THE VIRTUES OF FASTING THE SIX FASTS OF SHAWWAL

THE VIRTUES OF FASTING THE SIX FASTS OF SHAWWAL



It is mustahabb (Preferrable) to fast six days in the month of Shawwal wherein GREAT rewards can be earned!

By adding the six days of fasting during Shawwal to the 30 days of the fasting of Ramadan, will earn a reward of a FULL YEAR'S FASTING , Insha Allah.

It is not required to fast six days continuously without any interruption. One can fast according to convenience any time during the month.

These fasts may be kept consecutively or at intervals during the month of Shawwal, i.e. spread out over the month.

Abu Ayyub al-Ansaari (radhiyallahu anhu) narrats: Allaah’s Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "He who fasts Ramadhaan, and six of Shawwaal, it will be (in terms of rewards) as if the fasted a whole year." [Reported by Muslim, at-Tirmidhee, Aboo Daawood, Ahmad, Ibn Maajah]

The meaning is that the reward is like the reward of a person who is always in fast every day of his/her life.

So this is an established sunnah, which carries a great reward. How can we miss out on such immense reward?

We don't know how much time we have left so we should be trying to do as many good deeds as possible!!!

This is an authentic hadith, which indicates that fasting six days of Shawwal is a Prophetic sunnah. Imam Ash-Shafi`i, Ahmad, and a number of leading scholars and jurists followed this.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 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:
“Allaah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days completes the year.” (al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah. See also Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/421).

Perhaps it is proper for us to pray these days on Mondays and Thursdays, as in that case we would be following another Sunnah: `Aa’isha, radhiallaahu `anhaa, narrated: "The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to fast Mondays and Thursdays". [an-Nasa'ee]


But, again, this fast is not obligatory, rather only recommended. There is GREAT reward for whoever does it, and no blame upon anyone who leaves it.

BUT How can we miss out on such immense reward? Are we not in need of filling up our good deed accounts? Should our aim not be to please Allah as much as we can? Then lets keep these 6 fasts with FULL sincerety and inshallah we will be rewarded VERY GREATLY!

Note: Females must prefer to keep their missed fasts before they can keep any optional fasts.

Mufti Abdulqayyum
01/09/11