With the end of Ramadan, the month of Shawal follows. It has been recommended that Muslims fast 6 days during the month of Shawal.
Under the authority of Abi Ayoub Alansary, the Prophet (PBUH) had said, “whoever fasts Ramadan succeeded with 6 days of Shawal will be rewarded as if fasted the whole year”.
The 6 days could be fasted sequential or separately.
We recommend watching a recent video that answers questions regarding fasting in the month of Shawal. The answers are given by Dr. Muhammad Salah.
Some of the highlights of the video include:
While it is not necessary to fast the 6 days in Shawal sequentially, it is recommended that it is done sequentially.
The benefits of fasting during Shawal will apply only when one has completed the required 29 or 30 days of fasting during Ramadan.
A woman who has missed her Ramadan fasts due to her period has to make up for those missed periods before fasting the 6 days in Shawal. In the case when a woman has missed her periods for a longer than usual duration, and making up those missed Ramadan fasts during Shawal would not enable her to fast the 6 days during Shawal, then it is fine for her to first fast the 6 days of Shawal, then make up the missed Ramadan fasts.
Benefits and Rewards of Fasting During Shawal
