"Which deed is best?" he said: "Take to fasting, for there is nothing equal to it."
The Excellence of Fasting
This narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i 2222 establishes fasting as the supreme act of worship, unparalleled in its spiritual merit and closeness to Allah.
Scholarly Commentary
Imam al-Nawawi explains that fasting holds unique excellence because it is a purely hidden act of devotion between the servant and Allah, free from ostentation that may taint other deeds.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali notes in his commentary that fasting encompasses patience in three forms: patience in obeying Allah, patience in avoiding disobedience, and patience in accepting divine decree during hardship.
Al-Munawi elaborates that nothing equals fasting because Allah declares in the sacred hadith: "Fasting is for Me and I shall reward it," making it a special form of worship with divine recompense beyond measure.
Legal and Spiritual Dimensions
The scholars of The Book of Fasting emphasize that this superiority applies particularly to voluntary fasting beyond Ramadan, as it demonstrates extra devotion when not obligatory.
Fasting subdues the lower self (nafs) and weakens the means through which Satan flows in the human body, making it a shield against sin and a means of spiritual purification.