Pure like a new born baby
1. Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Umar رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنھما has narrated that the Noble
Prophet صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم has said: ‘The one fasting in Ramadan and then
fasting six days in Shawwal has been cleansed from sins as if he was born from
his mother’s womb today.’ (Majma’-uz-Zawaid, vol. 3, pp. 425, Hadis 5102)
Fast of whole life
2. Sayyiduna Abu Ayub رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ has narrated the following statement
of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم: ‘Whoever keeps fasts in Ramadan
and then keeps six fasts in Shawwal, it is as if he has kept fasts for his
entire life.’ (Sahih Muslim, pp. 592, Hadis 1164)
Fast throughout year
3. Sayyiduna Sauban رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ has narrated that the Prophet of
mankind, the Peace of our heart and mind, the most Generous and Kind صلی اللہ
تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم has said: ‘The one fasting six days after Eid-ul-Fitr (in
Shawwal) has fasted the entire year because whoever brings one good deed will
get ten rewards (for it).’ (Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 2, pp. 333, Hadis 1715)
Ten times more reward for a single virtue
By the grace of Allah عزوجل and for the sake of His Beloved Prophet صلی اللہ
تعالیٰ علیہ وسلم how easy it is for us to earn the reward of the fast of the
whole year. Every Muslim should seize this opportunity. The wisdom behind the
reward of a year’s fasts is that Allah عزوجل bestows ten time reward upon the
Muslims for every single deed just because of His mercy. Thus, the Merciful
Allah عزوجل as said:
Whoever brings one good, then for him there are ten like thereof.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 8, Surah Al-Anaam, verse 160)
الحمدللہ عزوجل! The foregoing verse makes it clear that the fasts of Ramadan are
equivalent to those of ten months and then six more fasts are equivalent to
sixty fasts (two months of fasting). In this way, one will earn the reward of
the fast of the entire year.
When to keep six fasts after Eid?
Sadrush Shariah Badr-u-Tariqah Sheikh Allama Maulana Mufti Muhammad Amjad Ali
Azami has stated in a footnote to Bahar-e-Shariat: ‘It is better to have these
six fasts separately (on alternate days or after every two/three days), but
there is still no harm if somebody fasts consecutively after Eid-ul-Fitr.’ (Bahar-e-Shariat,
part 5, pp. 140)
Khalil-e-Millat Shaykh Allamah Maulana Muhammad Khalil Khan Qadri Barkati has
stated, ‘Though there is no harm if somebody keeps these fasts consecutively
after Eid-ul-Fitr, it is better to keep them separately, i.e. one after
Eid-ul-Fitr, then two in every week. If it takes the whole month to have these
six fasts, it seems even more appropriate.’ (Sunni Bahashti Zaywar, pp. 347) In
other words, one can keep six fasts whenever he wants in the whole month of
Shawwal except the day of Eid-ul-Fitr.