Fasting Six Days After Ramadan: A Mālikī Perspective
Each year after Ramadan, a familiar hadith resurfaces on the tongues of many imams and well-meaning Muslims:
“Whoever fasts Ramadan, then follows it with six days from Shawwāl, it is as if he fasted the entire year.”
— [Sahih Muslim]
From this, a popular practice has emerged: fasting six days in the month of Shawwāl immediately following Eid. But what does the Mālikī school say about this?
The Mālikī View: Timing Beyond Shawwāl
While the hadith above is authentic and widely cited, scholars of the Mālikī madhhab have nuanced insights on how to understand and implement it.
First, the Mālikī jurists affirm that the reward of fasting the entire year can be attained by fasting six days after Ramadan, regardless of the month in which those six days are observed. In other words, you are not restricted to the month of Shawwāl.
So long as the six days are completed after Ramadan — whether in Shawwāl, Dhū al-Qaʿdah, or any other time during the year — the reward still applies.
The Linguistic Key: “Min Shawwāl”
Even if we accept the hadith as a source of action (which Mālikī scholars do, with some discussion), the wording is precise. The hadith says:
“…then follows it with six days from Shawwāl (min Shawwāl)…”
The word “min” in Arabic is often used to indicate the beginning of a time range. Thus, the meaning becomes:
“…six days starting from Shawwāl,”
not necessarily confined to it.
This grammatical subtlety opens the door for flexibility — a person can start fasting the six days in Shawwāl but complete them at any point in the year.
A Balanced Path
For those following the Mālikī school, this perspective offers ease and encourages sustainable ‘ibadah. The door of reward is open wide — no rush, no pressure. Begin in Shawwāl if you like, or spread the fasts throughout the year. The key is consistency and intention.
And Allah knows best.