The virtue of fasting six days of Shawwaal

[al Amaanah]

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

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.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid


When can I start fasting six days of Shawwal, since we have annual leave right now?


Praise be to Allaah.

You can start fasting six days of Shawwaal from the second day of Shawwaal, because it is haraam to fast on the day of Eid. You can fast the six days at any time during Shawwaal, although the best of good deeds are those which are done soonest.

The standing committee received the following question:

Should fasting the six days be done immediately after Ramadaan, following the day of Eid or is it permissible to do it a few days after Eid in the month of Shawwaal or not?

They replied as follows:

These days do not have to be fasted immediately after Eid al-Fitr; it is permissible to start fasting them one or more days after Eid, and they may be done consecutively or separately during the month of Shawwaal, according to what is easier for a person. There is plenty of room for maneuver in this matter, and this is not obligatory, it is Sunnah.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions and grant them peace.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/391

[layla is here]

Jazak Allah Khair
That was interesting and helpful. So if we have days we missed in ramadan then would they be made up with fasting the 6 days of shawwal or do we have to make them up separately?

[Güven]

JazakAllahu Khair ! Very beneficial :)

:w:

[truemuslim]

Jazakallah khair :)

I thought it were called sit al beedh?

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[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

ukht layla, no separately. days u missed in ramadaan + 6 days of shawwaal.
wallahu a3lam.

:w:

[------]

:salamext:

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.

Sik! Jazaak Allaah Khayr!

[al Amaanah]

What should a woman do first: fast the six recommended days of Shawwal ( Alayam Alsetta Albeed) or fast equivalent to the days she missed in Ramadan due to her monthly period?

Praise be to Allaah.

If she wants to earn the reward mentioned in the hadeeth 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 for a lifetime” (reported by Muslim, no. 1984), then she should complete her Ramadaan fasts first, then follow it with six days of Shawwaal, so that the hadeeth with be applicable to her too, and she will gain the reward mentioned in it.

As regards the matter of permissibility, it is permissible for her to delay making up her Ramadaan fasts, provided that she makes them up before the next Ramadaan comes along.

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

[al Amaanah]

ameen, wa iyyaakom.

[layla is here]

:salamext:

ukht layla, no separately. days u missed in ramadaan + 6 days of shawwaal.
wallahu a3lam.

:w:

jazak Allah khayr
thanks sister!

[al Amaanah]

ameen, wa iyyaaki.

:w:

[al Amaanah]

bump.

:w:

[al Amaanah]

bump

:w:

[al Amaanah]

bump

:w:

[BNDGR]

JazakAllah for this post. I might have missed it but what is the month of Shawaal, post said after Eid so does the 6 days of fast need to be done in October??

[al Amaanah]

:sl:

we're in the month of Shawwaal now, and today is the 19th. so u could still fast the 6 days of shawwaal insha Allah. : )

:w:

[Güven]

this is my 5th day and tomorrow would be my 6th day InshaAllah:statisfie

:w:

[al Amaanah]

insha Allah, may Allah accept our fasting, Allahomma ameen.

:w:

[al Amaanah]

bump

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

bump.

:w:

[Ramadhan]

Does the six days fasting need to be done on sequence days?
or can they be done on monday-thursday fastings?

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

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

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.

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 [al Maaidah 5:48]

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

[Moosa peace be upon him said:] and I hastened to You, O my Lord, that You might be pleased [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 (ra7imahullah) 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

Sheikh Muhammed Salih AlMunajjid

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

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

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.

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 (salla Allaho 3alaihi wasallam) 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.

IslamQA

Is it permissible to make up a missed fast on the second or third day of Eid?

Praise be to Allaah.

Eid al Fitr lasts for just one day, which is the first day of Shawwaal.

With regard to the commonly-held belief among people, that Eid al-Fitr lasts for three days, this is merely a custom that is known among the people, and has nothing to do with any shar’i rulings.

Al Bukhaari (ra7imahullah) said:

Chapter: Fasting on the day of al Fitr.

Then he narrated (1992) that Abu Sa’eed (radiyAllaho 3anh) said: The Prophet (salla Allaho 3alaihi wasallam) forbade fasting on the day of al Fitr and al-Nahr.

Based on this, the day of al Fitr is just one day, on which it is haraam to fast, As for the second and third days of Shawwaal, it is not haraam to fast those days; it is permissible to fast it to make up a missed Ramadaan fast or as a voluntary fast.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Does one have to fast six days of Shawwaal every year?

If someone fasts six days of Shawwaal, then one year he gets sick or something prevents him from fasting, or he is too lazy to fast, will there be any sin on him? We have heard that if a person fasts these six days one year, he must never give up this practice thereafter.

Praise be to Allaah.

Fasting six days of Shawwaal after the day of Eid is Sunnah. It is not waajib (obligatory) on the person who does this once or more often to continue doing it. He is not guilty of a sin if he does not fast these days.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and grant him peace.

