Six Days of Shawwal: How and When to Fast Them After Ramadan

It says that Ramadan followed by six days of fasting in Shawwal is like fasting perpetually. Sahih Muslim 1164a reports Abu Ayyub al-Ansari narrating from the Prophet that whoever observes the fast of Ramadan and then follows it with six fasts of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted perpetually. Shawwal is the month that begins with Eid al-Fitr.

The fast is voluntary. The Federal Territory Mufti in Malaysia and Darul Fiqh's summary both record that the Hanafi, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools regard it as a recommended Sunnah, while Imam Malik's reported dislike is discussed below. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta calls it commendable according to many scholars and compares the six days to the voluntary prayers that follow the obligatory ones, filling any shortcomings in the obligatory fast.

Sources: [1] [13] [12] [10]

Because each good deed is rewarded tenfold. Sunan Ibn Majah 1715, graded sahih by Darussalam on sunnah.com, reports Thawban narrating that whoever fasts six days after the Fitr has completed the year, since whoever does a good deed receives the reward of ten like it, echoing Qur'an 6:160.

The arithmetic is set out in the table. Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam of Darul Iftaa Leicester cites a related report of Thawban, recorded by Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and al-Nasa'i, in which Ramadan equals ten months and the six days equal two months, and notes that this applies whether Ramadan had twenty-nine or thirty days. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta gives the same total of 360 days.

Sources: [2] [3] [14] [10]

Any six days of Shawwal after the day of Eid count according to most scholars, and they need not be consecutive. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta says that consecutive fasting is not a condition and that the days can be spread through the month, for example on Mondays and Thursdays or on the thirteenth to the fifteenth, although it is best to begin immediately after Eid.

Darul Fiqh's summary records that the Shafi'i school recommends fasting them consecutively, citing a report in al-Tabarani, while Hanafi and Hanbali scholars leave the order to the individual, grade that report weak and note that the hadith in Sahih Muslim is unrestricted. It suggests fasting them consecutively where possible to respect both views. Imam Malik's position is different and is explained in the next section.

Sources: [10] [12] [13]

His concern was that people might come to treat the six days as part of Ramadan. Muwatta Malik records him saying that he had never seen people of knowledge and fiqh fasting them and had not heard it from the early generations, and that scholars disliked it for fear that uninformed people would attach to Ramadan what does not belong to it.

The Federal Territory Mufti explains that the Maliki school weighs the practice of the people of Madinah alongside hadith narrated through single chains, and records later Maliki clarifications: al-Dasuqi limited the dislike to cases where confusion with Ramadan is feared or where someone believes the reward depends on fasting the days continuously, and al-Baji cites Mutarrif permitting the fast as an act of worship. The other three schools accept the hadith as sufficient evidence, and the Mufti's office judges that the original concern no longer applies today.

Sources: [9] [13]

It is better to make them up first where you can, but the schools differ on whether you must. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta prefers making up missed days first because a debt owed to Allah has more right to be fulfilled, while allowing the six days first provided the missed days are made up before the next Ramadan. Darul Iftaa Leicester adds that the hadith speaks of fasting Ramadan and then following it, so completing the make-up fasts first secures the specific reward of a whole year.

IslamWeb's comparative fatwa reports that most Hanafi, Maliki and Shafi'i scholars permit voluntary fasts before making up Ramadan, the Hanafis without reservation and the Malikis and Shafi'is with some dislike. Hanbali texts record the view that a voluntary fast is not valid while Ramadan fasts are owed, based on a report whose authenticity is disputed, and another narration from Imam Ahmad permits it. Make-up fasts themselves are not tied to Shawwal: Qur'an 2:184 speaks of other days, and Sahih al-Bukhari 1950 records Aisha making up her missed days in Sha'ban.

Sources: [10] [14] [15] [4] [7]

Some scholars allow it on conditions, but fasting them separately is generally described as better. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta reports the Shafi'i view, following al-Ramli, that someone who makes up missed Ramadan days during Shawwal fulfils the obligation and also obtains the reward of the six days; it advises intending only the make-up fast, with the Shawwal reward following from the timing.

Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam of Darul Iftaa Leicester, writing in the Hanafi school, allows combining provided the principal intention is the make-up fast, with the Shawwal reward hoped for as a secondary intention. He notes that some scholars hold that the reward of a voluntary fast is not obtained this way, so making up the missed fasts and then fasting six further days remains better. Given the Hanbali caution described above, ask your teacher before combining.

• Make up missed days first, then fast six more: the course most of the cited answers prefer.
• Fast the six days first and make up missed days before the next Ramadan: allowed by Dar al-Ifta and, in IslamWeb's summary, by most Hanafi, Maliki and Shafi'i scholars.
• Make up missed days in Shawwal hoping for the Shawwal reward as well: the Shafi'i view reported by Dar al-Ifta, and a Hanafi view with the make-up as the main intention.

Sources: [11] [14] [15] [10]

Women make up the fasts missed during menstruation, and the six days of Shawwal remain open to them. Sahih Muslim 335c records Aisha explaining that when they menstruated they were ordered to make up the fasts but not the prayers.

Because several days may be owed, Shawwal can feel crowded. Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, answering a question from women specifically, gives the Shafi'i view that making up missed days in Shawwal also earns the reward of the six days. Other scholars prefer the make-up days first and then six separate fasts, while the Hanafi position in IslamWeb's summary allows the six days first. Sahih al-Bukhari 1950 shows that Aisha sometimes delayed her make-up fasts until Sha'ban, so there is no need to crowd them into Shawwal at the cost of your health.

Sources: [8] [11] [15] [7]

Begin on the second of Shawwal at the earliest, because fasting on Eid itself is forbidden. Sahih al-Bukhari 1990 records Umar reporting that the Prophet forbade fasting on the day you break your fast and on the day you eat your sacrifice, and Sahih al-Bukhari 1991 adds Abu Sa'id's report of the prohibition on both Eids. Then choose a pattern you can keep.

For a voluntary fast, Dar al-Ifta says the intention may be made before midday provided nothing that breaks the fast has been done, unlike make-up fasts, which need an intention before dawn; the schools differ on this detail, so follow yours. Check the expected end of Shawwal on the calendar and your local announcement, and take suhoor and iftar times from a reliable local timetable.

• Straight after Eid: six consecutive days from the second of Shawwal, the preference reported for the Shafi'i school.
• Weekly: Mondays and Thursdays through the month, an example Dar al-Ifta gives.
• White days: the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of Shawwal plus three other days.
• Make-up first: complete missed Ramadan days, then add six more before the month ends.

Sources: [5] [6] [10] [12] [16]

Questions readers often ask

Put this into practice