The Book of Fasting - Sunan an-Nasa'i 2224

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Fasting is a shield.'"

Commentary on the Hadith

This noble hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) establishes fasting as a spiritual protection for the believer. The shield metaphor indicates that fasting serves as a barrier between the fasting person and sinful acts, just as a physical shield protects a warrior in battle.

According to classical scholars, fasting acts as a shield in multiple dimensions: it protects from Hellfire in the Hereafter, shields from disobedience to Allah in this world, and guards the heart from corrupt desires. The fasting person's abstinence from lawful pleasures during daylight hours trains the soul to refrain from unlawful pleasures at all times.

Imam an-Nawawi explains that the shield protects both outwardly and inwardly - outwardly from indulging in sins of the tongue and limbs, and inwardly from evil thoughts and corrupt intentions. The complete fast, observed with proper intention and adherence to Sunnah, becomes a comprehensive spiritual armor for the believer.

Scholarly Insights

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali elaborates that just as a shield must be strong and without cracks to be effective, so too must fasting be performed with sincerity and completeness, avoiding backbiting, lying, and other violations that breach its protective quality.

Al-Qurtubi notes that this shield analogy demonstrates Allah's mercy, providing believers with powerful spiritual weapons to combat their lower selves and Satan's whispers, particularly during the blessed month of Ramadan.