The month of Shawaal is the 10th month within the Islamic calendar, Eid ul-Fitr is the beginning of the Sacred month of Shawaal which Muslims celebrate with full of bliss. Allah All-powerful gave us more gifts in the form of the 6 days of Shawwal, you can fast 6 days at any time amid the month of Shawwal after Eid al-Fitr. Fasting six days of Shawwal is a specific Sunnah that follows Ramadan (Muslim 1164); voluntary fasting is also recommended in other months, such as Mondays and Thursdays, the white days, and Muharram.
Linguists say the name comes from the Arabic root meaning to lift or raise, and one common explanation is that it referred to the season when she-camels lifted their tails after weaning, though Allah knows best. An image of modern life and renewal after a month of otherworldly cleansing.
What Is The Significance of The Month of Shawaal?
It is considered that the practice of fasting within the month of Shawwal might serve as a brilliant way of helping people who may have missed a few fasts amid Ramadan, as a result of illness, menstruation, or traveling to make up for misplaced fasts. It is profoundly suggested to fulfill the missed fasts of Ramadan as before long as conceivable since this is often a commitment and obligation owed to Allah and this takes predominance over voluntary fasting.
Continuing to fast after Ramadan shows gratitude to Allah for the blessings of the month. Note that fasting on the day of Eid itself is prohibited, so the six days begin from the second of Shawwal. You should also go through our earlier post about Islamic Quotes on Sunnah Fasting & Its Benefits.
10. Marriage In The Month Of Shawaal
Some people in pre-Islamic Arabia considered it unlucky to marry in Shawwal. Aisha (RA) said that the Prophet ﷺ married her in Shawwal and consummated the marriage in Shawwal, and asked, “Which of his wives was more fortunate with him than I?” (Muslim 1423). This corrected the superstition, though some families still avoid marrying off daughters in this month. Marriage is permissible in any month; read our post on marriage in Islam for guidance.
Being superstitious about getting married in the month of Shawaal is a matter of misrepresentation since superstition in common is a portion of the “evil omen” that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) confined when he said: “There is no contagion and no evil omen.” I would highly recommend that you go through these 5 Authentic Duas To Make Your Marriage Happier and Stronger.
9. Fasting In The Month Of Shawaal
Fasting in any 6 days of Shawwal is one of the Prophet Mohammad’s (P.B.U.H) Sunnah and Muslims perform deeds which have been performed by our beloved Prophet (P.B.U.H) within the love of Prophet (P.B.U.H). This is the reason Muslims fast in six days of Shawwal. To not take after this Sunnah won’t turn into any kind of sin but to take after this Sunnah would certainly lead to a number of extraordinary rewards by the elegance of Allah All-powerful in this world and the world from now on.
Fasting within the month of Shawwal for six days is the sunnah of our beloved Prophet Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him) and following Sunnah is a perfect way” to appear the love for our Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H).
Here is one of the foremost imperative things which need consideration that Muslims should be mindful of that they will be profited by Sunnah only if they have performed their commitments (fard) which have been assigned to them by Allah. Since commitments must continuously be the primary need and in fact, Allah is the foremost kind and beneficent.
8. Fasting In The First 6 Days Of Shawwal
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted the whole year” (Muslim 1164). Scholars explain this through the principle that a good deed is rewarded at least tenfold (Quran 6:160): thirty days of Ramadan equal about 300 days, and six days equal about 60 days, completing a year (360 days).
7. Fasting Consecutive Days In Shawwal
The six days may be fasted together right after Eid or spread across the month. The Shafi’i and Hanbali schools regard fasting them immediately and consecutively as preferable, while the Maliki school regards fasting them as disliked if one fears people will regard them as obligatory, and the Hanafi school allows both approaches. Any six days within Shawwal fulfil the Sunnah, so ask a qualified scholar which view you follow.
7. Fasting Consecutive Days In Shawwal
It is empowered for Muslims to fast the six days in Shawwal continuously because it gives more noteworthy reward and virtue in it. In any case, if somebody is incapable to do so, it is still substantial to quick gradually for as long because it is watched inside the month of Shawwal.
