THE VIRTUE OF FASTING SIX [6] DAYS OF SHAWWAAL

THE VIRTUE OF FASTING SIX [6] DAYS OF SHAWWAAL

Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum WA-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.

Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Sallalhu alaihi Wasalam) is His slave and Messenger.

Preamble

Fasting six days of Shawwaal is not a necessary condition that they should be fasted consecutively. If you fast them separately or consecutively, it is accepted. Is Sunnah Mustahabbah, not waajib and whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him/her a reward as if he/she had fasted a whole year. What a magnificent bounteousness!

1.0 What is the ruling on fasting six days of Shawwaal? Is it waajib (obligatory)?

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

Fasting six days of Shawwaal after the obligatory fast of Ramadaan is Sunnah Mustahabbah, not waajib. It is recommended for the Muslim to fast six days of Shawwaal, and in this there is great virtue and an immense reward. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him a reward as if he had fasted a whole year, as was reported in a saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Abu Ayyoob (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan and follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime.”

(Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained this when he said: “Whoever fasts for six days after (Eid) al-Fitr has completed the year: (whoever does a good deed (hasanah) will have ten hasanah like it).” According to another report: “Allaah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days completes the year.”

(al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah. See also Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/421). It was also narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah with the wording: “Fasting for the month of Ramadaan brings the reward of ten like it, and fasting for six days brings the reward of two months, and that is the fasting of the whole year.”

The Hanbali and Shaafa’i fuqaha’ explained that fasting six days of Shawwaal after fasting Ramadaan makes it as if one has fasted for an entire year of obligatory fasts, because the multiplication of the reward applies even to naafil fasts, because each hasanah brings the reward of ten like it.

Another of the important benefits of fasting six days of Shawwaal is that is makes up for any shortfall in a person's obligatory Ramadaan fasts, because no one is free of shortcomings or sins that have a negative effect on his fasting. On the Day of Resurrection, some of his naafil deeds will be taken to make up the shortcomings in his obligatory deeds, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their salaah (prayer). Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels – although He knows best – ‘Look at the salaah of My slave, whether it is complete or incomplete.’ If it is perfect, it will be recorded as perfect, and if something is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether My slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he did some voluntary prayers, [Allaah] 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.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

And Allaah knows best.

Source: Islam Q&A, 7859 [Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid]

2.0 Should he start with the six days of Shawwaal before making up missed fasts, if there are not enough days left?

Question: Is it permissible to fast the six days of Shawwaal before making up days that I did not fast in Ramadaan, if there is not enough time left in the month to do both? May Allaah reward you with good?

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

Fasting six days of Shawwaal is dependent upon having completed the Ramadaan fast, according to the correct view. This is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Whoever fasts Ramadaan then follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be as if he fasted a lifetime.” Narrated by Muslim, 1164.

The conjunction thumma (then) indicates that this must be done in this order. This indicates that the fast of Ramadaan must be completed first (by observing the Ramadaan fast and making up any missed fasts), then after that one may fast the six days of Shawwaal, so as to attain the reward mentioned in the hadeeth.

The one who still owes missed Ramadaan fasts is said to have fasted part of Ramadaan; we cannot say that he has fasted Ramadaan.

But if a person has an excuse that kept him from fasting the six days of Shawwaal in Shawwaal because he had to make up missed fasts – such as a woman who was bleeding followed childbirth and spent all of Shawwaal making up for Ramadaan – then she may fast six days of Shawwaal in Dhu’l-Qa’dah, because she was excused. Similarly for anyone who has an excuse it is prescribed to make up the six days of Shawwaal in Dhu’l-Qa’dah, after making up the missed Ramadaan fasts. But the one who lets the month of Shawwaal go by without fasting these days and with no excuse, will not attain this reward.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked: What if a woman owes days from Ramadaan – is it permissible for her to give precedence to fasting the six days of Shawwaal over making up the days she owes, or should she give priority to the days she owes over fasting the six days of Shawwaal?

He replied: If a woman still owes days from Ramadaan, then she should not fast the six days of Shawwaal until after she has made up what she owes, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan then follows it with six days of Shawwaal…” Whoever still has days to make up from Ramadaan has not fasted Ramadaan, so she will not attain the reward of fasting the six days of Shawwaal until after she has finished making up the days she owes. If we assume that this making up missed fasts lasts throughout Shawwaal, such as if a woman was bleeding following childbirth and did not fast at all in Ramadaan, then she started to make up her missed fasts in Shawaal and did not finish that until Dhu’l-Qa’dah began, then she may fast the six days, and she will have the reward of one who fasted them in Shawwaal, because she delayed it for a necessary reason, so she will have the reward.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 20/19. See also questions no. 4082 and 7863.

In addition to that, it is obligatory to make up missed fasts for the one who had an excuse, indeed that is part of this pillar of Islam. Based on this, hastening to do it and to discharge this duty takes priority over doing actions that are mustahabb. See question no. 23429.

Sources: Islam Q&A Q, 40389

3.0 Do the six days of Shawwaal have to be fasted consecutively?

Question: With regard to the six days of Shawwal after Ramadaan, is it a condition that they should be fasted consecutively, or can I separate them? I want to fast them in three sessions, on the two days of the weekend.

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not a necessary condition that they should be fasted consecutively. If you fast them separately or consecutively, it is OK. The sooner you do them, the better, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings): so compete in good deeds [Holy Quran al-Maaidah 5:48]

And March forth in the way (which leads to) forgiveness from your Lord [Holy Quran Aal Imran 3:133]

[Moosa peace be upon him said:] and I hastened to You, O my Lord, that You might be pleased [Holy Quran Ta-Ha 20:84]

And (you should hasten to fast these six days) because delaying may cause problems. This is the view of the Shaafa is and some of the Hanbalis, but it is OK if you do not hasten it and you delay it until the middle or end of the month.

Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Our companions said: it is mustahabb to fast six days of Shawwaal. Because of this hadeeth they said: it is mustahabb to fast these days consecutively at the beginning of Shawwaal, but if one separates them or delays them until after Shawwaal, this is permissible, because he will still be following the general guidelines of the hadeeth. We have no dispute regarding this matter, and this was also the view of Ahmad and Dawood. Al-Majmoo Sharh al-Muhadhdhab

Source: Islam Q&A, 7858 [Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid]

4.0 If a person does not fast six days in Shawwaal, can he fast them in Dhu’l-Qa’dah?

Question: A woman fasted four of the six days of Shawwaal, then her period came at the end of Shawwaal and she did not complete the six days. She only has two days left. Can she complete the six days of Shawwaal after Shawwaal or not?

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (1164) from Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan then follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it is as if he fasted a lifetime.”

The apparent meaning of the hadeeth is that this reward can be attained only by the one who fasts six days in Shawwaal.

The scholars differed concerning one who fasts the six days at a time other than Shawwaal, whether that is due to an excuse or not. Does he attain the virtue of fasting them in Shawwaal or not? There are two views.

(i). A number of Maalikis, and some Hanbalis are of the view that this virtue may be attained by the one who fasts six days in Shawwaal and afterwards, and that the hadeeth only mentioned Shawwaal in order to make things easier, because fasting them after Ramadaan is easier than doing it later on.

Al-‘Adawi said in his commentary on Sharh al-Khurashi (2/243): The Lawgiver only mentioned Shawwaal in order to make it easier with regard to fasting, not to restrict the ruling to that time only. No doubt doing it in the first ten days of Dhu’l-Hijjah along with what was narrated concerning the virtue of fasting at that time is better, because the purpose is achieved in addition to the extra reward for fasting on virtuous days. Doing it in Dhu’l-Qa’dah is also good. To sum up: The later you fast them, the greater the reward because it is more difficult. End quote.

It was narrated in Tahdheeb Furooq al-Quraafi by Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Husayn, the mufti of the Maalikis in Makkah, and printed with al-Furooq (2/191), from Ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maaliki, that the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) “in Shawwaal” are mentioned by way of example, and that what is meant is that fasting Ramadaan counts as ten months, and fasting six days of Shawwaal counts as two months, and that is the view of the madhhab of Imam Maalik. If that is at a time other than Shawwaal then the ruling is the same. He said: This is very smart so learn it. End quote.

Ibn Muflih said in al-Furoo’ (3/108): It is possible that the reward may be attained even when fasting them at a time other than Shawwaal, according to some scholars. This was mentioned by al-Qurtubi, because the virtue of that is based on the fact that one good deed (hasanah) will be rewarded tenfold, as it says in the report of Thawbaan. And the recommendation of fasting in Shawwaal is because it is easier to fast as one is already used to fasting, and this is a kind of dispensation, and it is more appropriate to avail oneself of the dispensation.

It was also quoted by the author of al-Insaaf, who commented on it by saying: I say: This view is weak and is contrary to the hadeeth. Rather it is connected to the virtue of Ramadaan because it comes immediately after it and not because the good deed is rewarded tenfold, and because fasting them is equal to the obligatory fast of Ramadaan in virtue. End quote from al-Insaaf (3/344).

(ii). A number of the Shaafa’is were of the view that a person who does not fast six days in Shawwaal can make it up in Dhu’l-Qa’dah, but the reward will be less than that of the one who fasts them in Shawwaal. The person who fasts Ramadaan and follows it with six days of Shawwaal will have the reward of fasting a whole year of obligatory fasts, unlike the one who fasts Ramadaan and six days other than in Shawwaal. He will have the reward of Ramadaan and the reward of six naafil days.

Ibn Hajar al-Makki said in Tuhfat al-Muhtaaj (3/456): If a person fasts them along with Ramadaan every year, it will be like observing obligatory fasts for a lifetime, without multiplying the reward. If he fasts six other days, it will be like observing naafil fasts, without multiplying the reward. End quote.

(iii). He can only attain this virtue by fasting them in Shawwaal. This is the view of the Hanbalis.

It says in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa’ (2/338): The virtue of fasting them – i.e., the six days of Shawwaal – cannot be attained at any time other than Shawwaal, because of the apparent meaning of the reports. End quote.

But there is the hope that the person who fasted some of them and could not complete them because of an excuse will attain the reward and virtue thereof.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not prescribed to make them up after the end of Shawwaal, because they are Sunnah and the time for them has passed, whether one missed them for an excuse or otherwise.

He said concerning one who fasted four days in Shawwaal and did not complete six because of circumstances: Fasting the six days of Shawwaal is a mustahabb act of worship but is not obligatory; but you will have the reward of whatever you fast of them, and there is the hope of a complete reward if there was a legitimate shar’i excuse for not completing them, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a person falls sick or travels, Allaah will decree for him (the reward of) what he used to do when he was not travelling and was healthy.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh. So you do not have to make up what you did not do. And Allaah is the Source of strength. End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (15/389, 395).

To sum up:

Fasting six days at a time other than Shawwaal: some scholars regarded that as being like fasting them in Shawwaal, and some stated that there is virtue therein but it is less than the virtue of fasting six days in Shawwaal. And some scholars hope for the reward for the one who is not able to complete six days because of an excuse. The bounty of Allaah is great and His generosity knows no end. If this sister fasted two days in Dhu’l-Qa’dah to make up for what she missed of Shawwaal, that is good, and there is the hope that she will be rewarded in sha Allaah.

And Allaah knows best.

Source: Islam Q&A, 83292