Thursday, October 9, 2008

Six Days of Shawal


Now that Ramadhan's over, many of us feel sad--we miss the spirituality, the eiman rush, the amazing strength that we all demonstrate in Ramadhan. So what can you do to bring those feelings back?

One thing is to keep performing the deeds you performed in Ramadhan--and this is one of the signs that Allah accepted your deeds.

Another act you can perform is to fast six days of Shawal, the month right after Ramadhan. Check this hadith out:

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari RA reported Allah's Messenger sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam said: He who observed the fast of Ramadhan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawal. it would be as if he fasted perpetually (the whole year, every year).

[narrated by Muslim ]

Why perpetually? Well, we know the reward for good deeds counts as at least ten. Ramadhan is one month, so we get the reward of ten months of fasting. Plus six days (times ten; sixty days, or two months), that equals a whole year!

And remember, if you missed completing Ramadhan, you need to make those days up first, before you fast any optional fasts. Because Ramadhan fasts are fardh --they take precedance over mustahab fasts.

May Allah accept all our good deeds from Ramadhan and year-round and help make us to make ourselves strong all year around, not just once a year. ..ameen!

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