6. Missed Fasts Of Ramadan
Scholars differ on combining the intention of making up missed Ramadan fasts (qada) with the Shawwal Sunnah. Some Shafi’i scholars say a single fast can bring reward for both, while many other scholars, including the Hanbali school, say a person with missed fasts should complete qada first, since the obligation takes priority and the hadith speaks of fasting Ramadan first. Making up the missed days first, then fasting the six days, is the safest approach. Ask a qualified scholar about your situation.
You should also go through these Tips To Complete Recitation Of The Quran in Ramadan.
5. The Reward of Fasting in Shawwal
Fasting six days in the month of Shawaal after the required fast of Ramadan is Sunnah Mustahabbah, not wajib. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him compensation as if he had fasted an entire year. It is a great month to make up for the fasts that you have missed and perfect within the sense that since it takes after Ramadan when the body is still within the fasting attitude and can effectively adapt with a number of extra days of fasting.
The Shaafa’i fuqaha’ explained that fasting six days in the month of Shawaal after fasting in the month of Ramadaan makes it as on the off chance that one has fasted for a complete year of required fasts since the increase of the compensate applies indeed to naafil fasts since each hasanah brings the compensate often like it. Another of the vital benefits of fasting six days of Shawaal is that makes up for any setback in a person’s mandatory Ramadan fasts since no one is free of deficiencies or sins that have a negative impact on his fasting.
Proceeding the fast in the month of Shawwal comes with extraordinary rewards and gifts, as well as making revises for any sins that we may have gathered all through the promising month of Ramadan. As well as proceeding too fast for an extra six days in Shawwal, it is similarly as vital that we carry forward the great propensities that we have shaped over the course of Ramadan.
4. End Of Ramadan
Eid al-Fitr takes place on the first day of Shawwal, the Islamic month that comes specifically after Ramadan. All through Ramadan, Muslims are obliged to abstain from eating, drinking, and other sinful activities between dawn and nightfall, and must consider the event a time for reflection and worship also known as the Islamic Sacred Month, Ramadan marks the minute when the sacred Quran was uncovered to the prophet Muhammad.
3. Umrah In The Month Of Shawwal
Shawwal is the month of blessings in which Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated. Shawwal is also the first of the months of Hajj (Shawwal, Dhul Qadah and the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah, see 2:197). Umrah is permissible at any time of the year, including Shawwal, and is especially rewarded in Ramadan.
You should also go through our post on the month of Dhul Hijjah & Its Significance.
2. The Battle Of Hunain
The tribes of the Hawazin and Thaqif were of the ultimate few tribes that did not acknowledge the message of Islam in Mecca and they battled against Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The fight took put amid the month of Shawwal within the eighth year of Hijrah. Beneath his command, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had 12,000 armed officers. Ten thousand of them were of those who went with him amid his travel from Madina to Makkah, and the remaining two thousand were those from among the Quraysh who had fairly grasped the message of Islam.
1. Important Occasion Celebrated In Shawaal
Eid- ul-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims on the first day of the month of Shawwal which falls within the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. Shawaal is the month of rising up, which comes after a month of fasting. After a month of supplication, dedication, and self-control, Muslims celebrate the achievement of their sacrosanct obligations amid Ramadan with the starting of Eid ul-Fitr, or the Festival of breaking the fast. The celebration is a national occasion in numerous nations with expansive Muslim populations
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fasting six days of Shawwal obligatory?
No. It is a recommended Sunnah. The hadith in Sahih Muslim says that whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal is as if he fasted the whole year. See also our post on the hadith on fasting.
Can I fast the six days before making up my missed Ramadan fasts?
Scholars differ. Many advise completing the qada first, while some Shafi’i scholars allow the Sunnah fasts to count with a reward even before qada. Ask a qualified scholar about your own case.
Do the six days have to be consecutive or start right after Eid?
No. Any six days in Shawwal fulfil the Sunnah. Some schools prefer fasting them immediately after Eid, while others see no preference, so follow the opinion of your school or scholar.
Is it unlucky to marry in Shawwal?
No. This was a pre-Islamic superstition, and the Prophet ﷺ married Aisha (RA) in Shawwal (Muslim). See our marriage in Islam tips.
What if I miss the six days of Shawwal?
The specific reward is linked to Shawwal, so those who miss it should not worry. Some scholars say a person with a valid excuse may make them up in Dhul Qadah, but this is a minority opinion, and you can always fast other Sunnah days.