Tuesday 24/March/2026 – 09:55 AM
He replied Al-Azhar International Center For the electronic fatwa, a question was received that read: What is the start and end date of fasting the six days of Shawwal?
The Center said in a previous fatwa: It is permissible to fast the six days of Shawwal starting from the second day of Eid al-Fitr, Shawwal 2, and until the end of the month. It is permissible to fast them after the end of the days of Eid during which people visit, and it is permissible to fast them consecutively, or scattered throughout the month.
Regarding the virtue of fasting the six days of Shawwal, the Center explained that on the authority of Thawban, the servant of our master, the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, he said: He, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “God made a good deed multiply ten times it, so a month – i.e. Ramadan – is equal to ten months, and fasting six days after breaking the fast completes the year.” [الترغيب والترهيب].
The virtue of fasting six days of Shawwal
He also answered another question he received: Is it permissible to combine fasting the six days of Shawwal with obligatory fasting?
The center said that the validity of combining the intention to make up the obligatory fast and voluntary fasting is one of the issues on which scholars have differed, and it is better not to occupy the day of the obligatory fast with other fasts, then when the servant completes the obligatory fast, he fasts whatever voluntary fasting he wants.
He continued: But it is permissible to combine two intentions for someone who intends to fast two years in one day, such as fasting the six days of Shawwal on a Monday, for example, and according to the Shafi’is, whoever fasts the missed days of Shawwal has obtained the reward of the six days of Shawwal if he fasts six of them with any intention; Due to the general saying of our Master, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him: “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it will be like fasting for a lifetime.” Narrated by Muslim.
