DDHK. ORG – Fasting Shawwal is recommended because it includes sunnah and is one of the sunnah fasts recommended in Islam. This fast is carried out for six days at the beginning of the month of Shawwal. Starting from 2 Shawwal or exactly the day after Hari Raya Eid Al-Fitr.
The question that often arises when fasting Shawwal is usually whether Shawwal fasting is sequential and immediately after Eid.
Citing the book What You Should Know from Syawal Fasting, written by Ahmad Zarkasih, the answer to that question is no. Because indeed the text of the hadith that mentions it does not provide any additions to the existence of order or sequence.
As reported Republika, the existing hadith texts are absolute. Therefore it doesn't have to be sequential, it can be done separately as long as it's still in the month of Shawwal.
After all, the priority of fasting a year is as many as the number of days, namely 30 days of Ramadan equals 300 days, and 6 days of Shawwal equals 60 days. And this priority can be obtained even though it is not sequential.
This is also explained by Imam Nawawi in his book Syarhu al-Nawawi li-Muslim (8/56):
وَالْأَفْضَلَ أَنْ تُصَامَ السَّنَّةُ مُتَوَالِيَةٌ عَقِبَ يَوْمِ الْفِطْرِ فَإِنْ طريقتها أو اعترافا من أوائل الشوالي إلى أواخره خصلت
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Afdhalnya, fasting the six days of Shawwal is done sequentially and continues after Eid Al-Fitr, if it is separated, or ends from the beginning of Shawwal to the end of Shawwal, it can also still get a reward because it is still called the six days of Shawwal.
Rasulullah SAW once explained the virtues of carrying out this fast. That person who fasts six days of Shawwal after one month of fasting Ramadan, then he will get a reward worth one year of fasting. As contained in the hadith:
مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ وَأَتْبَعَهُ سِتَّاً مِنْ شَوَّالٍ، كَانَ ك َصِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ
Meaning: "Whoever fasts Ramadan and then continues it with six days of Shawwal, then it is like the reward of fasting for a year." (Muslim HR)
Therefore it would be nice for us to perform this sunnah fasting. Quoted from NU Online, here are the 5 virtues of fasting the sunnah of Shawwal.
The Virtue of Shawwal Fasting
- Completion of Ramadan Fasting
One of the benefits of sunnah worship is to complete fardhu worship. Like the sunnah prayers of care (qabliyah and ba'diyah) which can complement fardhu prayers. Likewise fasting the sunnah of Shawwal can be a complement to fasting in Ramadan.
- One Year Fasting Rewards
In the Al-Qur'an letter Al-An'am verse 160 it is explained that every single deed of worship will be rewarded tenfold. Referring to this explanation, if it is calculated, one month of Ramadan fasting multiplied by 10 equals 10 months, then 6 days of Shawwal fasting multiplied by 10 equals 2 months. So 10 months plus 2 months equals 12 months or a year.
- Sign of Acceptance of Fasting of Ramadan
One of the characteristics of receiving charity worship is the consistency of doing other worship after the first worship is over. The same goes for fasting in Ramadan. One of the characteristics of accepting the fast of Ramadan is that a person performs the sunnah fasting of Shawwal after it.
- As a Sign of Gratitude
Carrying out the sunnah fasting of Shawwal is proof of a servant's gratitude because during the month of Ramadan he has received a gift from Allah SWT in the form of worship that can be carried out in it or the forgiveness promised for those who worship during the fasting month. Rasulullah SAW said,
مَنْ صَامَ رَمَضَانَ إِيْمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ [وفي رواية]: مَن XNUMX
Meaning: "Whoever fasts Ramadan on the basis of faith, and hoping for a reward and the pleasure of Allah, then his past sins will be forgiven." [in another narration]: "Whoever lives the nights of the month of Ramadan on the basis of faith, and hopes for a reward and the pleasure of Allah, then his past sins will be forgiven." (HR Bukhari and Muslim)
- Maintain Consistency of Worship
The completion of the month of Ramadan does not mean that the services in it are interrupted. Muslims are encouraged to maintain the consistency of this worship. One of them is by fasting the Sunnah of Shawwal as proof of the consistency of fasting that has been done during Ramadan. [DDHK News]
