1/1254ــ عَنْ أبي أيّوبَ رضي الله عنه أنَّ رَسُولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «مَنْ صامَ رَمَضَانَ، ثُمَّ أتبَعَهُ ستاً من شوالٍ، كَانَ كصيَامِ الدَّهْرِ». رواه مسلم.
1254/1 - Abu Ayyūb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it up with six days in Shawwāl, it is as if he has fasted the entire year.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) الحسنة بعشر أمثالها؛ فصيام رمضان يعدل عشرة أشهر، والسُتُّ من شوال تعدل ستين يوماً، وهي شهران، فيكون ذلك كصيام السنة كلها.
1) A good deed is rewarded with ten times as much. So, the fasting of Ramadan is equal to ten months. The six days in Shawwāl equal sixty days, namely two months. This adds up to a whole year.
2) الأجر الموعود في الحديث لمن صام رمضان كاملاً، ثُمَّ أتبعه بست من شوال، ولو متفرقة.
2) It states the promised reward for those who fast the entire Ramadan along with six days in Shawwāl even if the six days were not in succession.
قال بعض العلماء: لا تُصام الست من شوال قبل قضاء دَين رمضان لمن أفطر بعذر؛ لأن الأجر مرتّب علىٰ من صام رمضان كاملاً ، ثم أتبعه ستاً من شوال.
Some scholars said that a person may not fast the six days in Shawwāl before he has made up for any fast he missed during Ramadan for a valid reason. This is because the reward in the Hadīth is promised to he who fasts all of Ramadan and then fasts six days in Shawwāl.
وقال آخرون: يجوز مباشرة صيام الست ولو لم يقضِ ما أفطره من رمضان، لقول عائشة رضي الله عنها: «كان يكون عليَّ الصوم من رمضان فما أستطيع أن أقضيه إلا في شعبان». قال يحيىٰ ــ أحد الرواة ــ الشغل من النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم». رواه البخاري.
Other scholars said, however, that it is permissible to fast the six days in Shawwāl before making up for any missed fast in Ramadan, based on the following statement by ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): “I used to have missed days of fast in Ramadan, and I would not be able to make up for them except in Sha‘bān.” Yahya, a sub-narrator, said: “Her preoccupation was with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
قالوا: وهذا فعلته عائشة رضي الله عنها بمرأىٰ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، ويستبعد من أم المؤمنين ــ وهي العالمة العاملة ــ ألا تصوم الست من شوال.
They said: ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) did so in the presence of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), and it is unlikely that the Mother of the Believers - the knowledgeable and pious person - would fail to fast the six days in Shawwāl.
ثم إن تأخير قضاء صوم رمضان من يُسر الشريعة. والله أعلم.
Moreover, it is part of the Shariah’s ease and facilitation that it allows us to delay making up for the missed fast of Ramadan, and Allah knows best.