(Q&A) Making Up the Six Days of Shawwal Fasting in Other Months: Is It Permissible?

Making Up the Six Days of Shawwal Fasting in Other Months: Is It Permissible?

Question: Ustadz, can the six-day fast of Shawwal be performed in a month other than Shawwal?

Answer: Regarding this matter, scholars have different views. There are at least three main perspectives.

First Perspective: Recommending that the six-day fast not be performed in Shawwal.

In fact, these scholars consider fasting the six days specifically in the month of Shawwal to be disliked (makruh). This is the well-known opinion in the Maliki school. Imam Malik bin Anas disliked fasting the six days in Shawwal. The evidence for this is the "Practice of the People of Madinah" (1); meaning that among the people of Madinah during the time of Imam Malik—most of whom were the Salaf from the Tabi'in and Tabi' al-Tabi'in—no one was seen practicing it. Imam Yahya bin Bukair said:

وسَمِعْتُ مَالِكًا يَقُولُ: فِي صِيَامِ سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ بَعْدَ الْفِطْرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ، إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَرَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَالْفِقْهِ يَصُومُهَا، وَلَمْ يَبْلُغْنِي ذَلِكَ عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ السَّلَفِ وَإِنَّ أَهْلَ الْعِلْمِ يَكْرَهُونَ ذَلِكَ وَيَخَافُونَ بِدْعَتَهُ وَأَنْ يُلْحِقَ بِرَمَضَانَ مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ أَهْلُ الْجَهَالَةِ وَالْجَفَاءِ لَوْ رَأَوْا فِي ذَلِكَ رُخْصَةً عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَرَأَوْهُمْ يَعْمَلُونَ ذَلِكَ

“I heard Malik say regarding the six-day fast after the breaking of the fast (Eid al-Fitr) following Ramadan: 'I have not seen any of the people of knowledge and jurisprudence (the scholars of Madinah) fasting them. Nor has it reached me that anyone among the Salaf practiced it. Rather, the people of knowledge dislike it and fear its innovation, fearing that ignorant and harsh people might attach to Ramadan what is not part of it if they saw a concession for it among the scholars and saw them practicing it.'” (Al-Muwattha’, 1/310, edited by Muhammad Fuad Abdul Baqi)

Therefore, it is recommended to perform these six days of fasting outside of Shawwal or after Shawwal ends, so that the gap from Ramadan is wide. This ensures safety from the concern that the six days might be considered part of the obligatory Ramadan fast by the common people. The evidence for this opinion is another narration regarding the recommendation of the six-day fast:

مَنْ صَامَ سِتَّةَ أَيَّامٍ بَعْدَ الْفِطْرِ كَانَ تَمَامَ السَّنَةِ، مَنْ جَاءَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا

“Whoever fasts six days after (Eid al-) Fitr, it completes the year. For whoever brings a good deed will have ten times the like of it.” (HR. Ibn Majah: 1715 from Thawban)

The reasoning: This narration does not specify that the fast must be performed in the month of Shawwal. It only affirms that the six days are performed after Eid al-Fitr without restricting the month or time. Thus, the six days can be fasted any time after Eid. Furthermore, the phrasing emphasizes the fast and its reward (being ten times the like), rather than a specific time. Since the Salaf in Madinah—as noted by Imam Malik—avoided it out of fear that it would be viewed as an obligation by the laypeople, it is considered superior to perform it outside of Shawwal. As for the narration in Sahih Muslim that specifies the month of Shawwal:

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 a lifetime (year).” (HR. Muslim: 1164 from Abu Ayyub Al-Anshari)

Maliki scholars interpret that "of Shawwal" in the hadith does not signify a restriction or a requirement. Imam Al-‘Adawi Al-Maliki stated:

وَإِنَّمَا قَالَ الشَّارِعُ مِنْ شَوَّالٍ لِلتَّخْفِيفِ بِاعْتِبَارِ الصَّوْمِ لَا تَخْصِيصِ حُكْمِهَا بِذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ...

“The Lawgiver (the Prophet) only said ‘of Shawwal’ to make it easy in terms of fasting itself, not to restrict its ruling to that specific time. Thus, there is no harm if these six days are performed in Dhu al-Hijjah... In fact, performing them in Dhu al-Qi'dah is also good. In essence, the further away the time of performance (from Ramadan), the greater the reward due to the increased difficulty (in performing it).” (Hasyiyah Al-‘Adawi ‘ala Syarh Al-Khalil, 2/243)

Second Perspective: Recommending making up the six days of Shawwal in another month if they were not performed in Shawwal.

