" Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah(Mohammed[peace and blessing of Allaah be
upon him])you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for(the
meeting with )Allaah and the Last Day,and remembers Allaah much".Holy Quran
33:21.

Question:
What is the ruling on fasting six days of Shawwaal? Is it waajib
(obligatory)?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

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.

Question:
When can I start fasting six days of Shawwal, since we have annual leave
right now?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

You can start fasting six days of Shawwaal from the second day of Shawwaal,
because it is haraam to fast on the day of Eid. You can fast the six days at
any time during Shawwaal, although the best of good deeds are those which
are done soonest.

The standing committee received the following question:

Should fasting the six days be done immediately after Ramadaan, following
the day of Eid or is it permissible to do it a few days after Eid in the
month of Shawwaal or not?

They replied as follows:

These days do not have to be fasted immediately after Eid al-Fitr; it is
permissible to start fasting them one or more days after Eid, and they may
be done consecutively or separately during the month of Shawwaal, according
to what is easier for a person. There is plenty of room for maneuver in this
matter, and this is not obligatory, it is Sunnah.

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad
and his family and companions and grant them peace.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/391.

Question:
If someone fasts six days of Shawwaal,then one year he gets sick or
something prevents him from fasting,or he is too lazy to fast, will there be
any sin on him? We have heard that if a person fasts these six days one
year,he must never give up this practice thereafter.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Fasting six days of Shawwaal after the day of Eid is Sunnah. It is not
waajib (obligatory) on the person who does this once or more often to
continue doing it. He is not guilty of a sin if he does not fast these days.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad
and grant him peace.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 10/391

Eid Mubarak to you all wherever you may be,May Allaah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala,the Creator of Heaven and earth,Master of the Day of Judgement,grant
the Muslim Ummah with blessing,Unity and prosperity.

With the very best of good wishes,
Musa Amadu Pembo
Glasgow,
Scotland
UK.
[log in to unmask]
Da’wah is to convey the message with wisdom and with good words. We should
give the noble and positive message of Islam. We should try to emphasize
more commonalities and explain the difference without getting into
theological arguments and without claiming the superiority of one position
over the other. There is a great interest among the people to know about
Islam and we should do our best to give the right message.
May Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,guide us all to His Sirat Al-Mustaqim (Righteous
Path).May He protect us from the evils of this life and the hereafter.May
Allah,Subhana Wa Ta'Ala,grant us entrance to paradise .
We ask Allaah the Most High, the All-Powerful, to teach us that which will
benefit us, and to benefit us by that which we learn. May Allaah Subhanahu
Wa Ta'ala grant blessings and peace to our Prophet Muhammad and his family
and
companions..Amen.

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