Guide to Fasting Six Days Of Shawwal

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

The fasting of Shawwāl is like fasting in Shaʿbān, as both of these months are wedded to Ramaḍān. Whilst the fasting in Shaʿbān serves to prepare the believer for Ramaḍān, Shawwāl is like demonstrating gratitude to Aļļāh (Subḥānahu Wa Taʿālā) for bestowing us with Ramaḍān.

The Messenger of Aļļāh (ﷺ) said, 

“Fasting Ramaḍān and following it with six days from Shawwāl is like continual fasting.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim]

This is because the reward of actions is multiplied (at least) ten-fold. So Ramaḍān is like fasting for 300 days, and the six days of Shawwāl are like fasting for 60 days.

The Blessed Prophet (ﷺ) himself stated this explicitly, “Fasting Ramaḍān is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days (of Shawwāl) is like fasting two months. That is like fasting a full year.”[ʾAḥmad and Sunan an-Nasāʾī]

Religiously Recommended

Based on the outward purport of this Ḥadīth, the majority of the ʿUlemāʾ (Scholars), including ʾImām Shāfiʿī, ʾImām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, and ʾImām ʾAbū Ḥanīfa (Raḍiya Llāhu ʿAnhʾum) consider it a recommended Sunnah to fast six days in Shawwāl. There are narrations from ʾImām ʾAbū Ḥanīfa indicating its dislikedness, but these are understood to relate to considering it a Farḍ (obligation) to fast these days.

Consecutive Or Not?

Some of the Scholars considered it recommended to fast these days consecutively after ʿEīd al-Fiṭr, including ʾImām Shāfiʿī. They based this on a Ḥadīth related by at-Ṭabarānī and others in which the Prophet (ﷺ) is reported to have said, 

“Fasting six consecutive days after ʿEīd al-Fiṭr is like fasting the entire year.”

Other ʿUlemāʾ, including both the Ḥanafīs and Ḥanbalīs, considered it the same to fast consecutively or not, because they deemed the above Ḥadīth to be weak. However, they caution that one should not put it off such that one ends up missing the great reward of fasting six days. It is also a consideration that avoiding difference of opinion is religiously recommended, so trying to fast the six days consecutively would appear to be superior.

Additionally, some ʿUlemāʾ suggested that the fasts of Shawwāl should not be performed straight after ʿEīd al-Fiṭr, as this is the time of eating and drinking. Rather, it is better that these six fasts coincide with ʾAyyām al-Bīḍ (the lunar 13th, 14th and 15th of each ʾIslāmic month), the remaining three days can be performed on either side of these days.

Combining Intentions With Missed Fasts

There is a difference of opinion amongst the ʿUlemāʾ whether the fasts that need to be made up from Ramaḍān must be performed before fasting the six days of Shawwāl in order to reap the reward for fasting the entire year. The alternative would be to fast the six days and make up the missed fasts later, even if it was just before the next Ramaḍān. 

The Ḥanafī and Mālikīs mention that the Qaḍāʾ fasts of Ramaḍān do not need to be made up prior to keeping the six fasts of Shawwāl, as the time of Qaḍāʾ is wide. Whereas, many of the Shāfiʿīs and Ḥanbalīs state that the Qaḍāʾ must be made up before these six fasts of Shawwāl can be kept.

The better position would be to make up the missed fasts of Ramaḍān before keeping the six fasts of Shawwāl.

Furthermore, ʿUlemāʾ have stated it is permissible to combine the intention of making up missed Ramaḍān fasts (Qaḍāʾ), and the Sunnah of fasting the six days of Shawwāl, though performing both separately is greater in reward.

The same would apply if one hoped to combine intentions to keep the Sunnah fasts of Monday, Thursday and/or ʾAyyām al-Bīḍ (The White Days) too.

Thus, if someone has Ramaḍān fasts to make up, they can intend making up these compulsory fasts (Qaḍāʾ) along with the six Sunnah fasts of Shawwāl and ʾIn Shāʾ Aļļāh, receive the reward for both.

Potentially, you could even quadruple-combine intentions by having a Qaḍāʾ fast of Ramaḍān to make up, wanting to keep the Sunnah fast of Shawwāl, hoping to keep a Monday and/or Thursday Sunnah fast, which happens to fall on either the 13th, 14th or 15th of Shawwāl. In fact, next week Thursday 27th May 2021 is a perfect example of this, as it coincides with the 15th of Shawwāl.

The Wisdom Of Fasting These Six Days

Among the benefits of fasting the six days of Shawwāl is: 

• Sign Of Acceptance

It is a sign of the acceptance of one’s Ramaḍān fasts. This is because a sign of Aļļāh accepting a good deed is to be granted the success to perform similar good deeds, with consistency. The ʿUlemāʾ support this by stating that, “The reward for a good deed is the good deed that follows it. So, whoever does a good deed and then follows it up with another one, that (the second good deed) is a sign of acceptance for the first good one.”

