's exactly what you should do in your life.
Everything that you say, before the word comes out, a good word can come out and a bad word can come out. Which one would you choose for yourself? Look where you put your word first. When you walk, where are you heading? Where do you go? Where your feet are taking you? Are they taking you where you're supposed to be going? Or are they taking you where you're going to be embarrassed and ashamed of what you've done earlier? So you look where you go before you put your steps.
Also when you use your hands, you need to make sure that your hand goes into a halal place. It doesn't reach anything to go to the haram. So when you always look for what you say, what you hear, what you do, what you walk, that is the meaning of taqwa.
And if you would like to achieve that taqwa in the month of Ramadan, because that's the essence of the month of Ramadan, then you need to roll up your sleeves. Hold tight to your clothes. And making sure that wherever you put your foot, you put it in somewhere that is halal, completely halal.
Other Definitions of Taqwa
And that is the essence of taqwa. Other of the sahaba and the ulama, like Ali ibn Abi Talib radiallahu anhu and he says about taqwa:
To fear the most revered subhanahu wa ta'ala - الْخَوْفٌ مِنَ الْجَلِيلِ - And you work upon a tanzeel, a revelation. وَالْعَمَلُ بِالتَّنْزِيلِ That means what? It's not just a lip service. It's not something you only claim.
You say, alhamdulillah, I fear Allah azza wa jal. How many people you've seen in your life, when you talk to them, you say, alhamdulillah. I fear Allah. I fear no one but Allah azza wa jal. But you look at their actions. They're against the revelation.
They're against the salah, against the siyam, against all the good deeds of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala that are promoted in the Qur'an and the sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) وَالرّضا بِالقليل . Ali
ibn Abi Talib radiallahu anhu, he says, to be content with whatever Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given you.
Are we really content about what Allah has given us? Or do we always reject and we always rebel against Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? And the ni'mah that He blessed us with, subhanahu wa ta'ala. وَالْاسْتِعْدَادُ لِيَوْمِ الرحيل And you get ready.
You prepare yourself getting ready to the day when you depart from this world. That's the essence of taqwa. That's the essence of fearing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
You fear a day when you're going to all be standing before Allah azza wa jal subhanahu wa ta'ala. Also, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud radiallahu ta'ala anhu, he said about taqwa, fearing Allah azza wa jal:
That when you obey Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, it's you to obey Allah azza wa jal. Never disobey Him. أَنْ يُطَاعَ فَلَا يُعْصَى. وَأَنْ يُشْكَرَ فَلَا يُكْفَرْ. And you be thankful and grateful to Him subhanahu wa ta'ala. You never deny Allah azza wa jal. وَأَنْ يُذْكَرَ فَلَا يُنْسَى . And you remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Never ever forget about Allah azza wa jal. Anywhere you go.
The Hadith of Taqwa
Where was this taken from? From hadith an-Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم). One day, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) given an advice. Al-Hasan radiallahu ta'ala anhu reports that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) says:
(Sunan at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1987)
You fear Allah wherever you are. You fear Allah wherever you are. وَأَنْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحْهَا . And you follow every bad deed that you make with a better one. A good deed. I will erase it for you. وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقِ حَسَنِ . And you treat people with good manners.
I remember our Shaykh, Shaykh Shampeeti hafizahullahu ta'ala. One day, he was asked in a gathering like this in a class. He said, Ya Shaykh, I want you to help me make a schedule. Someone was asking him to make him a program.
You know many people they ask the Shaykh, the Imam, Help me put together a good program that I can follow to achieve these lofty goals of righteousness, Al-Jannah, Firdaws Al-A'la and so on. And they expect the Imam or the Shaykh to give them minute by minute program or schedule.
So that you wake up, let's say, at 3.30 before Fajr. You do make wudu. You make two rak'ah. And then you do witr. And then you pray Fajr. The Imam is not going to be with you when you do that. He's not going
to help you do minute by minute kind of schedule.
So the Shaykh, he said, I have the best program for all of you. He said, take your pens out. Start writing down the program.
And everybody was getting ready. MashaAllah, we're getting the Shaykh's program right now. It's the Shaykh's program. So we can achieve this, achieve taqwa. So the Shaykh, he says:
And people, as they were about to write, and when the Shaykh said اتقوا اللة fear Allah, whatever you are, they start looking up because they know the hadith. It's only three statements. How could there be a program? He said, This is the best program for life. The best program for life.
