Bismillah.
Doing good deeds is so easy. But hanging on to the hasanat (rewards) that one earns from them is so hard. Here is one of the ways we lose the hasanat of fasting:
قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من لم يدع قول الزور والعمل به فليس لله حاجة في أن يدع طعامه وشرابه
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, whoever does not leave qawl az zoor and working in accordance to it, Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and his drink.
[Bukhari]
What is qawl az-zoor? Zoor means: the top part of the chest and to bend. Qawl az Zoor are statement that are twisted/bended/folded, so it’s statement away from the truth. It is a very comprehensive word that contains many meanings, and it is usually translated as false testimony, but in this hadeeth, it has a different meaning which is: saying anything haraam that is displeasing to Allah. Some examples include:
- lying or false speech
- backbiting
- gossip
- using foul language
- spreading rumors
- complaining and negativitiy
The hadeeth continues to say: “and working in accordance to it”, which means to act upon qawl az zoor, for example, like cheating or stealing or any other action that is haraam.
The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said: الصيام جنة, fasting is a shield [Bukhari]. Fasting is not just about leaving food and drink, it is a shield for us from all kinds of vices–in speech and action. The purpose of fasting is about inner purification and development, as Allah says in the ayah of fasting [Surah Baqarah: 183].
Taqwa is the fear and consciousness of Allah that protects us from committing sins and to obey Him as He commanded. We are warned in this hadeeth that indulging in qawl az zoor can greatly reduce our reward of fasting, and may not even be accepted by Allah. One of the salaf used to say: “The weakest of fasts is that in which only food and drink is left out.”
