Can I COMBINE the niyyah of fasting the six days of Shawwaal with my days that I owe from Ramadhaan?

 🌸 *What to Do Series*🌸

by Asma bint Shameem 

 ❓*QUESTION*❓

*Can I COMBINE the niyyah of fasting the six days of Shawwaal with my days that I owe from Ramadhaan?*

🌿*ANSWER*🌿

There’s a difference of opinion among the scholars about this issue 

But the *stronger* scholarly opinion is that you cannot combine the intention of fasting the six days of Shawwaal with the missed days of Ramadhaan. 

Rather you must first make up the missed days of fasting of Ramadhaan THEN fast the six days of Shawwaal. 

That's because these Shawwaal fasts are SPECIFIC and CONNECTED to the fasts of Ramadhaan. 

*And one cannot combine those ibaadaat that are “specific” or “connected” to each other* 

For example, if someone wants to pray two rak’aat at the time of Fajr with the intention to combine the two Sunnah with the two Fardh, obviously that's not valid. 

That's because the Sunnah of Fajr is “specific”and “directly connected” to the Fardh of Fajr, and cannot take its place.

Similar is the case with the fasts of Shawwaal. 

They're specific and directly associated or connected to the fasts of Ramadhaan and therefore cannot be combined. 

🍃 Shaikh ibn Uthaymeen said:

"With regard to fasting the six days of Shawwaal, they are connected to Ramadhaan and can only done *after* making up missed Ramadhaan  fasts."

(Fataawa al-Siyaam)

On the other hand, any act of ibaadah that's “NONSPECIFIC” or “NOT CONNECTED” with any other act of ibaadah CAN be combined. 

For example, if we fast the Shawwaal fasts on Mondays and Thursdays, that can be combined and we will achieve double reward. 

One for fasting Shawwaal and 

One for fasting Monday and Thursday.

That’s because fasting on Mondays and Thursdays is general and non-specific and our intention for fasting on Mondays and Thursdays is that our deeds be raised up while we are fasting.

🍃The Prophet ﷺ said:

‘Deeds are presented on Monday and Thursday, and I love that my deeds be presented while I am fasting'” (at-Tirimidhi and an-Nasā’i: saheeh by al-Albaani)

🍃Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: 

“…If the fast for the six days coincides with Monday or Thursday, then he shall attain the reward of his intention for the six days of Shawwaal along with the reward of [fasting] Monday or Thursday due to the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ),

‘Verily actions are by intentions, and for every person is what he intended.’

Another example is if you enter the masjid, and people are praying Salaatul Ishaa, you don't have to pray tahiyyatul masjid “SEPARATELY”; rather your praying in Jama'ah will suffice. 

That's because tahiyyatul masjid is NONSPECIFIC and NOT CONNECTED with any specific act of ibaadah. 

The point of tahiyyatul masjid is to pray before sitting down. And praying with the Ishaa Jama'ah will fulfill that need. 

🔺*What about the other opinion?*

There are some scholars who say that it is permissible to combine the intention of making up a fardh fast of Ramadhaan with the six days of Shawwaal. 

However, even those ulama say that it’s better to fast the days *separately* instead of combining the intentions. 

🍃 Shaykh al-Albaani explained this matter beautifully. 

Someone asked him:

“Is it permissible for me to make my intention a making up of the missed Ramadhaan and a fasting of one of these six days at the same time?

Shaikh Al-Albaani said:

“If you were asking about the permissibility, then the answer is: yes, it is permissible. 

And I’m going to now mention to you here THREE levels; after that, a Muslim chooses from them that which he likes.

1️⃣ *“The first level”*

and it is the highest, is that he fasts the make up separately and [the] Shawwaal separately. 

Why? 

Because we know that a good deed is [rewarded] with 10 times the like of itself. 

So when he fasts a day from Ramadhaan, for [that], at the very least, is [the reward of] ten [similar] good deeds; and [when] he fasts a day from Shawwaal, for Shawwaal there is [the reward of] ten [similar] good deeds. [Totaled together,] they become 20. This is the best situation, at the highest level.

2️⃣ *“The second level”*

is [where] he isn’t prepared, doesn’t have time, doesn’t have the energy, for one reason or another. 

He wants to fast a day from those that are upon him [to make up], for example, or six days from those that are upon him from Ramadhaan [to make up], and [at the same time] he wants to cover over [the same days] the six [days] of Shawwaal. 

This is the second level.

We say: 

He is to make the intention to make up from that which is upon him from Ramadhaan, and carry out [that intention]. 

And he is to attach to this intention an intention [to fast from] the six days of Shawwaal.

This [person] gets recorded for him ten plus one [rewards]; the one [reward] is [for] that good intention [that wasn’t actually acted upon], based on his saying [ﷺ] in the Hadeeth qudsī: 

“When my slave thinks about doing a good deed and then does not do it, record it as one good deed for him, and if he does it, record it as ten good deeds for him,” up to 100 good deeds, up to 700, up to many times over that, and Allaah multiplies [the reward] for whomever He wills.

This is the second level: 

at the very least, [the reward of] 11 [eleven] good deeds is recorded for him.

3️⃣ *“The third and final level”*

he only fasts from that which is (obligatory) upon him. (Meaning he only makes up the missed Ramadhaan fasts).

He doesn’t form [any intention] for the six [days] of Shawwaal at the same time, or maybe he doesn’t know he’s in the month of Shawwaal, as is the case with many among the Westernized Arabs.”

🔺 *BUT what about Aa’ishah radhi Allaahu anhaa?!*

*She did not make up her missed fasts until Sha’baan! Does that mean that she didn’t fast Shawwaal?*

Aa’ishah radhi Allaahu anhaa couldn’t make up her fardh fasts until the next Sha’baan because she was too busy with her duties towards the Prophet ﷺ.

🍃 She said:

“I had to complete some of the fasts of Ramadhaan, but I could not do it except during the month of Sha’baan due to my DUTIES to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ.”

 (al-Bukhaari 1950, Muslim 1146) 

That shows that she had *special circumstances* that were SPECIFIC to HER. 

And the wordings of the hadeeth indirectly indicate her wish to have made up the fasts earlier. 

🍃Shaikh Ibn Baaz said regarding this issue:

“As for the questioner’s statement that ‘Aishah radhi Allaahu anhaa delayed the fast until Sha’baan, then she said: ‘Due to my duties to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ”. 

If she delayed the OBLIGATORY fasts due to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ, then it is *more* *deserving* and *more likely* she delayed the RECOMMENDED fasts due to DUTIES towards the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam. 

So the conclusion is that there is no evidence in the action of ‘A’ishah radhi Allaahu anhaa for preceding the fast of Shawwal over the fast of Ramadhaan because she delayed the fast of Ramadhaan due to DUTIES to the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ.

Next, if she did precede the six days of Shawwaal [over the missed days of Ramadhaan], then there is no proof in her action in what opposes the clear texts.” 

(Fataawaa Shaikh Ibn Baaz)

And Allaah knows best