Author: Abdulrazzaq al-Maghribi
Date published: 2026-03-24
Updated: 2026-03-24
Fasting six days of Shawwal
The scholars have discussed the ruling on fasting six days of Shawwal. Some of them did not consider it a Sunnah, while others did.
As for those who regarded it as a Sunnah, they explained that fasting six days after the completion of Ramadan is equivalent to fasting for an entire year—Ramadan accounting for ten months, and Shawwal completing the remaining two months.
- Imam Abu Hanifa: it is a Sunnah to fast Shawwal
- Imam Malik: fasting it is not a Sunnah
- Imam al-Shafi'i: it is a Sunnah to fast Shawwal
- Imam al-Ahmad: it is a Sunnah to fast Shawwal
It is valid to fast the six days of Shawwal non-consecutively, according to Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Ahmad.
عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ سِتًّا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ
Abu Ayyub reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and then follows it with six days of fasting in the month of Shawwal, it will be as if he has fasted for the entire year.”
[Sahih Muslim 1164]
٥٢٢ - مسألة؛ قال: (وَمَنْ صَامَ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ، وأَتْبَعَهُ بِسِتٍّ مِنْ شَوَّالٍ، وإنْ فَرَّقَهَا، فَكَأَنَّمَا صَامَ الدَّهْرَ)
وجُمْلَةُ ذلك أنَّ صَوْمَ سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ من شَوَّال مُسْتَحَبٌّ عند كَثِيرٍ من أهْلِ العِلْمِ. رُوِىَ ذلك عن كَعْبِ الأحْبارِ، والشَّعْبِىِّ، ومَيْمُونِ بن مِهْرانَ. وبه قال الشَّافِعِىُّ. وكَرِهَهُ مالِكٌ. وقال: ما رأيْتُ أحَدًا من أهْلِ الفِقْهِ يَصُومُها، ولم يَبْلُغْنِى ذلك عن أحَدٍ من السَّلَفِ، وأنَّ أهْلَ العِلْمِ يَكْرَهُونَ ذلك، ويَخَافُونَ بِدْعَتَهُ، وأن يُلْحَقَ بِرمضانَ ما ليس منه. ولَنا، ما رَوَى أبو أيُّوبَ، قال: قال رسولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ، وأَتْبَعَهُ سِتًّا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ، فَكَأنَّمَا صَامَ الدَّهْرَ". رَوَاهُ أبو دَاوُدَ، والتِّرْمِذِىُّ (١)، وقال: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ. وقال أحمدُ: هو مِن ثلاثةِ أَوْجُهٍ عن النَّبِىِّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-. ورَوَى سَعِيدٌ، بإسْنَادِه عن ثَوْبَانَ، قال: قال رسولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ، شَهْرٌ بِعَشَرَةِ أَشْهُرٍ، وصَامَ سِتَّةَ أَيَّامٍ بَعْدَ الفِطْرِ، وذلِكَ تَمَامُ سَنَةٍ" (٢). يَعْنِى أنَّ الحَسَنَةَ بِعَشْرِ أمْثَالِها، فالشَّهْرُ بِعَشَرَةٍ والسِّتَّةُ بِسِتِّينَ يَوْمًا. فذلك اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، وهو سَنَةٌ كَامِلَةٌ، ولا يَجْرِى هذا مَجْرَى التَّقْدِيمِ لِرمضانَ، لأنَّ يَوْمَ الفِطْرِ فَاصِلٌ. فإن قِيلَ: فلا دَلِيلَ فى هذا الحَدِيثِ على فَضِيلَتِها؛ لأنَّ النَّبِىَّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- شَبَّهَ صِيامَها بِصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ، وهو مَكْرُوهٌ. قُلْنا: إنَّما كُرِهَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ؛ لما فيه من الضَّعْفِ والتَّشْبِيهِ بِالتَّبَتُّلِ، لولا ذلك لَكان (٣) فَضْلًا عَظِيمًا، لِاسْتِغْرَاقِه الزَّمانَ بِالعِبادَةِ والطَّاعَةِ، والمُرَادُ بالخَبَرِ التَّشْبِيهُ به فى حُصُولِ العِبَادَةِ به، على وَجْه عَرِىٍّ عن المَشَقَّةِ، كما قال عليه السَّلَامُ: "مَنْ صَامَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ، كَانَ كَمَنْ صَامَ الدَّهْرَ" (٤). ذَكَرَ ذلك حَثًّا على صِيَامِها، وبَيانِ فَضْلِهَا، ولا خِلافَ فى اسْتِحْبَابِها.
