The
virtue of fasting six days of Shawwaal
Fasting
six days of Shawwaal after the obligatory fast of Ramadaan is Sunnah
Mustahabbah, not waajib. It is recommended for the Muslim to fast
six days of Shawwaal, and in this there is great virtue and an
immense reward. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for
him a reward as if he had fasted a whole year, as was reported in a
saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Abu Ayyoob (may Allaah
be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever
fasts Ramadaan and follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be
as if he fasted for a lifetime.” (Narrated by Muslim, Abu
Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah).
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). It was also narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah with the wording:
“Fasting for the month of Ramadaan brings the reward of ten like
it, and fasting for six days brings the reward of two months, and
that is the fasting of the whole year.”
The
Hanbali and Shaafa’i fuqaha’ explained that fasting six
days of Shawwaal after fasting Ramadaan makes it as if one has fasted
for an entire year of obligatory fasts, because the multiplication of
the reward applies even to naafil fasts, because each hasanah brings
the reward of ten like it.
Another
of the important benefits of fasting six days of Shawwaal is that is
makes up for any shortfall in a person's obligatory Ramadaan fasts,
because no one is free of shortcomings or sins that have a negative
effect on his fasting. On the Day of Resurrection, some of his naafil
deeds will be taken to make up the shortcomings in his obligatory
deeds, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The
first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of
Resurrection will be their salaah (prayer). Our Lord, may He be
glorified and exalted, will say to His angels – although He
knows best – ‘Look at the salaah of My slave, whether it is
complete or incomplete.’ If it is perfect, it will be recorded
as perfect, and if something is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and
see whether My slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he
did some voluntary prayers, [Allaah] will say, Complete the
obligatory actions of My slave from his voluntary actions.’ Then
all his actions will be dealt with in a similar manner.”
(Narrated by Abu Dawood).
And
Allaah knows best.
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