Definition of Siyam or Saum -
Linguistically: to abstain from something, for example talking; prove: Allah SWT talks about Maryam AS saying that, "She had made an oath to Ar-Rahman to do Saum" and she says," So, therefore I would not speak to any Insan."(Maryam:26). This means that she has abstained herself from speaking to anyone. If the second ayat is not there, then Saum would means fasting (the technically meaning).
Technically: Withholding from something specific (food, drink, marriage relation), during a specific time which is from the Fajr until the sunset with a specified intention (to please Allah SWT and the type of Ibaadah which is obligatory fast/voluntarily fast, etc). Prove: "O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun" (Al-Baqarah:183)
Whenever the word kutiba 'alaykum (prescribed upon you) this means obligation upon you.
The true purpose of fasting is to gain Taqwa. This is the most important thing that we need to focus ourselves on. What is Taqwa? it means to do acts of worship, out of obedience to Allah SWT upon light of Allah (Imaan), seeking the pleasure of Allah and the reward form Allah SWT and to avoid disobedience of Allah upon light of Allah (Imaan) and fearing the punishment of Allah SWT. Hence, the primary goal of fasting is to gain Taqwa, anything else gives extra benefits.
But people would ask, how could you gain Taqwa by abstaining yourself from food, drink, sexual intercourse and so on? The reality of the matter is that abstaining yourself from food, drink and sexual intercourse does not increase your Taqwa but yet Saum increase your Taqwa because you are abstaining yourself from something which are normally Halal. Because how could you abstain yourself from something which is normally halal but not from things which are always harm. Besides, you are expecting reward from Allah SWT, hence your consciousness of Allah SWT makes you abstain yourself from things which are normally Halal and that are always Harm.
Rasulullah SAW mentioned that those who did not receive the forgiveness and mercy of Allah SWT in Ramadhan is cursed because it's so easy to get forgiven in Ramadhan. Hence, a person is stupid to not getting something which is so easy to get like the forgiveness of Allah in the month of Ramadhan.
The virtues of Ramadhan:-
"Whoever fast in Ramadhan out of Imaan, seeking the reward, then his previous sins will be forgiven." (al-Bukhari, Fath, no.37) There are two conditions to this - fasting out of your Imaan and to seek reward from Allah SWT. Allah loves that we make du'a to Allah. "Your Lord said, make D'ua to Me and I will respond" (Ghafir, 40:60)
Non-Muslim who is fasting will not be accepted because it is done without Imaan.
Also, Rasulullah SAW said in a Hadith Qudsi, "Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for fasting as it is for Me and I shall reward for it" (al-Bukhari, al-Fath, no.1904)
Fasting is a shield. When somebody is fasting, he should avoid from having sexual relationship with his spouse and quarreling. When somebody wants to quarrel with him, he should say, "I am fasting". This shows the consciousness of that person of the rewards of fasting. It doesn't necessarily makes the person looks like he was giving up in the argument because he knows he's doing it for the sake of Allah. By saying that makes one calm down and after 1 month, it will become a habit to not argue for the sake of Allah. It's a shield against the Shaytaan, sins and hence, Hellfire. It would be pointless to abstain yourself from something you normally do, and then not gaining something for the Akhirat.
"By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, the unpleasant smell coming out from the mouth of a person who is fasting is better in the sight of Allah than the musk." (Muslim, 2/807)
There are two joys for fasting people, which are
1. When breaking his fast - it is natural to feel this joy at this moment.
2. When he meets his Lord, and then he will be pleased because he was fasting (Muslim, 2/807). - When the scale of weighing between your good deeds and bad deeds, and because of one fast that you did will take the whole balance out. It's like you expected a reward but you forget about it, but then it comes back to you because Allah does not forget your good deeds, no matter how minor or major they are. On the Day of Judgement, fasting will give a huge reward to the one who fast. Also, you should always think of why you are fasting or praying. If you fast simply to please other people like your parents or just because that everyone else is fasting, then you are just making yourself hungry for the rest of the day. But if you are fasting sincerely to please Allah, Insya Allah, your fasting will be accepted and you will get a huge reward for it.
Fasting is the most sincere deed if he keeps it to himself and do it for the sake of Allah. One way to gauge the sincerity is by judging yourself when you are in private. For eg, you recite longer recitation when you are doing Solat in private rather than in public. Then you'll know whether you are doing it for the sake of Allah by increasing your Ibaadah when you are in private. Hide your good deeds the way you hide your sins.
Al-Bukhaari (1899) and Muslim (1079) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that Rasulullah SAW said: “When Ramadaan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened, the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up."
In Ramadhan, it is easy to enter Paradise and it is hard to enter Hell as your environment is so close to Allah SWT and Allah's Mercy is continuously descending. There are many things that can be done to get closer to Allah, such as reading more Quran, doing more Nafl Solat, doing more night prayers, giving out more charity to the needy, etc.
However, there is a question of, "If the Devils are locked up, how come there is still evil in Ramadhan?"
There are two opinions from the scholars.
1. Only the major devils, namely the Maarids (strong ones), are locked up.
2. For eleven months of the year, Shaytan has been training you to do evil things. Then in the month of Ramadhan, it is out of your habit that you do sinful acts without the Shaytan's external help but from the 11 months training by the Shaytan.
To summarize, the primary purpose of fasting is to gain Taqwa. Aside from the primary reason, the other reasons can be to emphatize to the poor (it is hard for them to get food) , to emphatize to those who can’t get married (marital intercourse is not allowed during fasting although it is Halal) and by overcoming the influence of Shaytan.
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