Because you fear Allah wherever you are. You fear Allah wherever you are. Whether you are at work, in school, in the streets, driving, in your bed, behind the computer screen, using your smart phone, wherever you are.
If you always observe, fearing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and taqwa, then you will be good. You all will be good. So there is no need for you to have double standard lifestyle.
When you're in the masjid, tabaraka Rahman, you become the most righteous. You go outside the masjid, you are the most other person. Eventually, so you have two personalities.
It doesn't work like this. So you fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala wherever you are. Some people might say, Well, that's what I've been trying to do, but unfortunately I'm not that type of person.
I cannot uphold to that kind of standard character. I always make mistakes. And that's why alhamdulillah, the second statement of the hadith of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), he says:
Follow every good deed that you make, every bad deed that you make with that which is good. It will erase it for you. Meaning, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, He knows that you're not angels. You're not angels, not even in Ramadan, you're not an angel.
So therefore, you're gonna make mistakes. So if I make a mistake, should I completely now delete my program of righteousness and start over and just losing hope? No. Remember, as part of your schedule, your program, there will always be mistakes and errors.
What do we do about them? Always follow them with that which is good. Always return to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Seeking tawbah, His forgiveness.
Make wudu and pray two rak'ah, that will erase it for you. Whatever you do that you're not happy with, you're not proud of what you've done, because you've sinned, you return back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. That will erase it for you.
Okay, some people might say, but this is really too much for me. I can't do that. I know myself. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam bring us into the third step. He said, if you couldn't do either one, if you cannot do good, if you cannot always return back to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, at least if you're gonna do something bad, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says:
Treat people with good manners. That means, if you're gonna be doing something bad, don't hurt other people.
Make it only against your own self. So, treat people with good manners and akhlaaq. That will suffice you for many things that you might miss in your life.
Three things that will help you achieve taqwa and feeling Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. In Ramadan, we know that taqwa is so significant. It's the essence of fasting during the month of Ramadan.
How Fasting Achieves Taqwa
And in Ramadan, as you know, how can we achieve this through fasting? First of all, when you fast, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says about fasting:
(Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith 1904)
All the deeds of the son of Adam are done for him. Means whenever you do something, you have some ulterior motive in it. Right? When you come to the masjid, you come and there are double intentions.
You come to pray and come to meet people. You come to pray and come to eat, mashallah. You come to pray and have other things that you can do.
You might pray only because your parents are asking you to pray. Also, when you give zakah, when you give charity, when you make a fundraising, whatever, there is something else might be involved with it. When it comes to fasting, it is only for the sake of Allah azza wa jal.
Why do we say that? Because when you're alone, who knows that you're breaking your fast other than Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Remember that moment when you're alone at home, no one else with you? And you were in the kitchen. And you opened the fridge, you saw all these goodies in there.
And you wanted to grab everything, subhanallah, because everything suddenly tastes good. When you walk in the streets and no Muslims around you. And then you see that, you know what? It's really tempting.
And who knows? But you said, no. Even young children, even young children, wallahi, they teach adults the lesson of doing things for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala in Ramadan. You find 7 years old baby, child, 8 years old, younger or even older.
And they fast throughout a long hot day, like in the summer, in this Ramadan. You tell them, why don't you break your fast? They say, no. And they definitely bother you at home.
They keep saying, like my kids, how much is left? Is it time? They say, no, we still have 5 hours. Well, you said that 5 hours ago. And they keep bothering you, it's time to break my fast, it's time to break my fast.
And you tell them, listen, if you can't take it anymore, just break your fast. They say, no. I'm not gonna break my fast.
Wallahi, they teach you lessons. That I'm not doing it for you. They're doing it because they believe. That they get reward from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And they ask you, what's the reward when I do that?
And even when they make wudu, they get the opportunity in the bathroom when the doors are locked, to drink water if they want to. And as they make wudu, they rinse their mouth, they make sure no drops of water goes down their throat.
Why is that? Because they know they're doing it for Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. And that's the essence of taqwa. That is the essence, the core essence of feeling Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
You're only doing it because of Allah azza wa jal. And only for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.
