Virtue of the Month of Shawwal
By the Name of Allah, praises be to Allah, prayer and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed, in the days of your lifetime, there are divine breezes (opportunities for spiritual renewal and blessings). Be sure to avail yourselves of them.” (Graded as Weak)
The Messenger of Allah told us that within days of our lifetime, there are great opportunities that, if we succeed in making use of them, will lead us to Paradise. Among these days are the days of the month of Shawwal.
Shawwal is the tenth month of the Hijri Year. It follows the blessed month of Ramadan. Its position as a follower of Ramadan gives it a specific rank and many virtues.
Virtues of the Month of Shawwal:
1) ‘Eid al-Fitr
‘Eid al-Fitr takes place directly after Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal. It is the first of the two ‘Eids legislated to Muslims. Anas said that when the Prophet came to Medina, the people had two days to engage in games. Having asked what their significance was and being told that they had engaged in games on them in the pre-Islamic period, he said: “God has substituted for them something better than them, the day of sacrifice and the day of the breaking of the fast.”
This gives the month of Shawwal a special significance among Muslims. It is not permissible to fast the day of al-Fitr. It is recommended that you express joyfulness during it, wear the most beautiful clothes you have, offer the Eid prayer, and visit your relatives. By doing all these manifestations of celebrating ‘Eid, you are performing an act of worshipping, and so you get closer to Allah the Al-Mighty.
2) Fasting the Six Days of Shawwal
It is from the Sunnah to fast for six days in Shawwal. You can fast them either successively or separately. You can begin fasting on the second day of Shawwal as it is forbidden to fast on the first day of Shawwal. If you have missed fasting some days in Ramadan, it is recommended that you begin fasting the obligatory fast before fasting for the six days of Shawwal.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six (days) from Shawwal, it is as if he has fasted a year.” (Sahih Muslim)
In another narration: “Fasting for the month of Ramadan brings the reward of ten like it, and fasting for six days brings the reward of two months, and that is the fasting of the whole year.” (Ibn Khuzaimah)
How Generous Allah is! You fast 36 days, and He gives you the reward of fasting 360, and He increases the reward for those He wills.
3) Shawwal as Compensation for the Shortage in Fasting during the Month of Ramadan
Fasting six days of Shawwal compensates for any shortcomings in the obligatory fasting in Ramadan. It is known that no human is perfect, and all of us fall into shortcomings. It is out of Allah’s Mercy that He legalizes voluntary acts for His servants so that they can make up for any shortage in obligatory acts.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The first thing about which the people will be called to account out of their actions on the Day of Judgment is prayer. Our Lord, the Exalted, will say to the angels – though He knows better: Look into the prayer of My servant and see whether he has offered it perfectly or imperfectly. If it is perfect, that will be recorded perfectly.
If it is defective, He will say: See, My servant, offers some voluntary prayers. If there are voluntary prayers to his credit, He will say: Compensate the obligatory prayer with the voluntary prayers for My servant. Then all the actions will be considered similarly.”
In addition, fasting the six days of Shawwal is a means of expressing gratitude to Allah for helping you fast during Ramadan.
4) Shawwal as an Extension to the Month of Ramadan
It is known that the majority of Muslims strive to do their best in the month of Ramadan. They care not to miss any second of Ramadan without being indulged in a righteous deed. That is because people get out of Ramadan with a different soul, heart and body. During the whole month of Ramadan, they get accustomed to not being attached to worldly affairs and to hope only for Allah and the Hereafter. They also get accustomed to fasting, offering voluntary prayers, offering the night prayer, giving to charities, visiting relatives, and so on.
While Shawwal comes directly after Ramadan, and people are still in this state of piety, righteousness, and being close to Allah, Shawwal is a good opportunity to extend this state by keeping up the righteous deeds one performed in Ramadan. Fasting is a good means of preserving this spiritual development, which helps you renew your ties with Allah after Ramadan.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is from Allah’s Mercy that He gives us chance after chance to draw us closer to Him. And among these chances is the month of Shawwal. So praises be to Allah, who rewards us when celebrating Eid And legalizes voluntary acts on different days to help us compensate for shortages in obligatory acts and increase the reward.
May Allah grant us success in establishing obligatory and voluntary acts of worship. He legalizes for us and grants us a reward in this life and the Hereafter!