Importance of Fasting in Shawwal

on Thursday, August 15, 2013

Shawwal is the tenth month of the lunar Islamic Calendar. The sense of Shawwal means breakage or uplift. This meaning has past importance as previous to the spread of Islam, Arabs had the idea about weddings that took place during the month of Shawwal results in failed marriages.

This month of Shawwal holds plenty of importance in Islam as well as in the lives of Muslims because the first day of this month is celebrated with a bang worldwide by all the Muslims as the Eid Day.

After all the fasting throughout the whole of Ramadan, Muslims finally get to embrace the first day of Shawwal as the day of jubilation, the day of Allah’s blessings. This day is full of celebrations, delight and contentment. Throughout this day, Allah pardons all our wrongdoings and rewards Muslims for worshipping Allah, fasting and praying, and reading the Holy Quran during the holy month of Ramadan. According to Sunnah, Muslims are recommended to fast for six days during Shawwal. Nevertheless, Allah has prohibited Muslims to fast on the Eid day because he has ordered the Muslims to enjoy and rejoice in this day after the fasting throughout the whole month of Ramadan.

Generally, people might suppose that the blessings of fasting and worshipping ends once the holy month of Ramadan finishes. Nevertheless, this is utterly wrong. The six days that tag along at Ramadan’s end are also incredibly significant when it comes to blessings. Even Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says that it seems as if someone has fasted for the whole year if that person fasts during Ramadan and follows it with six days from Shawwal.

As reported by Sayyiduna Thawban (RA), the Prophet (PBUH) mentioned that anyone who fasts during Ramadan and six days after Eid does a good deed that shall have ten times its prize.

Fasting for six following days of Shawwal has also been suggested by Hanbali, Shafi and Hanafi School according to most fuqaha.

Nevertheless, Muslims are approved to fast successively or separately during Shawwal.

It is also optional to fast during this month as it permits the human beings to make up for any loss in the obligatory fasts of the holy month of Ramadan. For that reason, those who have failed even one of the compulsory fast of the month of Ramadan should fast during Shawwal as it grasps high importance.

These six days of fasting together, along with the obligatory Ramadan fasts, are corresponding to fasting “everlastingly”, as stated by Sahih Muslim. The analysis behind this practice is that a good deed in Islam is prized ten times, therefore fasting 30 days during Ramadan and 6 days during Shawwal is equal to fasting the entire year from the aspect of getting rewarded.

Practicing Muslims all over the world follow Allah’s path and fast even during these six days of Shawwal just to serve Allah and to follow the path of Islam in order to achieve the tag of being a ‘Good Human Being’.



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