Mohammad Rafoqie
Junior Member
Virtues of the six fasts of Shawwal
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Ayyub (R.A.) that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever fasts in Ramadan and then fasts for six days of the month of Shawwaal, it will be like that he observed fasts the whole year (Sahih Muslim).
Because in the Holy Qur'an, the Almighty says: “If one does good act, he will be rewarded with ten good deeds”.
According to this calculation, the reward for one month of fasting is equal to ten months, and if six more fasts are observed with it, then the sixty fasts will be counted as two months, so the year is complete.
It is not necessary to start fasting soon after eid, as some people think, but they can be kept miscellaneous throughout the month.
It is narrated from Ibn Mubarak (R.A.) that it is permissible for a person to fast Shawwal in different ways (Jami 'al-Tirmidhi).
Therefore, one should try to keep six more fasts when one has fasted continuously for one month so that he/she may get reward of the one year fasts as a whole.