The Subtlety of Taqwa
The other thing about taqwa, taqwa happens mostly in a very subtle matter. Very, very subtle matter. No one can display taqwa. Salah, you can display it, right? You can make salah.
Raise your hands, go ruku, sujood. And so people see that you're making salah. When you give zakah or charity, people can see you as you write the cheque.
Or maybe the cheque reaches them by mail. So they know who gave that money. So it has some element of, you know, breaking that privacy basically, being in public.
When it comes to taqwa, who knows that you are righteous or not? Only Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Only Allah azza wa jal. Regardless how much you try to make that image of taqwa, only Allah knows if you're truly muttaqi or not.
Fasting is the same thing. Unless you speak out, no one would know that you're fasting. No one.
Remember that story of that Bedouin who one time he came into the masjid, he was making salah and there was a group of people speaking and talking about righteousness and ibadah and so on. So they looked at the guy and they said, MashaAllah, his salah is so amazing. He looks so khasha, focusing on salah and so on.
So the guy turned around and he says, What do you say if you know that I'm fasting too? So the guy even he was, he's making salah and he's paying attention to what they're saying about him. Fasting is the same thing. No one would know.
It's a very subtle matter. No one would know that you're fasting unless they come too close to you or you disclose that you're fasting. And that's the essence of taqwa.
Fearing Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Also when it comes to taqwa and righteousness, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is the one who gives the reward for al muttaqin.
He is the one who's going to give the reward for the muttaqin, for the righteous one. And that's the essence of fasting as well. He says:
And I shall give the reward to the fasting ones, to those who fast. And Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, in fasting what we also learn, we learn that fasting builds what? Strong resolve. Strong personality.
You see all the temptations around you, but you just, you know that you should not be eating or drinking or doing anything or saying anything bad. Because you're fasting. That helps you build that kind of personality, that kind of character.
That is the essence of taqwa as well. Al muttaqin, those who fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala alone and only Allah alone. These are the awliya of Allah azza wa jal that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will protect them and will help them.
What Allah says after that?
Those who fear Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, those are the true awliya, and Allah azza wa jal is the one who will protect them subhanahu wa ta'ala.
Allah Accepts Only From the Muttaqin
Now the last thing I would like to share with you about taqwa inshaAllah ta'ala, and finish this talk, is something so subtle about taqwa, very important about taqwa. That Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accepts only from whom? Al muttaqin.
Allah only accepts the work and the deeds of the muttaqin, the righteous ones. How many of you have been fasting for the past 9 days or 10 days of Ramadan already? Have you fasted the 10 days of Ramadan? Raise your hand if you fast all these days. Alhamdulillah.
MashaAllah. How many of you, how many of you, they received the confirmation that their fasting was accepted by Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala? Raise your hands if you have received that confirmation. Text message, email, anything.
No confirmation right? SubhanAllah. So what does that mean? Means you can always be hopeful that Allah will accept from you subhanahu wa ta'ala. And guess what? Wallahi.
If Allah accepts one thing from you, just one thing from you, that will be sufficient for you. Will be sufficient. If Allah accepts the fasting of one day, if Allah accepts the salah, one salah from you, that will be more than sufficient.
Why? Because Allah testifies that He accepts only from the righteous. The work and the deed of the righteous ones. So you make sure that in the upcoming days of Ramadan inshaAllah wa azza wa jal, you keep up the good work.
Don't stop. Don't stop by saying, Alhamdulillah, I've done great in the past 10 days. So now we have another week until school starts. Alhamdulillah, we take a break when school starts. Don't depend on what you've done so far. No.
Build on it. Not depend on it. Build on it.
So you keep up the good inshaAllah wa azza wa jal work. Keep up the momentum bi-idhnillah wa azza wa jal. And bi-idhnillah when you meet the Lord subhanahu wa ta'ala, you see the book of your records, you see a lot of accepted works and deeds.
And if this is it, it is. Then that is from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Confirmation for you that you indeed were one of those righteous.
And if Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala considered you righteous, Allahu Akbar. Such a great testimony. So may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make you all among the righteous.
That Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala accept their work and their deed in this dunya. And admit them to Jannatul Firdaus in the akhirah.