Month of Shawwal – 6 days of Fasting
Month of Shawwal – 6 days of Fasting
It was narrated from Abu Ayyub RA that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah
Book 7, Hadith 1787)
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: “He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal. it would be as if he fasted perpetually.
(Sahih Muslim 1164a
Book 13, Hadith 264)
Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (RA) relates that Allah’s Messenger (SWS), peace be upon him) says: “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, it will be as if he had fasted the year through.” (Sahih Muslim, 1163).
The month of Shawwal is singled out for the observance of extra fasts, since this month follows immediately after Ramadan. The six days of voluntary fasting are to the obligatory fast of Ramadan what the Sunnah prayers are to the obligatory prayers.
Thawban reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The fast of Ramadan is like observing 10 months of fasting. Fasting six days of Shawwal is like observing two months of fasting. This together is like fasting throughout the year.” (Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, Sunan Al-Nasai Al-Kubra; authenticated by Al-Albani)
Al-Nawawi says: “Scholars have explained that it is like observing a year of fasting because the reward of one’s good deeds are multiplied 10-fold. Therefore fasting the month of Ramadan is like fasting for 10 months and fasting six days in the month of Shawwal is like fasting for two months.” (Sahih Muslim)
Virtues 6 days of Fasting in Month of Shawwal
1. Fasting 6 days in Shawwal after Ramadan gives the person the reward of fasting throughout the year.
2. The fasts of Sha’ban and Shawwal are like the Sunnah prayers that accompany the five obligatory prayers. Like the Sunnah prayers, these extra fasts cover up for the deficiencies in our performance of our obligatory worship. On the Day of Judgment, our voluntary acts of worship will compensate for the shortcomings in how we carried out our duties. Most of us have deficiencies in our observance of our Ramadan fasts and we need something to cover up for those deficiencies.
3. Our return to the habit of fasting right after Ramadan is a sign that our Ramadan fasts were accepted. When Allah accepts our worship, He blesses us to engage in further acts of piety. The saying goes: The reward of virtue is further virtue. Therefore, following one good deed with others like it is a sign that the first deed had been accepted by Allah. By contrast, if a person’s good deed is followed by a sinful one, it is an indication that the first good deed might not have been accepted.
4. Those who observe the fast of Ramadan are given their recompense of the day of Eid Al-Fitr, the day when the fast is rewarded. Getting into the habit of fasting again soon thereafter is a means of giving thanks to Allah for the blessings that we have received. There is no blessing greater than forgiveness for one’s sins, and we know that fast of Ramadan is recompensed with forgiveness of one’s previous sins.
Indeed, Allah has commanded us to give thanks for the blessings of the Ramadan fast and to do so by making mention of Him and through other means of giving thanks. Allah says: “(He wants you) to complete the number of days, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance you may give thanks.” (Qur’an, 2:185)
It is known that some of the pious predecessors would try to get up at night to pray the Tahajjud prayer. When Allah blessed them to wake up and do so, they would fast the next day in thanks to Allah for blessing them to observe that prayer.
Every blessing that Allah gives us is something that we have to be thankful about. Moreover, when Allah blesses us to show thanks, this is a further blessing from Allah that deserves further thanks from us. If we show further thanks, this in turn is another blessing deserving our gratitude. There is no end to this and we can never be thankful enough. When we recognize that our thanks is never enough, this is the highest expression of gratitude we can give.
Al-Shafii, Ahmad bin Hanbal and Ishaq Al-Rahawayh hold that is preferable and recommended to fast six days in the month of Shawwal. This opinion has also been related from Ibn Abbas, Kab Al-Ahbar, Tawus, Al-Shabi, Maymun bin Mahran, and Ibn Al-Mubarak. They base their opinion upon the Hadith that we have discussed above.
Others have regarded fasting six days in the month of Shawwal to be something disliked. This view has been related from Malik and Abu Hanifah. They argue that it is feared from the general public that they might misconstrue fasting these six days to be something obligatory. They also see it as emulating the People of the Scripture to exceed the number of fasting days in the prescribed month of fasting.
However, these objections are spurious in the face of the clear statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that encourage this fast. If we were to abandon a Sunnah act on the grounds that we are exceeding what is obligatory, then we would have to abandon all recommended fasts, including the fast of Ashura and the fast of the middle of the month.
It has been related that Malik used to personally fast six days in Shawwal. Also, later Hanafi scholars decided that there is no objection to fasting these days.
The Maliki jurist Ibn Abd Al-Bar explains (Al-Istidhkar, 3:380): Malik did not know of the Hadith related by Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, even though it is a Hadith from the people of Madinah. No one possesses all the knowledge held by others. Malik explained and clarified what he disliked about it. He was afraid that it would be added to the obligatory fast of Ramadan by the general public. Malik was extremely cautious when it came to matters of religion.
As for fasting six days in the month of Shawwal to seek extra blessings, as Thawban depicts it, this is something that Malik had no objection against — and Allah knows best — since fasting is a person’s protective shield and its virtues are well-known. When we give up our food and drink for Allah’s sake, it is a virtuous and good deed. Allah says: “O you who believe, bow down in Ruku and bow down in Sajdah, and worship your Lord and do good deeds, so that you achieve success.” (Qur’an, 22:77)
There are various opinions about how to observe the fasts in Shawwal:
1. Some scholars hold the view that it is preferable to fast the six days in consecutive order, starting from the second day of Shawwal. This is the view of Al-Shafii and Ibn Al-Mubarak.
