Shawwal Fasting Before Making Up Ramadan Fasts: Is It Allowed?

Fatan Abu Uswah

Ramadan has passed and is followed by the month of Shawwal. Regarding the month of Shawwal, the Prophet ﷺ said:

مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهُ سِتًّا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ كَانَ كَصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ

“Whoever fasts Ramadan, then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is like fasting for the entire year.” (HR. Muslim: 1164 from Abu Ayyub Al-Anshari).

The literal meaning of the hadith above suggests that the six days of fasting in Shawwal are performed after completing the Ramadan fast in full. So, what about someone who did not fast the entirety of Ramadan or did not fast at all due to a legitimate excuse (udzur syar’i)—is it still permissible and recommended for them to perform the six-day fast in Shawwal? Scholars have differed, falling into three opinions:

First Opinion: Permissible and Recommended

The Hanafi school, some Malikis, and some scholars of the Hanbali school (1) affirm its permissibility. Meanwhile, the official (muktamad) position among the later (mutaakkhirin) Shafi'i scholars is that it is recommended. However, according to the Shafi'is, the reward is not the same as mentioned in the hadith above, because the hadith stipulates that the six days of Shawwal be done after completing the Ramadan fast in full.

Alauddin Al-Kasani Al-Hanafi stated:

قَالَ أَصْحَابُنَا: إنَّهُ لَا يُكْرَهُ لِمَنْ عَلَيْهِ قَضَاءُ رَمَضَانَ أَنْ يَتَطَوَّعَ

“Our scholars (Hanafiyah) say that it is not disliked (makruh) for someone who still owes the make-up (qadha) of Ramadan to perform voluntary (sunnah) fasts.” (Al-Badai’ As-Shanai’, 2/104)

Alauddin Al-Mardawi Al-Hanbali stated:

وَالرِّوَايَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ: يَجُوزُ وَيَصِحُّ، قَدَّمَهُ فِي النَّظْمِ، قَالَ فِي الْقَاعِدَةِ الْحَادِيَةَ عَشْرَةَ: "جَازَ عَلَى الْأَصَحِّ" قُلْتُ: وَهُوَ الصَّوَابُ

“The second narration (from the Hanbali school) is that it is permissible and valid. This was prioritized in An-Nadzhm. The author said in the 11th Principle, 'It is permissible according to the most authentic view.' I (Al-Mardawi) say, 'This is what is correct.'” (Al-Inshaf, 3/350)

Waliyuddin Abu Zur’ah Al-Iraqi Asy-Syafii stated:

يَقْتَضِي أَنَّ مَنْ لَمْ يَصُمْ رَمَضَانَ لِمَرَضٍ أَوْ صِبًا أَوْ سَفَرٍ أَوْ كُفْرٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهَا .. لَا يُسَتَحَبُّ لَهُ صَوْمُ السِّتَّةِ مِنْ شَوَّالٍ، وَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ؛ وَلِهَذَا أَطْلَقَ " الْمِنْهَاجُ " وَ" الْحَاوِي " اسْتِحْبَابَ صَوْمِ سِتَّةٍ مِنْ شَوَّالٍ

“This implies that someone who did not fast Ramadan due to illness, childhood, travel, or formerly being a disbeliever (new Muslim), etc., is not encouraged to fast the six days of Shawwal, but that is not the case. That is why 'Al-Minhaj' and 'Al-Hawi' state the recommendation of fasting the six days of Shawwal.” (Tahrir Al-Fatawa, 1/555).

Jamaluddin Ar-Ramli stated:

قَالَ أَبُو زُرْعَةَ: وَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ: أَيْ بَلْ يُحَصِّلُ أَصْلَ سُنَّةِ الصَّوْمِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يُحَصِّلْ الثَّوَابَ الْمَذْكُورَ لِتَرَتُّبِهِ فِي الْخَبَرِ عَلَى صِيَامِ رَمَضَانَ وَإِنْ أَفْطَرَ رَمَضَانَ تَعَدِّيًا حَرُمَ عَلَيْهِ صَوْمُهَا

“Abu Zur’ah said, 'It is not so,' meaning one still attains the basic sunnah of the fast (the six days of Shawwal) even if they do not attain the specific reward mentioned, as that is contingent in the report upon the fasting of Ramadan. However, if one broke the Ramadan fast intentionally (without excuse), it is forbidden for them to fast these (six days).” (Nihayah Al-Muhtaj, 3/208) (2).

The Evidence is the generality of Allah’s word:

وَمَنْ كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَى سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ

“...And whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days...” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 185)

Also, the statement of Aisha:

كَانَ يَكُونُ عَلَيَّ الصَّوْمُ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ، فَمَا أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَقْضِيَ إِلَّا فِي شَعْبَانَ

“I used to have make-up fasts from Ramadan, and I was not able to make them up except in Shaban.” (HR. Al-Bukhari: 1950 and Muslim: 1146).

