Once the Prophet (ﷺ) visited us and I served him some food. He (ﷺ) asked me to eat. I replied that I was observing (optional) fast. He (ﷺ) said, "When people eat by a person observing fast, the angels keep asking Allah's forgiveness for that person until they have had their fill."[At-Tirmidhi].

The Prophet (ﷺ) came to visit Sa'd bin 'Ubadah (May Allah be pleased with him) who presented bread and olive oil to him. The Prophet (ﷺ) ate it and said, "The observers of fast have broken their fast with you (this is the literal translation, but the meaning is: 'May Allah reward you for providing a fasting people with food to break their fast'); the pious people have eat your food and the angels invoked blessings on you."[Abu Dawud].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "I stress upon you to use Miswak (tooth- stick)."[Al-Bukhari].

I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) once and noticed the tip of Miswak (tooth-stick) on his tongue.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Miswak (tooth-stick) cleanses and purifies the mouth and pleases the Rubb."[An-Nasa'i and Ibn Khuzaimah].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There are five acts which conform to the pure nature: Circumcision, removing of the pubic hair, clipping the nails, plucking the underarm hair and trimming the moustache."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

A person with dishevelled hair, one of the people of Najd, came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). We heard the humming of his voice but could not fully understand what he was saying, till he approached close to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then I came to know that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "There are five (obligatory) Salat during the day and the night." He said: "Am I obliged to perform any other (Salat) besides these?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No, but whatever you observe voluntarily." He (ﷺ) added, "There is the Saum of Ramadan." The inquirer asked: "Am I obliged to do anything besides this?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No, but whatever you do out of your own free will. You may observe voluntary fasting." And the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told him about the Zakat (obligatory charity). The inquirer asked: "Am I obliged to pay anything besides this?" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "No, but whatever you pay voluntarily out of your own free will." That man turned back saying: "By Allah! I will neither make any addition to this nor will I decrease anything from it." (Upon hearing this) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remarked, "He is successful if he proves truthful (to what he is saying)."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away, Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) was appointed as his successor (caliph). Amongst the Arabs some men apostatised. Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) resolved to fight them. 'Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Bakr: "How can you fight them when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has declared: 'I have been commanded to fight people till they testify La ilaha illallah (there is no true god except Allah); and if they do it, their blood (life) and property are secured except when justified by law, and it is for Allah to call them to account." Upon this Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah, I would definitely fight him who makes distinction between Salat and the Zakat, because it is an obligation upon the rich to pay Zakat. By Allah I will fight them even to secure the piece of rope which they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) said: "I realized that Allah opened the heart of Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) for fighting those who refused to pay Zakat, and I fully recognized that Abu Bakr

I pledged allegiance to the Prophet (ﷺ) to establish Salat, to pay the Zakat and to have the welfare of every Muslim at heart.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah the Exalted and Majestic said: 'Every act of the son of Adam is for him, except As-Siyam (the fasting) which is (exclusively) for Me, and I will reward him for it.' Fasting is a shield. When anyone of you is observing fast, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor should he raise his voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him, he should say: 'I am fasting.' By Him in Whose Hand the soul of Muhammad is, the breath of one observing Saum is sweeter to Allah than the fragrance of musk. The one who fasts, experiences two joys: he feels pleasure when he breaks the fast. He is joyful by virtue of his fast when he meets his Rubb."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].In a narration by Al-Bukhari, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: '(The person observing Saum) has abstained from food and drink, and sexual pleasures for My sake; fasting is for Me, and I will bestow its reward. Every good deed has ten times its reward'."In a narration by Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The reward of every (good) deed of a person is multiplied from ten to seven hundred times. Allah (SWT) says: 'The reward of observing Saum is different from the reward of other good deeds; Saum is for Me, and I Alone will give its reward. The person observing Saum abstains from food and drink only for My sake.' The fasting person has two joyous occasions, one at the time of breaking his fast, and the other at the time of meeting his Rubb. Surely, the breath of one observing Saum is better smelling to Allah than the fragrance of musk."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "In Jannah there is a gate which is called Ar-Raiyan through which only those who observe Saum (fasting) will enter on the Day of Resurrection. None else will enter through it. It will be called out, "Where are those who observe fasting?" So they will stand up and proceed towards it. When the last of them will have entered, the gate will be closed and then no one will enter through that gate."[Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Every slave of Allah who observes Saum (fasting) for one day for the sake of Allah, Allah will draw his face farther from Hell-fire to the extent of a distance to be covered in seventy years."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who observes fasting during the month of Ramadan with Faith while seeking its reward from Allah, will have his past sins forgiven."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When there comes the middle of Sha'ban, don't observe Saum (fasting)."[At-Tirmidhi].

At the sight of the new moon (of the lunar month), the Prophet (ﷺ) used to supplicate: "Allahumma ahillahu 'alaina bil-amni wal-iman, was-salamati wal-Islam, Rabbi wa Rabbuk-Allah, Hilalu rushdin wa khairin (O Allah, let this moon appear on us with security and Iman; with safety and Islam. (O moon!) Your Rubb and mine is Allah. May this moon be bringing guidance and good)."[At- Tirmidhi].

We took Suhur (predawn meal) with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and then we stood up for (Fajr) Salat (prayer). It was asked: "How long was the gap between the two?" He replied: "The time required for the recitation of fifty Ayat."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "People will continue to adhere to good as long as they hasten to break the Saum (fasting)."[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey and he was observing Saum (fasting). When the sun set, he (ﷺ) said to a person, "Dismount and prepare the ground roasted barley drink for us." Upon this he replied, "O Messenger of Allah, there is daylight still." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Get down and prepare barley drink for us." He said, "But it is still daytime." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) again said to him, "Get down and prepare barely drink for us." So he got down and prepared a barley liquid meal for him. The Prophet (ﷺ) drank that and then said, "When you perceive the night approaching from that side, a person observing Saum (fasting) should break the fast." And he (ﷺ) pointed towards the east with his hand.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When any one of you is observing Saum (fasting) on a day, he should neither indulge in obscene language nor should he raise the voice; and if anyone reviles him or tries to quarrel with him he should say: 'I am observing fast."'[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about the observance of Saum (fasting) on the day of 'Arafah. He said, "It is an expiation for the sins of the preceding year and the current year."[Muslim].