Question & Answer

What is the ruling on fasting six days of Shawwaal? Is it waajib (obligatory)?

Praise be to Allaah.

Fasting six days of Shawwaal after the obligatory fast of Ramadaan is Sunnah Mustahabbah, not waajib. It is recommended for the Muslim to fast six days of Shawwaal, and in this there is great virtue and an immense reward. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him a reward as if he had fasted a whole year, as was reported in a saheeh hadeeth from the Prophet ﷺ. Abu Ayyoob رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan and follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime.” (Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah).

The Prophet ﷺ explained this when he said: “Whoever fasts for six days after (Eid) al-Fitr has completed the year: (whoever does a good deed (hasanah) will have ten hasanah like it).” According to another report: “Allaah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days completes the year.” (al-Nisaa’i and Ibn Maajah. See also Saheeh al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1/421). It was also narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah with the wording: “Fasting for the month of Ramadaan brings the reward of ten like it, and fasting for six days brings the reward of two months, and that is the fasting of the whole year.”

The Hanbali and Shaafa’i fuqaha’ explained that fasting six days of Shawwaal after fasting Ramadaan makes it as if one has fasted for an entire year of obligatory fasts, because the multiplication of the reward applies even to naafil fasts, because each hasanah brings the reward of ten like it.

Another of the important benefits of fasting six days of Shawwaal is that is makes up for any shortfall in a person's obligatory Ramadaan fasts, because no one is free of shortcomings or sins that have a negative effect on his fasting. On the Day of Resurrection, some of his naafil deeds will be taken to make up the shortcomings in his obligatory deeds, as the Prophet ﷺ said: “The first thing for which people will be brought to account on the Day of Resurrection will be their salaah (prayer). Our Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, will say to His angels – although He knows best – ‘Look at the salaah of My slave, whether it is complete or incomplete.’ If it is perfect, it will be recorded as perfect, and if something is lacking, He will say, ‘Look and see whether My slave did any voluntary (naafil) prayers.’ If he did some voluntary prayers, [Allaah] will say, Complete the obligatory actions of My slave from his voluntary actions.’ Then all his actions will be dealt with in a similar manner.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

And Allaah knows best.

[Q]: I am a young man, nineteen years of age, and have involved myself in a great deal of sin. Even to the extent that I do not pray most of my Prayers in the mosque, and I have never completely fasted the month of Ramadaan in my entire life. Besides these, I have committed other sins as well. I have vowed to repent many times before, however, after doing so I lapse back into these same sins. The youths of my area are just as bad, as are the friends that I associate with. And Allaah knows that I have transgressed against myself and that whenever I repent, I return back to the same sins. I hope that you may direct me to a path that will bring me closer to my Lord and distance me from these evil actions of mine.

[A]: Allaah - the Might and Majestic - says: "Say O My Slaves who have transgressed against their own souls! Do not despair of Allaah's mercy. Indeed Allaah forgives all sins, Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."[Soorah az-Zumar 39:53]. There is a consensus from the Scholars that this noble aayah (verse) was revealed for the taa'ibeen (those who repent). So whoever sincerely repents from his sins, then Allaah will forgive him all his sins, as occurs in the saving of Allaah - the Most Perfect - : "O you who Believe! Turn to Allaah in sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord may remove from you your sins and admit you into Paradise beneath which rivers flow." [Soorah at-Tahreem 66:8]. So in this aayah (verse), Allaah has made the removal of sins and entry into Paradise dependant upon sincere repentance.

And sincere repentance is conditional upon:

[i] abandoning the sin and keeping away from it,

[ii] having regret and remorse for committing the sin,

[iii] truly intending not to commit the sin again,

[iv] remembering the greatness of Allaah and hoping for His reward, whilst fearing His punishment.

Another condition for sincere repentance is that if due to transgression, the wealth or property of someone has been stolen or usurped, then it must be returned or forgiveness must be sought from the one whose wealth, blood or honour has been taken. However, if the honour of a person has been violated and the situation is such that it is not possible to seek that persons forgiveness, then plenty of du'aa (supplication) should be made for his welfare and he should be spoken good of in those places where he had previously been backbitten, since good deeds wipe away bad ones. Allaah - the Most Perfect - said: "Turn you all in repentance to Allaah, O Believers, in order that you may be successful." [Soorah an-Noor 24:31]. So in this aayah (verse) Allaah the Mighty and Majestic - linked success with tawbah (repentance) and points to the fact that the repentant person will reach success and happiness, and if such a person were to follow up this repentance with eemaan (faith) and doing righteous actions, then Allaah would efface his evil actions and change them to good actions, as Allaah the Most Perfect - said after mentioning the sins of Shirk (directing worship that is due only for Allaah to other than Allaah), taking a life without just cause and fornication and adultery-: "And whoever does this, will receive the punishment, The punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Judgement and he will live therein in disgrace. Except for those who repent, have eemaan (faith) and do righteous actions. For them Allaah will change their evil deeds into good ones, and Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Soorah al-Furqaan 25:68-70]

