Fasting 6 days of Shawwal: Virtues and rules explained

Fasting 6 days of Shawwal is one of the most rewarding Sunnahs a believer can perform after Ramadan has departed. The season of worship never ends; for the sincere believer, completing one act of obedience is simply a stepping stone to the next. Flowing directly from the obligatory fast, the Prophet Muhammad guided his Ummah […]

Fasting 6 days of Shawwal is one of the most rewarding Sunnahs a believer can perform after Ramadan has departed. The season of worship never ends; for the sincere believer, completing one act of obedience is simply a stepping stone to the next.

Flowing directly from the obligatory fast, the Prophet Muhammad guided his Ummah toward this magnificent opportunity to gain immense rewards.

 

The immense virtues

The virtue of fasting the six days is established through highly authentic (Sahih) Hadiths. Fasting them is considered a highly recommended Sunnah that brings profound rewards.

The primary virtue is that fasting Ramadan, followed by six days of Shawwal, is legally and spiritually equivalent to fasting the entire year. If practised annually, it equates to a lifetime of fasting.

Abu Ayyub narrated that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six from Shawwal, it is as if they fasted the Dahr (a lifetime/perpetual).” (Narrated by Muslim).

The Prophet explicitly explained how these few days equal an entire year, based on the divine principle that a good deed is multiplied tenfold.

Thawban, the freed slave of the Prophet, narrated in another authentic version: “Fasting Ramadan is equivalent to ten months, and fasting six days is equivalent to two months, so that is the fasting of the year.” By this calculation:

Beyond the numerical reward, fasting these six days holds deep spiritual significance for the believer.

Similar to the Rawatib (voluntary Sunnah prayers performed before and after obligatory prayers), these voluntary fasts serve to complete and rectify any flaws, deficiencies, or shortcomings in our obligatory Ramadan fasts. On the Day of Judgment, our voluntary acts will be used to patch the gaps in our obligatory duties.

 

Essential rules

When planning your voluntary fasts, several common questions arise regarding the method and priorities.

It is not a condition for the Shawwal fasts to be consecutive. A Muslim may fast them back-to-back immediately after Eid day, or scatter them throughout the month of Shawwal. Both methods are entirely permissible.

However, if a person chooses to fast them on Mondays and Thursdays, they can multiply their reward by combining the intention of the Shawwal fast with the Sunnah of fasting on those specific days.

A common question arises for those who missed days of Ramadan due to valid excuses (such as sickness, travel, or menstruation): Is it better to make up the obligatory days (Qada) first, or fast the voluntary six days of Shawwal?

Based on the legal principle that obligatory acts take precedence over voluntary ones, the best and safest course of action is to fast the missed Ramadan days first, and then fast the six days of Shawwal. Ramadan is an obligation, while Shawwal is a Sunnah. (Islam Online)