[المغني - المجلد ٤ - الصفحات ٤٣٨-٤٣٩]
Ibn Qudamah said:
[Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, even if the days are separated, it is as if he fasted for a year.]
"In summary, fasting six days of Shawwal is recommended by many scholars. This has been narrated from Kaʿb al-Aḥbār, al-Shaʿbī, and Maymūn ibn Mihrān.
Al-Shāfiʿī endorsed it, while Mālik disliked it. He said: “I have not seen anyone among the jurists fast them, nor have I heard of any of the earlier generations doing so. The scholars dislike it and fear that it may be considered an innovation, attaching something to Ramadan that is not part of it.”
However, it is narrated from Abū Ayyūb that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted the entire year." This hadith was reported by Abū Dāwūd and al-Tirmidhī, who said: “It is a good (ḥasan) hadith.” Ahmad said: “It has three versions from the Prophet ﷺ.”
Saeed narrated, through his chain, from Thawbān, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan, it is as if he fasted ten months, and whoever fasts six days after Eid, that completes a year." This means that the reward is multiplied tenfold: the month counts as ten months, and the six days count as sixty days, making a total of twelve months, which is a complete year. This is not sequential, because the day of Eid is separate.
If it is said: “Then this hadith does not serve as proof for the virtue of these six days, because the Prophet ﷺ compared their fasting to fasting the entire year (which is disliked),” we respond: The dislike is only for continuous year fasting, due to the weakness it causes and the resemblance to ascetic withdrawal. Otherwise, it would be a great virtue, because it occupies one’s time entirely with worship and obedience. The intended meaning of the report is the similarity in attaining the reward, without the hardship.
As he ﷺ said: "Whoever fasts three days of every month, it is as if he fasted the whole year". This was mentioned to encourage fasting them and to clarify their virtue, and there is no disagreement regarding its recommendation."
[Al-Mughni - Volume 4 - Page 438-439]
Ibn Qudamah clarifies that fasting the six days of Shawwal is separate from Eid al-Fitr. They should be observed after Eid al-Fitr, so one may begin on the 2nd of Shawwal or at any later time during the month.
He also mentioned that the days do not need to be consecutive; a person may spread them throughout the month. For example, one could fast a day, then fast again after a few days, and so on.
Fasting six days of Shawwal before making up for missed fast of Ramadan
According to Imam Ahmad, voluntary fasting is not permitted before making up any missed obligatory fasts of Ramadan.
