Imam al-Bukhārī transmits in his Ṣaḥīh from Sahl b. Saˁd al-Anṣārī that the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon him, said, “truly in Jannah (the paradise) there is a gate called Rayyān. Those who fast enter it on the Day of Judgment and no one other than them enter it. It is said, “where are those who fast?” So they stand up. No one else other than them enter it. So when they enter, it is closed. Then no one else enters.”
The word Rayyān comes from rayy, which is the antonym of thirst. There is wisdom in the gate being called by this name, since it is the beginning of the reward that Muslims who will enter Jannah will enjoy for the thirst and hunger they endure in this world to please Allah, the creator of everything. Rayyān is mentioned instead of satiety because it implies it or because thirst is more difficult to endure for the one who fasts than not eating. The hadith shows the great honor of those who fast according to Allah, the exalted, and that He will show His generosity towards them in a special and specific way. That no one other than those who fast will enter from this gate is repeated several times in the hadith to emphasize the fact and to alert us to the great reward of fasting.
Ulema have observed that gratefulness for blessings is shown through giving them up for the sake of Allah, the exalted. Thus in Ramadan Muslims show their gratefulness for the blessings of food, drink, and marital intimacy, by abandoning these blessings during day time from dawn to sunset with the intention of fasting for the sake of Allah. Every animal eats and drinks when it is hungry or thirsty. The human being is the only living being that can resist thirst and hunger even when food and water are present to please Allah, the exalted, and to enter Jannah. Fasting is an act of worship that shows the uniqueness of the human being. Angels do not fast because they do not feel hunger and animals cannot fast because they cannot resist hunger or thirst when they have the means to satisfy these urges. By fasting Muslims attain a uniquely human perfection, and the reward of that perfection will likewise be unique.
