Fast of whole life
Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub رضی اللہ عنہ has narrated the following statement of the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ‘Whoever keeps fasts in Ramadan and then keeps six fasts in Shawwal, it is as if he has kept fasts for his entire life.’’
(Sahih Muslim, pp. 592, Hadiš 1164)
Fast throughout year
Sayyiduna Šauban رضی اللہ عنہ has narrated that the Prophet of mankind, the Peace of our heart and mind, the most Generous and Kind صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has said: ‘The one fasting six days after Eid-ul-Fitr (in Shawwal) has fasted the entire year because whoever brings one good deed will get ten rewards (for it).’’
(Sunan Ibn Majah, pp. 333, vol. 2, Hadiš 1715)
Ten times more reward for a single virtue
Dear Islamic brothers! By the grace of Allah عزوجل and for the sake of His Beloved Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم how easy it is for us to earn the reward of the fast of the whole year. Every Muslim should seize this opportunity. The wisdom behind the reward of a year’s fasts is that Allah عزوجل bestows ten time reward upon the Muslims for every single deed just because of His mercy. Thus, the Merciful Allah عزوجل has said:
من جائ بالحسنۃ فلہ عشر امثالھا
Whoever brings one good, then for him there are ten like thereof.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 8, Surah Al-An’am, verse 160)
الحمد للہ عزوجل The foregoing verse makes it clear that the fasts of Ramadan are equivalent to those of ten months and then six more fasts are equivalent to sixty fasts (two months of fasting). In this way, one will earn the reward of the fast of the entire year.
When to keep six fasts after Eid?
Dear Islamic brothers! Sadr-ush-Shari’ah Badr-u -Sariqah Shaykh ‘Allamah Maulana Mufti Muhammad Amjad ‘Ali A’zami رحمۃ اللہ علیہ has stated in a footnote to Bahar-e- Shari’at: ‘It is better to have these six fasts separately (on alternate days or after every two/three days), but there is still no harm if somebody fasts consecutively after Eid-ul- Fitr.’ (Bahar-e-Shari’at, pp. 140, part 5)
Khalil-e-Millat Shaykh ‘Allamah Maulana Muhammad Khalil Khan Qadiri Barakati رحمۃ اللہ علیہ has stated, ‘Though there is no harm if somebody keeps these fasts consecutively after Eid-ul-Fitr, it is better to keep them separately, i.e. one after Eid-ul-Fitr, then two in every week. If it takes the whole month to have these six fasts, it seems even more appropriate.’ (Sunni Bahashti Zaiwar, pp. 347)
In other words, one can keep six fasts whenever he wants in the whole month of Shawwal except the day of Eid-ul-Fitr.