And from the causes of tawbah (repentance) are humility and submissiveness to Allaah - the Most Perfect - and asking Allaah for guidance and ability, and that acceptance of one's repentance is considered as a Favour from Allaah, as Allaah - the Most Perfect - said: ''Call upon Me and I will respond to your supplication." [Soorah Ghaafir 40:60] And He - the Mighty and Majestic - said: "And when My servant asks you concerning Me, say to them that I am indeed near, And I respond to the supplication of the one who supplicates to Me." [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:186].Also, from the causes of tawbah is choosing good companionship and friendship and following them in righteous conduct, whilst staying clear of bad companionship. It is authentically related from Allaah's Messenger sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam that he said:"A person is upon the way of life of his friend, so let one of you look to whom he keeps as a friend"(Hasan: Related by Abu Dawood (no.4812) and others, from Abu Hurayrah radiallaahu 'anhu. Imaam an-Nawawee authenticated it in Riyaadus-Saaliheen (no.174).

And the Prophet sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam also said:"The example of a good companion and a bad companion is like that of a seller of musk, and the one who blows the blacksmith's bellows. As for the seller of musk, then either he will grant you some, or at the very least you enjoy a pleasant smell from him. As for the one who blows the blacksmith's bellows, then either he will burn your clothes or you will get an offensive smell from him."(Related by al-Bukhaaree (4/323) and Muslim (no.2628), from Abu Moosaa al-Asharee radiallaahu 'anhu.)

 By Shaykh Ibn Baaz ,

1. Al-Fataawaa (1/251-253)

Question:

What are the permissible excuses for breaking the fast?

Answer:

The permissible excuses for breaking the fast are: illness and travel, as mentioned in the Qur’aan. Among other excuses is that a women is pregnant and she fears for herself or her child. Another excuse is that a woman is breast-feeding and she fears for herself or her breast-fed child if she fasts. Another excuse is that a person needs to break his fast in order to save the life of someone. For example, he finds a drowning person in the sea, or someone who is surrounded on all sides by fire, and he needs to break his fast in order to save him – in that case, he may break his fast and save him. Another such case would be if a person needed to break his fast in order to strengthen himself for jihad in Allaah’s Cause, that would also be a permissible cause for him to break his fast, because the Prophet sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to his Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them:


“You will meet the enemy tomorrow morning, so breaking the fast will be stronger for you, so break your fast.” [1]

So, if there is a permissible excuse for breaking the fast, and a person breaks his fast due to it, it is not necessary for him to fast for the remainder of that day. Therefore, if it transpired that a person had broken his fast in order to save a person’s life, he should continue to eat and drink, even after saving him. This is because he broke his fast due to a reason that permits him to break his fast, so it is not necessary for him to fast in that case, because the prohibition of breaking fast on that day has been removed due to the permissible cause for breaking the fast.

For this reason, we support the most authoritative opinion in this matter, which is that if a sick person became well during the day and he was not fasting, it is not necessary for him to fast, and if a traveller arrived during the day at his hometown and he was not fasting, it is not necessary for him to fast and if a menstruating women became clean during the day, it is not necessary for her to fast. This is because all of these people broke their fasts for legitimate reasons, and so on that day, there was no obligation upon them to fast, due to the lawful permissible for breaking it at that time, so it is not necessary for them to fast.

This is as oppose to the case where it is confirmed that the month of Ramadan has begun during the day in that case, it is necessary to fast. The difference between the two cases is clear, because if the evidence appears (that Ramadan has begun) during the day, it has been confirmed that fasting on that day is obligatory for them, but they are excused for the time before the evidence became clear to them due to their ignorance of it. This is why, if they knew that this day was a day of Ramadan, it is obligatory for them to fast. But as for those other people whom we have described, it is permissible for them to break their fast, even though they are aware (that it is Ramadan) and the difference between them is clear.

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[1] Reported by Muslim in the Book of Fasting, in the Chapter: The Reward of One Who Breaks His Fast on a Journey if He Undertakes a Task (1120).

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Islamic Verdicts on The Pillars of Islaam, vol.2, page.632

Question:

A young girl had her menstrual period and she was fasting during the days of menstruation due to ignorance; what in incumbent upon her?

Answer:

She must make up for the days which she fasted while she was menstruating, because fasting on the days of menstruation is not accepted, and it is invalid, even if she was ignorant, and there is no limit to the time for making up missed fasts.

And there is another question opposite to this one: A women whose period came to her when she was young and she was embarrassed to tell her family, so she was not fasting. It is incumbent upon this young girl to make up for the month which she did not fast, because when a girl begins to menstruate, she becomes legally responsible, since menstruation is one of the signs of reaching maturity.

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Islamic Verdicts on The Pillars of Islaam, vol.2, page 630