45. The SIX Fasts Of Shawwaal And Related Issues

By Asma bint Shameem

1. Rewards for fasting your ENTIRE life!

Want rewards as if you fasted your ENTIRE LIFE?

Alhamdulillaah it's EASY.

All you have to do is to fast any six days in Shawwaal and you'll get that reward in Shaa Allaah.

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

"Whoever fasts Ramadhaan and follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime."
(Muslim)

How is that?
Well, the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam himself explained further.

He said:

"Fasting for the month of Ramadhaan 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."
(Ibn Khuzaymah- saheeh)

Subhaan Allaah how many opportunities He gives us, to earn His Pleasure and get our sins forgiven!

Allaah in His Infinite Mercy has told us that each good deed that we do, is multiplied 10 times.
Since 1 good deed = 10
That makes 1 month of Ramadhaan equal to 10 months.
And the 6 days of shawwaal equals 60 days or 2 months.

So if you add it up, 10 + 2 = 12 months or the whole year.

And if we do this every year, that means we fasted our ENTIRE life !
Subhaan Allaah!

2. The Shawwaal fasts will compensate for any shortcomings in our fardh fasts.

Just as Allaah will look at the nawaafil Salaah on the Day of Judgment and ask the angels to fill in any shortage a person may have in his fardh Salaah, similarly these 6 days of Shawwaal will come in handy and fill in any shortfalls we may have in our Fardh Ramadhaan fasts.

The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:

"The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their Salaah.
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."
(Abu Dawood- saheeh by al-Albaani).

3. Can I fast six days of Shawwaal first, BEFORE my fardh Ramadhaan fasts that I need to make up?

There’s a difference of opinion among the scholars about this issue

But the stronger scholarly opinion is that in order to get the REWARD of fasting the ENTIRE year, we have to complete our Ramadhaan FIRST, as per the words of the hadeeth.
And THEN fast the six days of Shawwaal to get this immense reward.

You see, fasting six days of Shawwaal is dependent upon having completed the fasting of Ramadhaan.

Look at the words of the hadeeth:
"Whoever fasts Ramadhaan, 'THUMMA' (then) follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be as if he fasted a lifetime."
(Muslim)

The word 'thumma' (“then”) shows that it must be done in this order, that is, complete Ramadhaan first, THEN do the six days of Shawwaal.

If we still owe fasts from Ramadhaan, that means we've only fasted PART of Ramadhaan; we cannot say that we have fasted the entire Ramadaan.

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
“If someone has missed some of the days of Ramadhaan, he should fast them FIRST, THEN fast six days of Shawwaal, because he cannot follow the fast of Ramadhaan with six days of Shawwaal unless he has completed his Ramadhaan fast.” (Fataawa Al-Lajnah Al-Daa’imah, 10/392)

Another point to consider is that Shawwaal fasts are VOLUNTARY while the fasts of Ramadhaan that you still owe are FARDH.

Obviously the fardh takes priority over the nafil, since it's a DEBT that is owed to Allaah.
And it needs to be repaid as soon as possible.
Would you keep praying nawaafil salah although you still have Dhuhr, Asr or any other fardh prayer still due?
Of course not.
Well, that's how it is with these fasts as well.

4. Can I COMBINE the niyyah of fasting these six days of Shawwaal with my days that I owe from Ramadhaan?

No that's not valid.

That's because these Shawwaal fasts are SPECIFIC and CONNECTED to the fasts of Ramadhaan. And one cannot combine those ibaadaat that are specific or connected to each other.

For example, if someone wants to pray two rakah at the time of Fajr with the intention to combine the two Sunnah with the two Fardh, obviously that's not valid.

That's because the Sunnah of Fajr is specific and directly connected to the Fardh of Fajr, and cannot take its place.

Similar is the case with the fasts of Shawwaal.

They're specific and directly associated or connected to the fasts of Ramadhaan and therefore cannot be combined.

Shaikh ibn Uthaymeen said:

"With regard to fasting the six days of Shawwaal, they are connected to Ramadaan and can only done after making up missed Ramadaan fasts." (Fataawa al-Siyaam)

On the other hand, any act of ibaadah that's NONSPECIFIC or not connected with any other act of ibaadah CAN be combined.

For example if you enter the masjid, and people are praying Salatul Ishaa, you don't have to pray tahiyyatul masjid separately; rather your praying in Jama'ah will suffice.

That's because tahiyyatul masjid is nonspecific and not connected with any specific act of ibaadah.

The point of tahiyyatul masjid is to pray before sitting down. And praying with the Ishaa Jama'ah will fulfill that need.

5. Can I fast the six days of Shawwaal on Mondays and Thursdays?

Yes, that's possible.
That's because the recommendation to fast Mondays and Thursdays is a general recommendation and if we combine the niyyah to fast our six days of Shawwaal on Monday and Thursday, we hope to get TWO rewards from Allaah; one for fasting the six days of Shawwaal and two for fasting on recommended Sunnah days.

6. Do I have to start fasting right away from the 2nd of Shawwaal?
And do these 6 days have to be consecutive?*

No that’s not necessary.
You can start anytime you want and you have the entire month to fast these six days.
Of course except the first of Shawwaal which is Eid Day and it's not permitted to fast this day.

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“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.”
(Fataawa Al-Lajnah Al-Daa’imah, 10/391)

May Allaah give us the Taufeeq to utilize this amazing opportunity to earn tremendous rewards from Allaah and may He accept from all of us.

 Ameen.

And Allaah knows best