What is the ruling on fasting six days of Shawwaal? Is it waajib (obligatory)?
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.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
[courtesyhttp://islamqa.info/en/7859]
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