Source : Faith in Allah / 05 June 2019

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

It is highly recommended to fast six days of the month of Shawwal after completing the fast of Ramadan.

Abu Ayub Al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

مَنْصَامَرَمَضَانَثُمَّأَتْبَعَهُسِتًّامِنْشَوَّالٍكَانَكَصِيَامِالدَّهْرِ

Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of fasting during the month of Shawwal will be as if he has fasted for the year.

Source: Sahih Muslim 1164, Grade: Sahih

The reason he will be as if he has fasted the whole year is because Allah multiplies sincere good deeds by ten.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

فَمَنْهَمَّبِحَسَنَةٍفَلَمْيَعْمَلْهَاكَتَبَهَااللَّهُعِنْدَهُحَسَنَةًكَامِلَةًوَإِنْهَمَّبِهَافَعَمِلَهَاكَتَبَهَااللَّهُعَزَّوَجَلَّعِنْدَهُعَشْرَحَسَنَاتٍإِلَىسَبْعِمِائَةِضِعْفٍإِلَىأَضْعَافٍكَثِيرَةٍ

Whoever intends to perform a good deed but does not do it, then Allah will record it as a complete good deed, but if he intends to do it and does so, then Allah the Exalted will record it as ten good deeds up to seven hundred times as much or even more.

Source: Sahih Muslim 131, Grade: Sahih

So thirty days of Ramadan and six days of Shawwal will equal three hundred and sixty days of fasting or about one year. This understanding is confirmed by another narration.

Thawban (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

صِيَامُرَمَضَانَبِعَشَرَةِأَشْهُرٍوَصِيَامُالسِّتَّةِأَيَّامٍبِشَهْرَيْنِفَذَلِكَصِيَامُالسَّنَةِ

Fasting the month of Ramadan is like ten months of fasting and fasting six days of Shawwal is like two months of fasting, so those together is like fasting a year.

Source: Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah 2115, Grade: Sahih

Therefore, we should take advantage of this opportunity to gain a tremendous amount of rewards for a small amount of effort. One of the purposes of fasting during the month of Shawwal is to continue the habit of fasting we have developed during Ramadan. If we do not fast any days of Shawwal, it will be much more difficult to make fasting a regular habit throughout the year. We should use the habits we developed during Ramadan to begin practicing the Sunan days of fasting, such as fasting on the days of Arafat and Ashura, fasting Mondays and Thursdays, and fasting three days in the middle of every month.

Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

A man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said,

“What is your view about fasting on the day of Arafat?”

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَحْتَسِبُعِنْدَاللَّهِأَنْيُكَفِّرَالسَّنَةَالْمَاضِيَةَوَالْبَاقِيَةَ

I consider it with regard to Allah that it expiates the sins of the previous and upcoming years.

The man said,

“O Messenger of Allah, what is your view about fasting the day of Ashura?”

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَحْتَسِبُعِنْدَاللَّهِأَنْيُكَفِّرَالسَّنَةَ

I consider it with regard to Allah that it expiates the sins of the year.

Source: Musad Ahmad 22115, Grade: Sahih               

Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

تُعْرَضُالْأَعْمَالُيَوْمَالِاثْنَيْنِوَالْخَمِيسِفَأُحِبُّأَنْيُعْرَضَعَمَلِيوَأَنَاصَائِمٌ

The deeds are presented on Monday and Thursday, so I love that my deeds are presented while I am fasting.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 747, Grade: Hasan

Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

يَاأَبَاذَرٍّإِذَاصُمْتَمِنْالشَّهْرِثَلَاثَةَأَيَّامٍفَصُمْثَلَاثَعَشْرَةَوَأَرْبَعَعَشْرَةَوَخَمْسَعَشْرَةَ

O Abu Dharr, if you are going to fast three days of the month, then fast on the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 761, Grade: Hasan

Even if one is incapable or finds it too difficult to fast six days of Shawwal, then he should fast at least a few days or as much as he can to make fasting a habit in each month. Allah loves the good deed that is done regularly even if it is small.

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

وَأَنَّأَحَبَّالْأَعْمَالِإِلَىاللَّهِأَدْوَمُهَاوَإِنْقَلَّ

The most beloved deed to Allah is one performed regularly even if it were small.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 6099, Grade: Sahih

So let us try to use the good habits we have cultivated during Ramadan to make fasting a regular habit in every month, even if only a few days.

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.