Fasting During the Month of Shawwal
Fasting During the Month of Shawwal
Abu Ayub al-Ansari narrated: Allah 
’s Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:
“He who fasts Ramadan, and six days of Shawwaal, it will be (in terms of rewards) as if he fasted a whole year.” [Reported by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, Ibn Majah]
We encourage everyone that can, to take advantage of the extra blessings that can be gained by following this Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (SaW)
In commenting on the above mentioned hadeeth, As-San`ani said in Subul us-Salaam: “If the thirty days of Ramadan fasting are assimilated with the six days of fasting in Shawwaal, it altogether makes 36 days. According to Shariah, each virtue is rewarded ten times. Therefore, if we multiply 36 with 10, it makes 360, a number which equals the days of a year. Some scholars are of the opinion that these six days of fasting in Shawwaal must be completed in a continuous order right after the end of Ramadan. Some believe that is enough to merely complete six days of fasting in Shawwaal (in any order, either successive or with intervals), an opinion which is deemed to be correct.”
Perhaps it is proper for us to pray these days on Mondays and Thursdays, as in that case we would be following another Sunnah: `Aisha, radhiallaahu `anhaa, narrated: “The Messenger of Allah , sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to fast Mondays and Thursdays”. [an-Nasa'i, Saheeh]
If it is easier for one to fast on weekends, then in that case one would still be following another Sunnah at the same time: Umm Salama, radhiallaahu `anhaa, narrated: Allah ’s Messenger used to fast mostly on Saturday and Sunday, and he used to say: “They are the festival days for the mushrikeen, and I like to act contrary to them.” [an-Nasa’i, Ibn Khuzaimah, who graded it Saheeh, and Ibn Hajar agreed]
But, again, this fast is not obligatory, rather only recommended. There is reward for whoever does it, and no blame upon anyone who doesn’t.
