The 365 · Sunnah · Day 351 · Special Days
Fasting Six Days of Shawwāl
The hadith
«مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ سِتَّاً مِنْ شَوّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهرِ».
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever fasts Ramadan, then follows it with six days of Shawwāl, it is as if he fasted the entire year.' (Muslim 1164)
Svenska: Profeten ﷺ sade: 'Den som fastar Ramadan och följer den med sex dagar av Shawwāl, det är som om han fastade hela året.' (Muslim 1164)
Muslim 1164
The story
The Sahaba would resume fasting after Eid al-Fiṭr. They knew the prize: the year of fasting recorded with 36 days of effort.
Why it's here
Ramadan is 30 days; multiplied by 10 (per Q 6:160) equals 300. Six days of Shawwāl multiplied by 10 equals 60. Together: 360 days, roughly the lunar year. Six days of Shawwāl equals fasting the whole year. The math is exquisite; the Sunnah is generous.
Try it today
After Ramadan, fast six days of Shawwāl. They can be consecutive or scattered through the month. Most scholars recommend after ʿEid al-Fiṭr, completing the six before Shawwāl ends.
In your day
Mark Shawwāl in your calendar. After Eid celebration, structure six days of fasting. The annual reward is at stake.
A reflection to carry
Six days for the year's worth of fasting reward. Take the trade.
Read the longer reflection
The mathematics of Shawwāl fasting is among the Sunnah's most generous offers. May Allah accept our Ramadans and grant us the will to seal them with the six days of Shawwāl, every year of our remaining lives.
Sources: Sahih Muslim. The Qur'an and its translation are verified; the scholarship is retold faithfully in our own words and credited to its sources, never reproduced verbatim.
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