Fasting is a sheild
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with them, reported Allah's Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as saying:
Allah the Exalted and Majestic said: Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting. It is (exclusively) meant for Me and I (alone) will reward for it. Fasting is a shield. When any one of you is fasting on a day, he should neither indulge in obscene language, nor raise the voice; or if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him he should say: I am a fasting person. By Him, in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of the fasting person is dearer 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 fasting) and one when he meets his Lord he is glad with his fasting.
This is a Qudsi Hadith, narrated by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) from his Lord the Almighty.
Allah the Almighty has attributed the fast to himself, he said
" every act of the son of Adam is for him, except fasting. It is (exclusively) meant for Me and I (alone) will reward for it." How eloquent is this expression.
A question stems from this statement. That is: why did Allah attribute the fasting to himself whereas he did not do so with the rest of the deeds to the child of Adam, despite the fact that fasting is one of the deeds of the child of Adam?
What is intended by the deeds? Are they both the good deeds and the bad ones or the good deeds only?
What is the significance of attributing the fasting to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted? Why did he say, "I (alone) will reward for it," despite the fact that he is the one who rewards for all the good deeds. In addition to the other questions going on in the mind of the Muslim.
The answer to this complex question that is based on meditation and consideration is summarized as follows:
What is meant by the deeds of the child of Adam in the Hadith is the good deeds because of excluding the fasting from them; it is a good deed excluded from the good deeds.
The meaning of (is for him): it is written to him by Allah, the good deed is recorded ten times and multiplied as Allah wills.
Attributing fasting to the Almighty: it is said that because this deed is not liable to showing off unlike the other deeds.
Another group of the scholars said: Because fasting is not desired.
His saying: "I reward for it." This statement indicates the abundance of the reward. The Most Generous himself is the one who will reward for this deed.
Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Fasting is a shield" i.e. it is a protection for the fasting person against the sins as well as the mental and physical diseases.
