Commentary: The verse establishes that fasting had been made obligatory for earlier believers, and that the aim behind it is to open their hearts to God and make them more conscious of Him. This, then, is the principal objective of fasting: to be God- fearing, or taqwā. Fasting, when observed in obedience to God and in pursuit of His pleasure, instils and revives this quality in the human heart and acts as a safeguard against evil and wrongdoing.

The Prophet (ﷺ) did not observe voluntary Saum (fasting) so frequently during any other month as he did during Sha’ban. He (ﷺ) observed fasting during the whole month of Sha’ban except a few days.

– Riyad as-Salihin 1247 | Narrated by ‘A’isha (رضي الله عنه)