الصوم لي

 

This is a hadith Qudsi Hadith, since it is the Prophet reporting Allah’s speech, outside the Quraan. This hadith Qudsi occurs in multiple narrations including Bukhari and Muslim. The statement  

 

الصوم لي

 

could be translated as “Fasting is mine” or “Fasting is for me,” which is perhaps better and easier translation. Some narrations make this statement the beginning of the hadith as in:

 

*يقولُ اللَّهُ عزَّ وجلَّ: الصَّوْمُ لي وأنا أجْزِي به، يَدَعُ شَهْوَتَهُ وأَكْلَهُ وشُرْبَهُ مِن أجْلِي، … البخاري7492

 

Where is it followed by the expression:

 

و أنا أجزي به

 

Which translats as “ and I reward for it”. Both expressions create a special relation between Allah and fasting. In order to explain this special divine attention given to fasting, Hadith scholars noted that fasting is an act of worship based on restrain and does not have a clear outwardly manifestation like Salaah or Hajj. A person can volunteer to fast, and no one would know that they are in a state of worship.

 

الصوم لي

 

was also understood as Fasting is for my sake, because depriving oneself from nourishment and intimacy is not a natural inclination. It is an act of resistance, an act of sacrifice whose reward is with Allah. In this regard another narration starts with stating that good deeds’ reward is multiplied tenfold to seven hundred times, except fasting which is for Allah. Allah said in the Quraan that

 

إِنَّمَا يوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغِيْرِ حِسَاب

 

The reward of people is of patience is unrestricted.