• Consistency Itself Is Beloved

The actions most beloved to Aļļāh and the Messenger (ﷺ) are those done most consistently. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 

“The best deed in the sight of Aļļāh is that which is done regularly.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī]

Do not let the fasting of Ramaḍān be like how many of us recite The Qurʾān – we begin reciting it in Ramaḍān and end it there, not returning to it for another year. Rather our endeavours should be continuous such that every time we complete The Qurʾān, we begin it again.

• Sign Of Thankfulness

Fasting these six days is an expression of thankfulness for the reward of fasting in Ramaḍān that Aļļāh grants on the day of ʿEīd. Continuing to fast is a sign of being, as the Beloved Prophet (ﷺ) described himself, 

“A truly thankful servant.”

One of the Muslims in the early generations would fast as an act of thankfulness to Aļļāh (Subḥānahu Wa Taʿālā) when he was given the opportunity to spend the night in prayer.

Thankfulness is the key to increase and a means of securing one’s blessings and good. Whereas, this is at odds with one who planned to return back to sin whilst fasting in Ramaḍān, for this is a sign of a rejected Ramaḍān.

• Sign Of Commitment

Fasting these six days is a sign of one’s commitment to continue in ʿIbādah (worship) and submission to Aļļāh, willingly, and not merely out of obligation.

The different times of the months within a year are connected to varying acts of obedience and commitment. Each month is tied to a target or a milestone of acts of obedience, some periods more than others. These targets of commitment took on such an important form that the Scholars divided The Qurʾān into 30 sections to correspond to the 30 days of the month for it to be a measure of our own actions. The chance to perform such actions do not expire until the date of our death.

Sayyidunā ʾImām Ḥassan al-Baṣrī (Raḍiya Llāhu ʿAnh) stated, “Allāh has fixed no expiration date for a believer’s devotional action other than death.” He then recited the words of Aļļāh: 

“Worship your Lord until what is certain [death] comes to you.”

[The Qurʾān – 15:99]

If Unable To Fast The Six Days of Shawwāl

If due to some genuine reason one is unable to keep these six fasts, one should make the firm intention that if this reason did not exist, then one would have fasted. If one is sincere and true in one’s intention, then one will, by Divine Grace, have the full reward of fasting these days, because, as the Prophet (ﷺ) explained, 

“Actions are by their intentions, and each person shall have whatever they intended.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim]

The signs of being true in one’s intention is that if one’s excuse is lifted, one hastens to fulfill the intended matter.

[Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī: Laṭāʾif al-Maʿārif]

[Ibn ʿĀbidīn: Radd al-Muḥtār]

[Hamawī/Ibn Nujaym: Ḥāshiyah al-Ashbāh]

[Al-Nawawī: Al-Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhadhab]

How Shawwāl Fasts Can Help Make Up For Any Shortfall In Your Obligatory Ramaḍān Fasts

Another of the important benefits of fasting six days of Shawwāl is that it makes up for any shortfall in a one’s obligatory Ramaḍān fasts, because no one is free of shortcomings or sins that have a negative effect on their fasting.

Fasting in Shaʿbān and Shawwāl is like praying the voluntary prayers that come before and after an obligatory prayer. Similar to those prayers, the Shaʿbān fasts prepares the believer for Ramaḍān whilst the Shawwāl ones compensates for any deficiencies of the obligatory Ramaḍān fasts. 

On The Day of Resurrection, a person’s Nafl (supererogatory) deeds will be taken to make up the shortcomings in their obligatory deeds, as the Beloved Prophet (ﷺ) said, 

“The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their Ṣalāh. Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels, although He knows best, 

‘Look at the Ṣalāh of My slave, whether it is complete or incomplete.’ 

If it is perfect, it will be recorded as perfect, and if something is lacking, Aļļāh will say, 

‘Look and see whether My slave did any voluntary (Nafl) prayers.’

If one did some voluntary prayers, [Aļļāh] will say, 

‘Complete the obligatory actions of My slave from his voluntary actions.’

Then all his actions will be dealt with in a similar manner.”

[Sunan ʾAbū Dāwūd]

For this reason, Sayyidunā ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz (Raḍiya Llāhu ʿAnh) is reported as saying, “Whoever finds nothing to give charity with, let him fast.”

Just as one of the wisdoms of Zakāt al-Fiṭr is to make up for any defects for the Ramaḍān fasts, Sayyidunā ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz suggests that if a person cannot afford this, then he should fast in its place as is done for other legislated acts such as violated oaths, and so on.

More on the significance of the 6 Days Syawal Fasting

The Six Days Of Shawwāl:

http://muwasala.org/the-six-days-of-shawwal

ʾĪmām Zaid Shakir’s Translation Of Ibn Rajab’s Laṭāʾif Al-Maʿārif On Fasting Six Days In Shawwal:

www.newislamicdirections.com/new_nid/article/fasting_six_days_in_shawwal_part_one

www.newislamicdirections.com/new_nid/article/fasting_six_days_of_shawwal_part_two

www.newislamicdirections.com/new_nid/article/fasting_six_days_in_shawwal_part_three

www.newislamicdirections.com/new_nid/article/fasting_in_shawwal_part_four

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