What Is The Fiqh View On Shawwal Fasting?  

In the month of Shawwal, Muslims are encouraged to fast six days in the month of Shawwal after Eid al-Fitr. However, there are some questions that often arise among the Muslim community in its implementation, such as whether it must be consecutive or not, whether it is permissible before making up Ramadan, and whether it is permissible to combine the fast of Shawwaal with other fasts. This article will discuss the answers of the scholars on these issues. 

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1 – Is it obligatory to fast Shawwaal consecutively? 

It is not obligatory to fast Shawwaal six consecutive days, as al-Imam An-Nawawi stated in Sharh Muslim 8/56 as follows: 

 “The scholars of the Shaafa’i madhhab said that it is best to fast Shawwaal consecutively (one day) after the Eid al-Fitr prayer. However, if it is not consecutive, or if it is delayed until the end of Shawwaal, then one will still have the virtue of fasting Shawwaal after having fasted Ramadaan.” 

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2 – Is it permissible to fast Shawwaal before completing the fast of Ramadan? 

In general, there are two views on the issue of whether fasting Shawwaal is obligatory after making up the fasts of Ramadan or whether it is permissible beforehand: 

First View: Fasting Qadha’ Ramadan Must Come First 

– This view is of the opinion that fasting the fasts of Ramadan should be prioritised before fasting the six days of Shawwaal.  

– The reason they put forward is the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which states that the fast of Shawwal is done after fasting Ramadan. 

– Scholars who support this view include Al-Imam Ibn Baz, Al-Imam Ibn Uthaymeen, and Al-Imam Saleh Al-Fauzan. 

– The hadith that is referred to is: 

عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْأَنْصَارِيّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ سِتًّا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ رواه مسلم وأبو داود والترمذي والنسائي وابن ماجه 

Abu Ayyub al Anshari reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷻ said: “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and follows it up with fasting six days of Shawwal is like fasting the whole year”. [Narrated by Imam Muslim, Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasaa-i and Ibn Majah]. 

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Second View: It is permissible to fast Shawwaal before making up Ramadan

– Some scholars are of the view that it is permissible to fast six days of Shawwaal before making up the fasts of Ramadan. 

– They refer to the hadith about ‘Aa’ishah Radhiyallahu anha who completed the fast of Ramadan after Sha’ban. 

– This view is also supported by the interpretation of the Qur’anic verse Surah Al-Baqarah verse 185 which mentions the qadha’ fast as follows: 

وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ 

And whosoever is sick or travelling (and breaks his fast), then he shall fast the number of days that he has missed on other days. 

The word Iddah (عدة), which is written in nakirah (non-specific), means muthlaq, so it is permissible to make up the fast of Ramadan on any day. 

– Scholars who support this view include al-Hafizh Ibn Hajar and Shaykh Al-Albani. 

– The hadeeth that is referred to is: 

Abu Salamah reported that he heard ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) say, 

كَانَ يَكُونُ عَلَىَّ الصَّوْمُ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ ، فَمَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَقْضِىَ إِلاَّ فِى شَعْبَانَ 

“I used to have an obligation to fast. I could not repay that fast except in the month of Sha’ban.”  (HR: Bukhari, no. 1950; Muslim, no. 1146) 

Muslim’s narration records the hadith as follows: 

كَانَ يَكُونُ عَلَىَّ الصَّوْمُ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَمَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَقْضِيَهُ إِلاَّ فِى شَعْبَانَ الشُّغُلُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أَوْ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم-. 

“I used to have an obligation to fast. I could not repay that fast except in Sha’ban because I was busy with the Messenger of Allah ﷻ.” 

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3 – The issue of combining the intention of fasting Shawwaal with other fasts: 

Another important issue to be discussed is whether it is permissible to combine the fast of Shawwaal with other fasts, whether they are obligatory fasts such as making up Ramadan or voluntary fasts such as fasting Mondays and Thursdays or fasting the middle of the Hijri month: 

– It is permissible to combine the intention of fasting Shawwaal with other voluntary fasts. 

– However, combining the intention between fasting qadha’ Ramadan and a voluntary fast such as fasting Shawwaal is not permissible, because they have different rulings. So the intention of an obligatory fast will always take precedence over the intention of a voluntary fast. 

There are many questions regarding the implementation of the Shawwal fast after fasting Ramadan, but the most important thing is to carry out acts of worship with sincere and sincere intentions and try to get closer to Allah ﷻ. Thus, let us make the best use of the month of Shawwal to increase obedience and get blessings from Him. 

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References

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