This is the official (muktamad) position in the Shafi'i school and the view of some Hanbali scholars. Shihab Ar-Ramli Ash-Shafi’i said:

وَمَنْ فَاتَهُ رَمَضَانُ فَصَامَ عَنْهُ شَوَّالًا اُسْتُحِبَّ لَهُ أَنْ يَصُومَ سِتًّا مِنْ ذِي الْقَعْدَةِ لِأَنَّهُ يُسْتَحَبُّ قَضَاءُ الصَّوْمِ الرَّاتِبِ

“Whoever missed Ramadan and made it up during Shawwal, it is recommended for him to fast six days in Dhu al-Qi'dah, because it is recommended to make up the regular (rawatib) fasts.” (Hasyiyah ‘ala Asna Al-Mathalib, 1/431)

This is considered the muktamad view because Imam Al-Haytami Ash-Shafi’i affirmed this recommendation. Among the Hanbalis who lean toward this is Imam Ibn Muflih (2). This is also the view preferred by Ibn al-Uthaymeen among contemporary Hanbali leaders:

لَوْ لَمْ يَتَمَكَّنْ مِنْ صِيَامِ الْأَيَّامِ السِّتَّةِ فِي شَوَّالٍ لِعُذْرٍ كَمَرَضٍ أَوْ قَضَاءِ رَمَضَانَ... الْجَوَابُ: يَقْضِيهَا وَيُكْتَبُ لَهُ أَجْرُهَا...

“If one is unable to fast the six days in Shawwal due to an excuse such as illness or because they were busy completing the full Ramadan qadha until Shawwal ended... The answer: He makes them up and the reward is recorded for him... just like the rawatib (regular sunnah) prayer when delayed due to an excuse beyond its time, it is made up according to the Sunnah.” (As-Syarh Al-Mumti’, 6/467)

The reasoning: These scholars view the six days of Shawwal as a rawatib (regular) fast. They use analogy (qiyas) with the regular sunnah prayers, which are recommended to be made up if missed.

Third Perspective: It is not permissible to make up the six days of Shawwal at all.

Once the month of Shawwal ends, the opportunity to perform them and earn their specific virtue ends. This is the official (muktamad) view in the Hanbali school, the literal view of the Hanafi school, and the view of some Shafi’is. Imam Al-Qalyubi Ash-Shafi’i said:

...وَفِيهِ نَظَرٌ لِأَنَّ جَمِيعَ أَنْوَاعِ هَذَا الصَّوْمِ الْمَذْكُورِ لَا يُقْضَى إذْ لَيْسَ لَهَا وَقْتٌ مَحْدُودُ الطَّرَفَيْنِ كَمَا فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَتَأَمَّلْه

“...And this (the view of making it up) is subject to review (weak), because all types of these mentioned fasts are not made up since they do not have a time limit defined at both ends like prayer. Reflect on this.” (Hasyiyah Al-Qalyubi, 2/94)

Imam Al-Mardawi Al-Hanbali stated:

قُلْت: وَهَذَا ضَعِيفٌ مُخَالِفٌ لِلْحَدِيثِ، وَإِنَّمَا أُلْحِقَ بِفَضِيلَةِ رَمَضَانَ لِكَوْنِهِ حَرِيمَهُ...

“I say: This (the view of making it up) is weak and contradicts the hadith. It was only attached to the virtue of Ramadan because Shawwal is its neighboring month, not because one good deed is multiplied by ten.” (Al-Inshaf, 3/343)

Hanafi scholars such as Imam Al-Mudzhiri and Imam Al-Hashakafi also emphasize that the fast should be performed specifically within Shawwal (whether consecutively or separately). The evidence for this perspective is the literal phrasing of the hadith in Sahih Muslim:

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 a lifetime (year).” (HR. Muslim: 1164)

The hadith explicitly links the Ramadan fast with the six days in Shawwal. Literally, the month of Shawwal is a time requirement for this fast. If Shawwal has passed, the specific virtue of the "six days" no longer applies because the Prophet linked Ramadan and Shawwal together.

Conclusion

With these differing opinions, the matter is flexible. For those who wish to avoid scholarly disagreement, it is safer not to make up the fast once Shawwal has ended. However, we lean toward the second perspective, which allows making up the six days of Shawwal in another month if there was a valid excuse that prevented its performance in Shawwal. If it was missed without a valid excuse, it is better not to make it up. Wallahu a’lam.