Muslims are urged to perform six days of voluntary fasting in Shawwal after Ramadan, earning rewards equivalent to a full year's fasting per Prophet Muhammad's hadiths. For 1447 H, it falls on March 22-27, 2026.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Following Ramadan fasting and Eid al-Fitr on 1 Shawwal, Muslims are encouraged to observe six voluntary days of fasting in Shawwal. This is based on a hadith narrated by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari: “Siapapun yang berpuasa Ramadhan kemudian diiringinya dengan puasa enam hari di bulan Syawal, maka yang demikian itu seolah-olah berpuasa sepanjang masa” (HR Shahih Muslim). Another hadith states: “Barangsiapa berpuasa enam hari di bulan Syawal setelah Idul Fithri, maka ia telah menyempurnakan puasa setahun penuh” (HR Ibnu Majah), as one good deed is multiplied tenfold—30 days of Ramadan equal 300, plus six Shawwal days make 360, nearly a Hijri year of 354 days. Preacher Maen Khalifah explained: “Jika setiap tahun kita berpuasa enam hari tambahan di bulan Syawal selain Ramadan, maka itu sama dengan berpuasa terus-menerus.” It is recommended from 2 Shawwal (March 22, 2026) to 7 Shawwal (March 27, 2026), either consecutively or separately. Imam An Nawawi favors consecutive fasting, while Imam Abu Hanifah prefers separate to avoid it being mistaken for obligatory. Those with missed Ramadan fasts may still perform it, with some scholars allowing combined intention.
