Have You Started?

 *Have You Started?*

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Some people have started their sitta-,shawwal today (a day after Eidil Fitr). Some people will start tomorrow - In Shaa Allah. When will you start yours? I'm advising that you start your 6days fast in this month (sitta-shawwal) immediately before your body system get used to eating & drinking during the day. Yes. This will make the fasting easier for you. Besides, people who say - *"I will start next week, I will start next two weeks, I will fast sitta-shawwal when shawwal remain one week to end"* - did not have guarantee that they will end the month, and this is how shaytan will be tricking you and before you know it, the month of shawwal have ended without you fasting sitta-shawwal..

Oh My People!

The Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, *“Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan, and then follows it up by (fasting) six days of Shawwal, it is as if he or she has fasted the whole year.”*📚(Muslim)

Here,

It is important to point out that it is not compulsory for a Muslim to fast the six days of Shawwal CONSECUTIVELY. Yes. So long as one has fasted six days, either consecutively or separately, he or she will fulfill the requirement and will receive the same rewards - In Shaa Allah

Remember,

Abu Huraira related that the Prophet (pbuh) said: Allah the Majestic and Exalted said: *“Every deed of man will receive ten to 700 times reward, except Siyam (fasting), for it is for Me and I shall reward it (as I like)".* 📚Al-Bukhaari (1761) and Muslim (1946)

The scholars differed concerning this phrase, *“Fasting is for Me and I shall reward for it”* – why is fasting singled out in this manner? 

Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (ra) quoted the views of ten scholars who sought to explain the meaning of this hadeeth and why fasting was singled out in this manner. The most important is:

👉🏻 That what is meant by the words, “I shall reward for it” is: I am the only One Who knows the extent of his reward and how much his hasanaat (good deeds) will be multiplied. Al-Qurtubi said: What this means is that the amount of reward for good deeds may become known to people, and they will be rewarded between ten and seven hundred fold, and as much as Allah wants, except fasting, for Allah will reward it without measure. This is supported by a report narrated above by Bukhaari & Muslim – i.e., *I shall reward it greatly, without specifying how much*. This is like the verse in which Allah (swt) says:

“Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning” 📚al-Zumar 39:10

Finally,

Even though majority of us do not like voluntary fasting, but if we look at the quantity of rewards of one who have fasted ONE COMPLETE YEAR, then, it is something we should strive to grab.

May Allah (swt) increase us in strength and make it easy for us to grab the rewards of fasting sitta-shawwal (6days fast in the month of Shawwal). Ameen Ya Hayyu La Yamoot.

Allah alone knows best.

سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك نشهد ان لا اله الا انت نستغفرك ونتوابوااليك