I was once visiting some people on the second day of Eid Al-Fitr (i.e. the feast that follows Ramadan) when one of the guests started criticizing people who fast on the second and third days of the Eid, accusing many of them of showing off. The main point in his argument was that if people wanted to do voluntary fasting, they should not go around visiting others to congratulate them on the occasion of the Eid, because they are bound to tell of their fasting as they will have to decline their hosts’ hospitality. They should either stay at home or at least delay fasting until the Eid is over.
It is well known that we are strongly recommended by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to fast six days after Ramadan. It is the considered opinion of the overwhelming majority of scholars that there is no restriction on which days one chooses to fast. Most people believe that these six days should be in the month of Shawwal, which follows Ramadan, but many scholars consider that this is not necessary, and these six days could be spread over the rest of the year, with no need to make them consecutive. One or two reports, however, advise that these should be in Shawwal, beginning on the second day of the Eid, and should be consecutive. These reports are totally lacking in authenticity and should be discounted. The weightier view is that any six days, chosen at any time throughout the following year, with the exception of the first day of Eid Al-Fitr and the four days of Eid Al-Adha, are equally good.
Our friend’s criticism is sound on the point of visiting people during the Eid and fasting at the same time. People are bound to offer some hospitality: A cool drink, coffee, sweets, etc. A fasting person will apologize to his hosts time after time, until they realize that he is fasting, even though he may not explicitly say so. Thus he publicizes an act of worship that he is better advised to keep secret. As it is the case with all voluntary worship, fasting outside the month of Ramadan is better kept private, an affair between oneself and God.
It should be stressed that fasting six days after the end of the month of Ramadan is a Sunnah, recommended by the Prophet. It is authentically reported that the Prophet said: “Anyone who fasts Ramadan and six days from Shawwal is like one who fasts all his life.” (Related by Muslim, Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi and others.) This is further explained by a Hadith reported by Thawban, the Prophet’s servant, which quotes the Prophet as saying: “He who fasts Ramadan has fasted one month which is equivalent to ten months, and the fasting of six days after the (obligatory) fast has ended completes the fasting of the whole year.” (Related by Ahmad, Al-Nassaie, Ibn Majah and others.) The Prophet is explaining here that when we fast one month and six days we get a reward equivalent to the fasting of the whole year. This works on the basis of the principle clearly stated in the Qur’an that “a good deed is rewarded by ten times its value.” Thus, fasting the month of Ramadan earns us the reward of fasting ten months, and the reward for fasting six extra days equals the reward of fasting 60 days, or two months, to complete the year. Doing this every year earns a reward of fasting throughout one’s life.
It is well known that the reward of fasting is great indeed. God allocates to fasting a special kind of reward, because it is an act of worship that admits no hypocrisy. It is dedicated purely to God. One cannot show off or boast about fasting. If a person is fasting voluntarily and goes around stating that he is volunteering the fast, he wipes out his reward, because he would not be dedicating his fast purely to God, but he is making use of it to enhance his reputation in his community.
We know, however, that God may increase the reward for any good deed much more than ten times. There are indications in the Qur’an and the Sunnah that God may multiply the reward of any good deed by 700 times or even more. His generosity and compassion make the ten times multiplication the basic standard of rewarding good actions. It is on the assumption of this basic rate that the Prophet makes the equation that fasting Ramadan and six voluntary days equivalent to fasting the whole year. Needless to say, God may increase such reward to anyone who works hard at making his fast clean, pure and fully dedicated to God.
In fact, the idea of multiple rewards for good deeds was very much present in the Prophet’s mind and he was very keen to impart the same feeling to his followers. Perhaps nothing would have achieved that more than giving Muslims the feeling that by fasting a small number of days they get the immeasurable benefits of fasting as well as a reward that is so great that it equals fasting all the year round. He has recommended us fasting three days of every month and we have several Hadiths to indicate that if we do so we achieve that particular result. We can then enjoy the relaxation of not fasting while earning the reward of fasting. To a Muslim, all this is very real.
Abu Hurayrah, a companion of the Prophet, was traveling with a group of people. They stopped to rest and prepared some food to eat. They sent someone to call him, but he was praying. When he finished, the messenger asked him to come over to eat, but he said that he was fasting. When they were about to finish their meal, Abu Hurayrah joined them. They asked him again to eat and he ate. Amazed, they looked at the man they sent to him thinking that he had told a lie. He said: “Why do you look at me like that? By God he said that he was fasting.” Abu Hurayrah confirmed that and said that God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “The fasting of the month of perseverance (i.e. Ramadan) and three days of every month is the same as fasting for life. I have fasted three days at the beginning of this month, so I am not fasting today because of God’s relaxation, yet I am fasting because of God’s multiplication of my reward.”
Abu Hurayrah was not playing a trick on his fellow travelers. Far be it from him to do so. He simply wanted them to learn something he had heard from the Prophet and to give it a practical aspect. Having done it this way, he was certain that his fellow travelers would never forget it and would be keen to follow his example in taking the Prophet’s guidance literally.
Several Hadiths confirm that the Prophet has recommended us to fast three days of every month. Mu’adhah quotes Aishah, the Prophet’s wife, as saying: “God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) used to fast three days of every month.” I asked: “Which days were these?” She answered: “He did not care which days.” (Related by Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and others.)
This Hadith is clear that any three days will do as long as this worship is dedicated purely to God. There are other Hadiths that suggest that the Prophet habitually fasted on the middle days of the month that are called “the white days” because the moon appears in its fullness, making the night very bright indeed. Abu Dharr quotes the Prophet as saying: “He of you who wants to fast three days in a month, let him fast the three white days.” (Related by Ahmad, Al-Nassaie and others.) Although it may be easier for one to make a habit of fasting the three middle days of the month, the Hadith attributed to Aishah makes it absolutely clear that the Prophet relaxed that whenever a relaxation was necessary. He was always keen to make things easier for his followers so that they can go about their business and observe their religious duties and his guidance.
The Prophet has emphasized voluntary fasting in numerous Hadiths and suggested on occasions that we fast on certain days of the week. Whatever days we fast the reward is certain. Moreover, it is certain to be great. Fasting is a great Islamic worship and will always be amply rewarded by God, the Compassionate, and the Most Generous.