When should the six days of fasting be kept?
In the month of Shawwal, it is said that six days of fasting has to be kept. Should this be continuously kept after Eid-ul-Fitr? Or in the entire month of Shawwal can the fasts be kept in any of the six days?
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، - قَالَ ابْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، - أَخْبَرَنِي سَعْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ عُمَرَ، بْنِ ثَابِتِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ الْخَزْرَجِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ سِتًّا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ " .
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal. it would be as if he fasted perpetually.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1164 a
In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 264
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 6, Hadith 2614
(deprecated numbering scheme)
URL for source : http://sunnah.com/muslim/13/264
In this hadith it mentions that after observing fast in Ramadan and then followed by it should be the fasts of Shawwal.
Based on the word “perpetually”, some say that the fasts should be kept continuously for six days after Eid-ul-Fitr. This is an incorrect argument. Because, this hadith actually carries the idea that after observing fasts in the entire month of Ramadan, the six days fasting of Shawwal month should be observed in continuity following that; rather it does not say that the six days of fasting in itself has to be observed perpetually.
The word “athbahu ( أَتْبَعَهُ )” is used for to infer perpetually (or following up with something without ending). The word “mutatabiAAayni ( مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ )” is used to infer consecutively (or one after another without interruption).
For example in Al Quran, while saying the recompense for the one who had declares his wife as his mother (an objectionable statement, 58:2).
And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively before they touch one another; and he who is unable - then the feeding of sixty poor persons. That is for you to believe [completely] in Allah and His Messenger; and those are the limits [set by] Allah . And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.
[Al Quran, Chapter 58, Verse 4]
In this verse the word “mutatabiAAayni ( مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ )” is used to say that the fasts have to be observed consecutively (or one after another without interruption). If similar phrase were used then it can be said that the six fasts has to be observed consecutively. But, its is not mentioned in that manner in the above hadith.
For the sake of argument, let's say if that hadith indeed refers that the six days fasts has to be kept consecutively, then there is a prohibition to observe fast on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Even the people who have the opinion that the six fasts has to be held consecutively say that the fasts have to be observed from the second day to seventh day of lunar month of Shawwal. In this the consecutively after Ramadan argument gets beaten. Moreover, there is no evidence in hadiths that the fasts must be observed in Shawwal month’s second to seventh day only.
Therefore, it is not acceptable that the six day fasts has to be observed consecutively. The six day fasts can be observed in any of the six days in the entire month of Shawwal is the correct opinion.
The thirty fasts and the six fasts make up together a total of thirty six fasts. While fasting, whoever does a good deed (hasanah) will have ten hasanah like it is the reason Prophet Muhammad (saws) had mentioned.
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ، حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ الْحَارِثِ الذِّمَارِيُّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا أَسْمَاءَ الرَّحَبِيَّ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، مَوْلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَنَّهُ قَالَ " مَنْ صَامَ سِتَّةَ أَيَّامٍ بَعْدَ الْفِطْرِ كَانَ تَمَامَ السَّنَةِ {مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا} " .
It was narrated from Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever fasts six days after the Fitr will have completed the year, for whoever does a good deed will have the reward of ten like it.”
Grade : Sahih (Darussalam)
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah
English reference : Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 1715
Arabic reference : Book 7, Hadith 1786
URL for source : https://sunnah.com/urn/1271180
If this is the concept behind the six days of fasting, we understand then that there is no necessity to observe it consecutively. But, since Shawwal is mentioned in the hadiths, all the six fasts should be observed in the month of Shawwal itself.
Translators: Abu Abdul Baari, Ummu Abdul Baari
The original source (Tamizh): https://www.facebook.com/notes/thowheed-translations/tamizh-when-should-the-six-days-of-fasting-be-kept/229052957606037/
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