2. Others are of the opinion that it is preferable to fast the six days intermittently, spreading them out throughout the month of Shawwal. This is the position of Ahmad bin Hanbal and Waki.
3. Then there are those who hold the view that the days should all be postponed until later in the month and not close to the day of Eid, which is a time of celebration and feasting. They prefer fasting the three days in the middle of the month (Ayyam Al-Bid) along with the three days right before or after. This is the opinion of Mamar and Abd al-Razzaq. There is considerable flexibility in all of this. We can choose to follow any of these approaches that we wish.
Four Ways in which Shawwal is Significant
First, in order to signify the incorrectness of the pre-Islamic belief that marriages contracted in the month of Shawwal was cursed the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah’s everlasting peace and blessings be upon him) chose to marry Sayyidatina `Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) during the month of Shawwal. The wrong belief of the pre-Islamic people that Shawwal was a cursed month of ill – omen was clearly disproved by this marriage since the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s (SWS) marriage to Lady `Aisha (RA) became a great beacon of love and affection for all married couples to emulate.
Second, one of the most meritorious aspects of the month of Shawwal, is that `Id-al-Fitr, is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal. This joyous and festive day, celebrated by the Muslim ummah is a day on which we give thanks to Allah, and celebrate our accomplishments of the blessed month of Ramadan. As Allah, the Sublime exhorts us in the Glorious Qur’an, in Surah al-Baqara, Chapter 2, verse 185:
وَ لِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ
وَ لِتُكَبِّرُوا اللّٰهَ عَلٰى مَا هَدٰ كُمْ
وَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُوْنَ
He (Allah) desires that you complete
the prescribed number of fasting days
And that you extol and glorify Allah for having guided you,
That perhaps you may render thanks and gratitude unto Him (Q2:185)
Third, the month of Shawwal is also significant because it marks the onset of the hajj season. Allah, the Sublime, declares in the Glorious Qur’an in Surah-al-Baqarah, Chapter 2, verse 197:
الْحَجُّ أَشْهُرٌ مَعْلُومَاتٌ
The Hajj/Pilgrimage shall take place
during the well-known months (Q2:197)
In a Prophet tradition (hadith) recorded in the collection of Imam al-Bukhari (RA) the companion, `Abdullah ibn `Umar (RA,may Allah be pleased with him) informs us that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SWS) declared that the well-known months referred to in this Qur’anic verse (ayah) are the lunar months of Shawwal, Dhul Qa’idah and the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah.
Some early Muslim scholars, such as `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud and `Abdullah ibn `Umar, Mujahid and az-Zuhri, however, held that the months of hajj are the tenth month of Shawwal, the eleventh month of Dhul Qa`ida and the entire twelfth month of Dhul-Hijjah.
These three lunar months were well-known to the pre-Islamic Arabs as the months during which the hajj took place. This was known since the days of Prophets Ibrahim and Isma’il (peace be upon both of them) and the Glorious Qur’an reaffirms their significance. The month of Shawwal is thus the first of the three months named as “Ash-hur al-Hajj” (i.e. the months of hajj).
Fourth, the month of Shawwal is the only other month in the Muslim lunar calendar in which fasting is recommended. According to a well-known prophetic tradition (hadith) recorded in the collection of Imam Muslim, related by the companion, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be please with him) the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah’s everlasting peace and blessings be upon him) advises us as follows:
عن أبي أيوب – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنهُ
– أن رَسُول اللَّهِ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ – قال:
(( من صام رمضان ثم أتبعه ستًا من شوال كان كصيام الدهر ))
رَوَاهُ مُسلِمٌ.
“Whosoever fasts during the month of Ramadan
and then follows it up with six days of fasting of Shawwal
will be rewarded as if he or she had fasted the entire year”
(Narrated by Imam Muslim)
According to the Shafi’i and Hanafi schools of Islamic jurisprudence (madh-habs) it is preferred that these days be fasted consecutively, i.e. the six days immediately following the celebration of ‘Id-al-Fitr.
According to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal however one may choose to fast on any six days of the blessed month of Shawwal, as neither practice is preferred over the other. This is also the prevailing view (jamhur) of many contemporary Muslim scholars on the basis of the evidence.
In response to the above prophetic tradition I encourage those of us who have not already adopted this prophetic recommendation (sunnah) to consider doing so in the remaining days of this month of Shawwal. Fasting in the lunar month of Shawwal provides us with a wonderful opportunity of following up on our great spiritual accomplishments of the month of Ramadan and cultivates in us the discipline of voluntary fasting (siyam al-tatawwu’).
As we have experienced during the month of Ramadan, fasting is one of the best forms of worship and spiritual disciplines, which purifies the individual, and nourishes our souls and draws us closer to our Creator. Voluntary fasting (siyam al-tatawwu’) has an even greater effect since it is undertaken by the free will of the believer. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) loved fasting so much.
Furthermore, it is my considered view that the practice of fasting in Shawwal could also serve as a wonderful way of assisting those of us who may have missed some fasts during Ramadan, as a result of illness, menses or traveling to make up for their lost fasts. It is highly recommended to fulfill the qada or missed fasts of Ramadan as soon as possible, since this is an obligation and debt owed to Allah and this takes precedence over voluntary (sunnah) fasting.
