Q: Is it necessary to start Shawwal fasting the next day after Eid ul Fitr? Or Can we fast on any day in the month of Shawwal? If we want to fast every Monday and Thursday in the month of Shawwal, will it be considered Sittah Shawwal fasting?
Answer: No, it is not necessary to start fasting the very next day of Eid-ul-Fitr, nor is it necessary to fast continuously for six days to be considered a sittah shawl fast (Sittah in Arabic means six). You can fast on any six days in the month of Shawwal, but make sure that you do not fast on a Friday in seclusion. Example: You decide to fast on Monday and want to fast continuously for six days up to Saturday - this is OK. But, let's say you fast on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday - this is incorrect. To get the benefit of Sittah-Shawwal fasting, when you keep the fast, you would need to keep your Niyyat (intention) as such. If you don't keep the intention of Sitte-Shawwal fasting, it would be considered a Nafil fast.
Answer provided by
- Hazrath Peer-o-Murshid Mufti Syed Zameer Mahdi