The Reasoning: The verse does not specify a strict time limit for making up the fasts, and Aisha's hadith suggests that delaying the Ramadan qadha is permissible until Shaban, while the window for the Shawwal fast is narrow. Therefore, prioritizing it over the Ramadan qadha is permissible and even recommended.

Second Opinion: Disliked (Makruh)

This is the authentic view (3) in the Maliki school and among some early (mutaqaddimin) Shafi'is like Al-Mahamili and Al-Jurjani, although they still consider the fast to be valid.

Imam Al-Kharasyi Al-Maliki stated:

وَمِمَّا هُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ التَّطَوُّعُ بِعِبَادَةٍ مِنْ صَوْمٍ أَوْ صَلَاةٍ أَوْ غَيْرِهِمَا قَبْلَ بَرَاءَةِ الذِّمَّةِ مِنْ وَاجِبٍ عَلَيْهِ

“Among what is disliked is performing voluntary worship such as fasting, prayer, or others before fulfilling the obligatory duty upon him, whether that duty is due to a vow (nadzar) or a make-up (qadha) of the worship itself.” (Syarh Al-Mukhtashar, 2/245)

Syihabuddin Ar-Ramli Asy-Syafii stated:

وَقَدْ قَالَ الْمَحَامِلِيُّ وَشَيْخُهُ وَالْجُرْجَانِيُّ يُكْرَهُ لِمَنْ عَلَيْهِ قَضَاءُ رَمَضَانَ أَنْ يَتَطَوَّعَ بِالصَّوْمِ

“Al-Mahamili and his sheikh Al-Jurjani said: 'It is disliked for someone who has a Ramadan qadha obligation to perform voluntary fasting.'” (Hasyiyah ‘ala Asna Al-Mathalib, 1/431).

The Evidence is a Hadith Qudsi, where Allah says:

مَا تَقَرَّبَ عَبْدِي إلَيَّ بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْت عَلَيْهِ

“...My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the religious duties I have obligated upon him...” (HR. Al-Bukhari: 6502 from Abu Hurairah).

Also, because making up the fast is mandatory, the mandatory matter must take precedence over sunnah (recommended) matters. (4)

Third Opinion: Forbidden (Haram)

This is the official (muktamad) view in the Hanbali school. Therefore, if a person performs a sunnah fast before making up the Ramadan fast (including the Shawwal fast), their fast is invalid.

Burhanuddin Ibnu Muflih Al-Hanbali stated:

تَنْبِيهٌ: لَا يَجُوزُ، وَلَا يَصِحُّ نَفْلُ الصَّوْمِ مِمَّنْ عَلَيْهِ فَرْضُهُ

“Note: It is not permissible and not valid to perform a voluntary fast for someone who has an obligatory (qadha) fast duty.” (Al-Mubaddi’, 3/54)

Alauddin Al-Mardawi Al-Hanbali stated:

هَلْ يَجُوزُ لِمَنْ عَلَيْهِ صَوْمُ فَرْضٍ أَنْ يَتَطَوَّعَ بِالصَّوْمِ قَبْلَهُ؟ ... إحْدَاهُمَا لَا يَجوزُ، وَلَا يَصِحُّ، وَهُوَ الْمَذْهَبُ

“Is it permissible for someone who owes an obligatory fast to perform a voluntary fast before it? ... There are two narrations... One of them is that it is not permissible and not valid, and this is the school's position (the madhhab).” (Al-Inshaf, 3/350)

The Evidence is the Prophet's hadith to a man asking about making up a fast missed by his mother:

فَدَيْنُ اللهِ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُقْضَى

“The debt to Allah is more deserving of being paid first.” (HR. Al-Bukhari: 1953 and Muslim: 1148 from Abdullah bin Abbas)

Also narrated in a hadith:

مَنْ صَامَ تَطَوُّعًا وَعَلَيْهِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ شَيْءٌ لَمْ يَقْضِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُتَقَبَّلُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يَصُومَهُ

“Whoever fasts voluntarily while he still has something from Ramadan that he has not made up, it will not be accepted from him until he fasts it (Ramadan).” (HR. Ahmad in Al-Musnad: 8621 from Abu Hurairah). (5)

Conclusion

The majority of scholars consider performing a sunnah fast before the Ramadan qadha to be valid, though some, like the Malikis, consider it disliked. However, the Hanbali school affirms its prohibition and invalidity. This means that according to the Hanafis and Shafi'is, performing the Shawwal fast before the Ramadan qadha is valid and rewarded. According to the Malikis, the fast is valid but disliked (makruh). Meanwhile, according to the Hanbalis, the fast is invalid and one incurs a sin for doing it.

The most superior way is to make up the Ramadan fast before performing the Shawwal fast or other sunnah fasts (6). This is because scholars agree on the recommendation to hasten the Ramadan make-up (7), and the Sharia affirms that obligatory fasts carry a greater reward than sunnah fasts (8). This is also to avoid the disagreement among scholars. Wallahu a’lam bish shawab.