IslamQA

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

When should a Muslim start fasting six days of Shawwaal?

When can I start fasting six days of Shawwaal, since we have annual leave right now?

Praise be to Allaah.

You can start fasting six days of Shawwaal from the second day of Shawwaal, because it is haraam to fast on the day of Eid. You can fast the six days at any time during Shawwaal, although the best of good deeds are those which are done soonest.

The standing committee received the following question:

Should fasting the six days be done immediately after Ramadaan, following the day of Eid or is it permissible to do it a few days after Eid in the month of Shawwaal or not?

They replied as follows:

These days do not have to be fasted immediately after Eid al Fitr; it is permissible to start fasting them one or more days after Eid, and they may be done consecutively or separately during the month of Shawwaal, according to what is easier for a person. There is plenty of room for maneuver in this matter, and this is not obligatory, it is Sunnah.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions and grant them peace.

Fataawa al Lajnah al Daa’imah, 10/391

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

!

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

!

:w:

[Caller الداعي]

jazakallah khair!!!

[Bub]

Today is the last day of 6 days

[Misz_Muslimah]

Jazaakalahu khayran for sharing :)

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

ameen wa iyyaakom.

:w:

[Muhammad]

:wa:

Jazakallaahu khayran for this thread. It is a beneficial reminder for us all in this month. Fasting again seems to bring back a tiny piece of Ramadhan. :cry:

[Pk_#2]

this is my 5th day and tomorrow would be my 6th day InshaAllah:statisfie

:w:

MashaAllaah May Allaah accept your fasts, Aameen,

JazakiAllahu khair wa Jannah to the thread starter and to the other sisters who made some beneficial posts.

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

ameen wa iyyaakom.

:w:

[Al Mu'minaat]

Does the six days fasting need to be done on sequence days?
or can they be done on monday-thursday fastings?

Aslamalakium... Yes the fasts of 6 days can be done any day, for instance.. you fast on monday.. but decide not to fast on Tuesday.. or like me i only fast in the weekends.. coz i go 2 school and the fasting kinda get's hard..

However, there is a condition, if you arent gonna fast the 6 days of shawaal in a sequence.. then yooh have 2 make sure the days your fasting are in the month of shawaal

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

!

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

ameen wa iyyaakom.

:w:

[OurIslamic]

MashAllah, congratulations! :)

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

reminder!

:w:

[abbas_ali]

:salamext:

reminder!

:w:

Jazakallah very useful. Saves me searching the net.

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

ameen wa eyyaak.

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

dont forget to fast inshaa Allah!

:w:

[muslimahhhh]

May Allah accept our fast, Aameen.

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

reminder!

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

!!!

:w:

[Ali Mujahidin]

:sl:

JazakuLLah for sharing. I am going to start tomorrow, ie the second day of the Eid festival here. May Allah give me the strength to keep on fasting six days in a row. If I miss this chance, I am not too sure that I might still be around this time again next year to try again.

[al Amaanah]

:wasalamex

ameen wa eyaak akh. do know that it is ok not to fast consecutively, u can seperate them too inshaa Allah. may Allah love u and be pleased with u always and may He grant u strength and keep u in perfect health ameeeen

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

!!!

:w:

[IslamicRevival]

How long have we got? I really want to fast in shawwal

[roohani.doctor]

can you fast the 6 days even if you didnt the day after eid . I have heard that you have to fast the first out of 6 the day right after eid and then complete the 5 whenever during the month) - is that true? Or can I start tomorrow as I have jus realised the beauty/benefits in it?

[Ali Mujahidin]

can you fast the 6 days even if you didnt the day after eid . I have heard that you have to fast the first out of 6 the day right after eid and then complete the 5 whenever during the month) - is that true? Or can I start tomorrow as I have jus realised the beauty/benefits in it?

:sl:

From what I have learned, you can start on any day in Shawwal. Of course, you must start more than six days from the end of Shawwal. Otherwise you won't be able to complete it. Myself, I used to delay the six-day fast and sometimes, the month of Shawwal was over before I completed the six days. So this year, I started right on the second day and fasted six days in a row. It does make Eid seem less festive because I don't go to visit anyone after the first day. However the thought of the rewards kept me fasting until I finished the six days. Shukur alhamduliLLah.

[Ramadhan]

:sl:

You can fast any day in Shawwal, it does not have to be consecutive and the last sixth day would be the last day of shawwal.

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

akh vision today is the 15th of shawwaal, u got approx 2 weeks left inshaa Allah.

:w:

[al Amaanah]

:salamext:

for those who can, dont forget to fast inshaa Allah!

:w:

[Danah]

^ JazakiAllah khair sister for the reminder

[IslamicRevival]

Is there still time left? :O

[Danah]

Is there still time left? :O

Today is still 20th of the month, you still have 10 days. If you start tomorrow you will finish at 26th.

[m2p]

jazzakalah khair