"The commands of Allāh ta'ala fall under two categories:

(1) Obligations - Things we have to do.
(2) Prohibitions - Things we are forbidden from doing.

If we analyse the category of obligations, we can conclude that they too are prohibitions. Take the example of the obligation to perform ṣalāh (daily prayers); it is in effect a prohibition against not performing ṣalāh. As such, the commands of Allāh ta'ala are all about abstaining from things.

A muttaqī (God-fearing person) is someone who abstains: when it comes to ṣalāh, someone who does not neglect ṣalāh is termed muttaqī with regards to ṣalāh.

The 29 or 30 days of Ramaḍān are a training ground, teaching us abstinence. From dawn to sunset, we practice abstaining from food, drink and marital relations. Ṣawm (Fasting) is defined as abstinence, and through fasting we become accustomed to abstaining. The month of fasting compels us to ask ourselves the following question:

If after becoming accustomed to abstaining from desires during this one month, is there any reason why we cannot abstain from following our base desires and disobeying Allāh سبحانه وتعالى during the remaining 11 months?"

Courtesy of In Shaykh's Company: a blog maintained by the students of Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullah www.shaykh.org