[فَصْلُ التَّطَوُّعِ بِالصَّوْمِ مِمَّنْ عَلَيْهِ صَوْمُ فَرْضٍ]
(٢٠٨٩) فَصْلٌ: وَاخْتَلَفَتْ الرِّوَايَةُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ فِي جَوَازِ التَّطَوُّعِ بِالصَّوْمِ، مِمَّنْ عَلَيْهِ صَوْمُ فَرْضٍ، فَنَقَلَ عَنْهُ حَنْبَلٌ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: لَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَطَوَّعَ بِالصَّوْمِ، وَعَلَيْهِ صَوْمٌ مِنْ الْفَرْضِ حَتَّى يَقْضِيَهُ، يَبْدَأُ بِالْفَرْضِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ نَذْرٌ صَامَهُ يَعْنِي بَعْدَ الْفَرْضِ. وَرَوَى حَنْبَلٌ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: «مَنْ صَامَ تَطَوُّعًا، وَعَلَيْهِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ شَيْءٌ لَمْ يَقْضِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُتَقَبَّلُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يَصُومَهُ» . وَلِأَنَّهُ عِبَادَةٌ يَدْخُلُ فِي جُبْرَانِهَا الْمَالُ، فَلَمْ يَصِحَّ التَّطَوُّعُ بِهَا قَبْلَ أَدَاءِ فَرْضِهَا، كَالْحَجِّ. وَرُوِيَ
عَنْ أَحْمَدَ، أَنَّهُ يَجُوزُ لَهُ التَّطَوُّعُ؛ لِأَنَّهَا عِبَادَةٌ تَتَعَلَّقُ بِوَقْتِ مُوَسَّعٍ، فَجَازَ التَّطَوُّعُ فِي وَقْتِهَا قَبْلَ فِعْلِهَا، كَالصَّلَاةِ يَتَطَوَّعُ فِي أَوَّلِ وَقْتِهَا، وَعَلَيْهِ يُخَرَّجُ الْحَجُّ.
وَلِأَنَّ التَّطَوُّعَ بِالْحَجِّ يَمْنَعُ فِعْلَ وَاجِبِهِ الْمُتَعَيِّنِ، فَأَشْبَهَ صَوْمَ التَّطَوُّعِ فِي رَمَضَانَ، بِخِلَافِ مَسْأَلَتِنَا. وَالْحَدِيثُ يَرْوِيه ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، وَفِيهِ ضَعْفٌ، وَفِي سِيَاقِهِ مَا هُوَ مَتْرُوكٌ، فَإِنَّهُ قَالَ فِي آخِرِهِ: (وَمَنْ أَدْرَكَهُ رَمَضَانُ، وَعَلَيْهِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ شَيْءٌ لَمْ يُتَقَبَّلْ مِنْهُ) . وَيُخَرَّجُ فِي التَّطَوُّعِ بِالصَّلَاةِ فِي حَقِّ مَنْ عَلَيْهِ الْقَضَاءُ مِثْلُ مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ فِي الصَّوْمِ.
[المغني – الجزء الثالث – الصفحتان ١٥٤–١٥٥]
Ibn Qudamah said:
[Chapter: Voluntary Fasting for Someone Who Has an Obligation to Fast]
"The narration differs regarding Ahmad’s view on the permissibility of voluntary fasting for someone who has an obligatory fast. Hanbal reported from him that he said: “It is not permissible for someone to fast voluntarily while he still owes an obligatory fast; he must first complete the obligatory fast. If he has a vow, he fulfills it after the obligatory fast.”
Hanbal also narrated from Ahmad, through his chain of transmission from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts voluntarily while owing something from Ramadan that he has not yet made up, it will not be accepted from him until he completes it.”
Since it is a form of worship that can be compensated with wealth, voluntary acts are not valid before performing the obligatory ones, such as Hajj.
Ahmad also narrated that it is permissible for someone to perform voluntary acts, because they are acts of worship connected to an extended period of time; thus, it is permissible to perform voluntary acts within their time before fulfilling the obligatory act, such as voluntary prayer at the beginning of its prescribed time, while obligatory Hajj must be performed when due.
Voluntary Hajj prevents the performance of its obligatory counterpart, so voluntary fasting in Ramadan is analogous in this regard, contrary to our issue.
The hadith is narrated by Ibn Lahi‘ah; it contains weakness, and in its context there are elements that are abandoned. In the end, he said: “Whoever reaches Ramadan and owes something from it, it will not be accepted from him.”
Similarly, voluntary prayer is treated in the case of someone who owes an obligatory prayer, as we mentioned concerning fasting.
[Al-Mughni - Volume 3 - Page 154-155]
