The six days of Shawwal

The month of Shawwal, which follows Ramadan, opens an explicitly reported opportunity: the fast of six days that crowns the whole year.

Whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it with six days of Shawwal is like one who fasted the entire year.Muslim 1164

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari is the Companion narrator. The classical corpus further reports the hadith of Thawban: "the fast of Ramadan counts for ten months, and fasting six days after it counts for two months: that is the fast of a full year" (ad-Darimi 1755 ; an-Nasai in al-Kubra 2860 ; Ahmad 5/280, graded sahih).

The reward explained

The jurists' reckoning rests on the Quran: "whoever comes with a good deed will have ten times the like of it" (Quran 6:160). Ramadan multiplied by ten equals three hundred days, the six days multiplied by ten equal sixty, that is a full year. Ibn Qudama sets it out in al-Mughni (4/239): no difference between fasting them consecutively or separately, at the start of the month or its end, for the hadith is absolute.

When to fast them?

• The day of Eid fasting is forbidden: the six days therefore begin at the earliest the day after Eid.
• an-Nawawi's recommendation (al-Majmu', 7/635): to fast them consecutively from the start of Shawwal; separating them or delaying them later in the month remains valid for the schools that recommend them (above all the Shafi'is and Hanbalis).
• The old divergence: Malik reports in the Muwatta (1/311) that he never saw the scholars fast them, fearing an innovation; Abu Hanifa, according to what is transmitted from him, disliked this fast, while later Hanafis saw no harm in it (Ibn al-Humam, Fath al-Qadir 2/349).
• Contemporary opinions: Ibn Baz allows consecution as well as separation, including a delay to Dhul-Qa'da for an excuse (Majmu' al-Fatawa wa-l-Maqalat al-Mutanawwi'a); Ibn Uthaymin prefers immediate consecution and allows separation (Fatawa Nur 'ala ad-Darb).

What about making up Ramadan?

The classical divergence: Malik and Abu Hanifa require making up missed days first, so that the voluntary fast is added to the completed obligation; ash-Shafi'i and Ahmad allow the reverse order. Caution: make up first, then fast the six days; failing that, the six days are not nullified.

Practical note

Set a date from the day after Eid and hold to it: six days rewarded like a whole year, according to the Prophet's promise reported by Muslim.