01/04/2025
ISSUES RELATED TO FASTING SIX DAYS OF SHAWWAL: VIRTUES, AUTHENTICITY, ATTAINING THE REWARD BEFORE MAKING UP MISSED FASTS, AND THE NON-OBLIGATION OF INTENDING THEM FROM THE NIGHT
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. May peace and blessings be upon His servant and Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family.
This is a discussion on the issues related to fasting six days of Shawwal
1. Virtues and the Prophet’s Encouragement to Fast Them
• Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted the entire year."
(Narrated by Muslim and others).
• Imam Ahmad narrated from Thawban that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever fasts Ramadan, a month is counted for ten months, and fasting six days after Eid completes the fasting of an entire year."
(In another narration by Ibn Khuzaymah: "Fasting the six days equals two months, thus completing the fasting of a full year.")
This hadith is also narrated by Ibn Majah, Al-Darimi, and Al-Nasa’i in Al-Kubra and was authenticated by Abu Hatim Al-Razi, Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, and others.
• Similar narrations exist from Abu Huraira, Jabir ibn Abdullah, and Shaddad ibn Aws.
• Imam Ibn Al-Mubarak (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
"It is a good practice, akin to fasting three days of every month." (Reported by Al-Tirmidhi).
2. Did the Prophet (ﷺ) Fast the Six Days of Shawwal?
• In Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him ) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would fast until it was said: He will never break his fast, and he would break his fast until it was said: He will never fast."
• Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would fast until we said: He will not break his fast, and he would break his fast until we said: He will not fast." (Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
• Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him ) narrated:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and he would break his fast until we thought he would never fast."
(Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
• Usama ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) asked:
"O Messenger of Allah, you fast so much that you rarely break your fast, and then you break it so much that you rarely fast, except for two days that you always fast if they coincide with your fast or not?"
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Which two days?"
Usama said: "Monday and Thursday."
The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: "These are two days in which deeds are presented before the Lord of the Worlds."
(Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Nasa’i, and it is a Hasan hadith).
• Conclusion: These narrations indicate that the Prophet (ﷺ) would fast approximately half of every month. Hence, anyone who fasts half of Shawwal will certainly have fasted the six days, if not more.
3. Should One Hasten to Fast the Six Days Immediately After Eid?
• Imam Abdul Razzaq Al-San‘ani (d. 211H) said in his Musannaf:
"I asked Ma‘mar about fasting the six days immediately after Eid, and he replied: ‘God forbid! These are days of Eid, eating, and drinking.’"
• The narrator of the Musannaf added:
"We also asked Abdul Razzaq about fasting on the second day (after Eid), and he strongly disliked it and firmly rejected it."
Note: Abdul Razzaq was a leading scholar of Yemen and one of the teachers of Imam Ahmad, and Ma‘mar ibn Rashid was among the great scholars of hadith.
• Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned in Mukhtasar Al-Fatawa Al-Masriyyah (summarized by Al-Ba‘li):
"Some scholars disliked fasting the six days immediately after Eid, fearing that the people might think the eighth of Shawwal was an Eid, leading them to mistakenly consider it another day of celebration."
This viewpoint was also shared by some Maliki scholars.
• On the other hand, some Shafi‘i and Hanbali scholars encouraged hastening to fast the six days right after Eid, viewing it as eagerness to perform good deeds.
The first opinion (delaying slightly) may be preferable, especially if one has family gatherings or visits, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Your guest has a right over you." (Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
4. Is It Valid to Fast the Six Days Before Making Up Missed Ramadan Fasts?
• Hanafi scholars: It is valid to fast voluntary fasts before making up missed Ramadan fasts without dislike.
• Maliki and Shafi‘i scholars, as well as a narration from Hanbali: It is valid but disliked to fast voluntary fasts before making up missed Ramadan fasts.
• Another Hanbali narration: It is not valid to fast voluntary fasts before making up Ramadan fasts.
Thus, it is recommended for those who owe Ramadan fasts to make them up before fasting the six days, as this is the safest approach.
5. Does One Attain the Virtue of Fasting the Six Days If They Fast Them Before Making Up Missed Ramadan Fasts?
• Those who argue that one does not attain the virtue unless they complete Ramadan first cite the wording of the hadith:
"Then follows it (with six days of Shawwal)."
They argue that if someone fasts the six days before making up missed fasts, it cannot be said that they followed Ramadan with them, since they did not complete Ramadan.
This opinion is widely accepted among some modern scholars.
• However, this argument is debatable. The virtue of fasting the six days is attained even if the obligatory fasts are made up later. This is supported by:
1. The variations in wording of the hadiths, such as:
"And six from Shawwal."
"Six days after breaking the fast."
The differing narrations indicate that most were transmitted with slight variations in meaning. No single wording should be used as absolute proof when others differ in meaning.
2. In the hadith of Thawban (which is authentic), the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Fasting Ramadan is equivalent to ten months, and fasting six days is equivalent to two months. That is the fasting of an entire year."
This hadith explains the virtue mathematically, without requiring one to complete all Ramadan fasts before the six.
3. Similar reasoning is found in the hadith regarding fasting three days of every month, which states:
"Fast three days every month, for that is equivalent to fasting for a lifetime." (Narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim).
4. This concept is also confirmed by the Quranic verse:
"Whoever comes with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof." (Surah Al-An‘am 6:160).
They also base their argument on what was narrated by Ahmad from Abu Huraira, that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:"Whoever fasts voluntarily while still owing fasts from Ramadan, his voluntary fast will not be accepted until he completes what he owes."
However, this hadith is not authentic due to Al-Idhtirob (inconsistencies in its transmission), as stated by Ibn Abi Hatim.
Additionally, its chain of narration includes Ibn Lahi‘ah (whom was a weak narrator), and furthermore, the hadith contains a disputed passage, as it concludes with:
"Whoever reaches another Ramadan while still owing fasts from a previous Ramadan, his fasting will not be accepted."
This was mentioned in Al-Sharh Al-Kabir and cited by Al-Buhuti in Kashaf Al-Qina‘, both of which are Hanbali sources.
The second opinion from Imam Ahmad states that voluntary fasting before making up missed fasts is permissible and valid.
Al-Mardawi said in Al-Insaf:
"This is the correct view."
The stronger opinion, which is upheld by the majority of scholars, is that there is no harm in fasting the six days of Shawwal or other voluntary fasts, such as the Day of Ashura, before making up missed Ramadan fasts. This is because making up Ramadan fasts has a flexible time frame, whereas fasting specific voluntary days is time-sensitive and cannot be made up once missed.
Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that one may attain the virtue of fasting six days of Shawwal even if they have yet to make up their missed Ramadan fast
Translated and Edited by
Slave of Allah