Fasting the Six Days of Shawwaal

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah (swt), the Most Beneficient, the Most Merciful

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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 Sahih Hadith from the Prophet (saws). Abu Ayyub (r) reported that the Messenger of Allah (swt) (saws) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan and follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime.” [Muslim, Abu Dawud, at Tirmidhi, an Nasa’i and Ibn Majah]

The Prophet (saws) 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: “Allah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days completes the year.” [an Nasa’i and Ibn Majah]

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 wisdom of fasting for six days after Ramadaan is that, since the good deeds of Muslims are multiplied by ten fold, he receives the reward for fasting 300 fast by fasting during the 30 days of Ramadaan.

Thereafter by fasting for six days after Ramadaan is that, he will obtain the reward of a further 60 days: so in total he will get the reward for fasting 360 days, it is as though he spent his entire year fasting.

Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt) makes it so easy for His servants to gain as much reward as possible. It is up to us to take advantage.

The Hanbali and Shafi’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 nafil 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 nafil deeds will be taken to make up the shortcomings in his obligatory deeds, as the Prophet (saws) said: “The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their Salaat (prayer). Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels – although He knows best – ‘Look at the Salaat 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 (nafil) prayers.’ If he did some voluntary prayers, [Allah (swt)] 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 Dawud]

And Allah (swt) knows best.