Fasting the Six Days of Shawaal
Asalam alaykum loves, posting again today because my earlier post was counted as yesterday's post. I will do one more post after this one just talking about my reflection on this Ramadan as well as a YouTube video about the topic but with less detail. I do hope to continue posting more frequently past Ramadan, it just will be less stressful cause it won't be everyday! If any of you millennials out there understand, trying to work, go to school and also manage a website and YouTube channel is a lot.
Anyways for my last more serious beneficial post, I wanted to talk about the six days of Shawaal, Shawaal is the month following Ramadan on the Islamic calendar hence the name. There is a tremendous reward and benefit in fasting these days on top of fasting Ramadan. According to my research which the links will be provided below for reference, you do not have to fast all six in a row and they do not have to follow immediately after the day of Eid (or days since it can be celebrated for 3 days). As long as they are done during the month of Shawaal it counts but also it is better to a deed right away because we procrastinate and forget to do it. Then the month is gone and we are like nooo.
Another thing to note is that we are human, of course we mess up and fill into sin even in Ramadan, so think of the six days of Shawaal as like that makeup extra credit you do at the end of class because you missed some mandatory assignments or you want to bump up your grade from a C to a B. on the Day of Judgement you will be asked about Salah, then Sunnah prayers, then other obligatory worship acts and then the voluntary. It is nice to have that cushion in case the things that are mandatory have some error or mistakes, the Sunnah acts can be your support or extra credit to give you that boost.
Evidence:
Anyways for my last more serious beneficial post, I wanted to talk about the six days of Shawaal, Shawaal is the month following Ramadan on the Islamic calendar hence the name. There is a tremendous reward and benefit in fasting these days on top of fasting Ramadan. According to my research which the links will be provided below for reference, you do not have to fast all six in a row and they do not have to follow immediately after the day of Eid (or days since it can be celebrated for 3 days). As long as they are done during the month of Shawaal it counts but also it is better to a deed right away because we procrastinate and forget to do it. Then the month is gone and we are like nooo.
Another thing to note is that we are human, of course we mess up and fill into sin even in Ramadan, so think of the six days of Shawaal as like that makeup extra credit you do at the end of class because you missed some mandatory assignments or you want to bump up your grade from a C to a B. on the Day of Judgement you will be asked about Salah, then Sunnah prayers, then other obligatory worship acts and then the voluntary. It is nice to have that cushion in case the things that are mandatory have some error or mistakes, the Sunnah acts can be your support or extra credit to give you that boost.
"The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their salah (prayer). Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels - although He knows best - 'Look at the salah 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 (nafil) prayers.' If he did some voluntary prayers, [Allah] 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."
Evidence:
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.”
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).”
(Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah).
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.”
(al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah. See also Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/421).
May Allah accept your obligatory fasts, voluntary fasts and your voluntary good deeds and mandatory as well! Whether or not you participate in Shawaal fasts, In Sha Allah you have a beautiful Eid with your family and friends, and you are able to makeup any fasts as soon as possible! Happy last day of Ramadan and Eid Mubarak!
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