The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted the whole year. He also taught that fasting on the day of Arafah expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year, and the day of Ashura expiates the sins of the previous year.
1The days reported in the hadith
Six days of Shawwal, after Eid, together or separately.
The day of Arafah (the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah) for those who are not at Arafah for Hajj.
The day of Ashura (the 10th of Muharram), together with the day before or after it.
Mondays and Thursdays. The Prophet ﷺ said Monday is the day he was born and the day when revelation first came to him.
The white days, the 13th, 14th and 15th of each lunar month.
Fasting the first nine days of Dhul-Hijjah and the month of Muharram.
2What is not allowed
Fasting on the two Eid days and the three Tashriq days (11th to 13th of Dhul-Hijjah, except for the one doing Hajj Tamattu without a sacrifice).
Choosing Friday alone for fasting is disliked. Fasting every day of the year without a break is also not allowed, and the Prophet ﷺ said that such a person has neither fasted nor broken the fast.
Where the schools differ
The four Sunni schools agree on the main ruling above and differ in these points. No school is preferred here.
The Six of Shawwal. the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools recommend them, the Hanafi school finds no harm and the Maliki school disliked them if people think they are a part of Ramadan.
The evidence
From the Sunnah
Sahih Muslim 1164aAuthentic collection
The point of the hadith: Whoever fasts Ramadan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted the whole year.
The point of the hadith: The Prophet ﷺ taught that fasting on the day of Arafah expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year, and fasting on Ashura expiates the sins of the previous year.
This is general information, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar.
Fiqh questions
Voluntary fasting: the best days
The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted the whole year. He also taught that fasting on the day of Arafah expiates the sins of the previous year and the coming year, and the day of Ashura expiates the sins of the previous year.
Is this a fatwa?
No. It is a summary of well-known rulings with their evidence. For your own case, ask a qualified scholar.
What if my school differs from this answer?
Follow the view of the school you follow and the scholar who teaches you. The page lists the differences of the four schools.
