Fasting Six Days of Shawwal 1448: Dates, Rules and Practical Plans

Of all the voluntary fasts, the six days of Shawwal may have the best ratio of effort to reward. Six days, in the month straight after Ramadan, while the habit of fasting is still fresh — and the Prophet ﷺ said they complete the reward of a full year. This guide covers the dates for 2027, the rulings people ask about most, and some realistic schedules.

The hadith

“Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted for a lifetime [the whole year].” (Sahih Muslim 1164, narrated by Abu Ayyub al-Ansari)

Scholars explain the arithmetic through another hadith: each good deed is rewarded tenfold. Ramadan’s thirty days count as three hundred, and six more days as sixty — three hundred and sixty, the number of days in a lunar year (Sunan Ibn Majah 1715, and similar wording in al-Nasa’i).

Shawwal 1448: the dates

	Date (Umm al-Qura)
1 Shawwal — Eid al-Fitr (no fasting)	Tuesday 9 March 2027
Earliest day to start	Wednesday 10 March 2027
White Days of Shawwal (13–15)	Sunday 21 – Tuesday 23 March 2027
Last day of Shawwal	Wednesday 7 April 2027

If Eid in your country falls on Wednesday 10 March (because Ramadan completed 30 days or the month began later locally), shift the window by a day: start from Thursday 11 March, and Shawwal ends on 8 April.

Remember: fasting on Eid day is prohibited (Sahih al-Bukhari 1990), so the earliest possible six-day run starts on the 2nd of Shawwal.

The questions people ask most

Do they have to be consecutive?

No. The majority of scholars say the reward is earned whether the six days are fasted consecutively or spread across the month. Al-Nawawi notes that fasting them consecutively straight after Eid is best in the Shafi’i school, but spreading them out still fulfils the Sunnah. Hanafi and Hanbali scholars likewise allow both.

Do they have to start on the 2nd of Shawwal?

No. Any six days within Shawwal count. Starting early simply reduces the risk of running out of time.

What if I have missed Ramadan fasts to make up?

This is the most common question, and scholars differ:

• First view: make up the missed Ramadan fasts first, then fast the six. The hadith says “whoever fasts Ramadan then follows it”, and someone with missed days has not yet completed Ramadan. This is the position of many Hanbali scholars and a common contemporary fatwa.
• Second view: the six days may be fasted first if time is short, since the make-up fasts can be done at any time before the next Ramadan, while the six days are limited to Shawwal. This is held by many Shafi’i and other scholars.

If you have only a few days to make up, the cleanest approach is to make them up early in Shawwal and then fast the six. If you have many (for example, after pregnancy or illness), ask a scholar you trust — many will allow the six first.

Can I combine a make-up fast with a Shawwal fast?

Some scholars allow you to intend a make-up fast on a day in Shawwal and hope for the reward of the six as well; others say they must be separate fasts because each is intended in its own right. The safer position is to fast them separately.

Can I combine the six with Mondays, Thursdays or the White Days?

Yes, most scholars say there is no problem fasting your Shawwal days on Mondays and Thursdays or on the White Days, and hoping for both rewards, because those are not separate obligations.

What if Shawwal ends before I finish?

Most scholars say the specific reward is tied to Shawwal. If you could not complete the six for a valid reason, many scholars express hope that Allah rewards the intention; fasting them in Dhul-Qa’dah is still good voluntary fasting.

What did Imam Malik say?

It is sometimes mentioned that Imam Malik did not recommend the six days. In al-Muwatta’ he said he had not seen people of knowledge fasting them, and he feared that people would come to think they were part of Ramadan. Later Maliki scholars explained that his concern was about the six being treated as obligatory or attached to Ramadan as an extension, not about the authenticity or reward of the hadith. Many Maliki scholars, as well as the other schools, therefore recommend fasting them — ideally in a way that makes clear they are voluntary, for example by not fasting them immediately after Eid in public settings where people might assume they are compulsory.

Sample schedules for March–April 2027

The sprint (finish quickly): Wednesday 10 – Monday 15 March 2027. Six consecutive days, done before the post-Ramadan routine fully resumes.

Mondays and Thursdays: Thursday 11, Monday 15, Thursday 18, Monday 22, Thursday 25, Monday 29 March 2027. This combines the Sunnah of Monday–Thursday fasting and spreads the effort.

Weekends (for people with demanding weekdays): Saturday 13, Sunday 14, Saturday 20, Sunday 21, Saturday 27, Sunday 28 March 2027.

White Days plus three: Sunday 21, Monday 22, Tuesday 23 March (the White Days) plus any three other days — for example, 10, 11 and 12 March.

Fasting hours in March 2027

Shawwal 1448 falls in March, near the spring equinox, so fasting hours are moderate across most of the world — roughly 13 to 14 hours from Fajr to Maghrib in London, New York, Cairo and Karachi alike. In London, for example, on 20 March 2027 Fajr is about 04:11 (Muslim World League method) and Maghrib about 18:13. Check exact times for your city on our prayer times page.

Tips that make it easier

• Do not wait for “a good week”. Shawwal weeks fill up quickly with Eid visits and catching up at work. Put the six dates in your calendar on Eid day.
• Fast with someone. Families and friends who fast together keep each other going, and iftar is more enjoyable shared.
• Keep suhoor simple. The Ramadan habit of waking for suhoor fades fast; even a glass of water and a few dates helps.
• Children and teenagers who fasted Ramadan often enjoy the challenge of “the six” — encourage them gently.

Keeping the Ramadan momentum

Scholars often describe the six days as a sign of acceptance: one of the indications that a good deed was accepted is that it is followed by another good deed. Beyond the reward itself, the six days help in practical ways:

• They keep habits alive. Waking before Fajr, reading Quran daily and praying at night are easier to maintain when the transition out of Ramadan is gradual.
• They make up for shortcomings. Voluntary fasts, like voluntary prayers, are described as filling the gaps in obligatory acts on the Day of Judgement.
• They ease the body back. A few days of fasting after Eid stops the sudden swing from strict fasting to heavy eating that leaves many people sluggish in the week after Ramadan.

Who is excused?

The six days are voluntary. People who are ill, travelling, pregnant, breastfeeding, elderly or for whom fasting would cause harm are under no obligation. Women who miss days in Shawwal because of menstruation can still complete six days within the month if time allows.

Summary

• Reward: like fasting the whole year (Sahih Muslim 1164).
• When: any six days in Shawwal 1448 — 10 March to 7 April 2027 (Umm al-Qura); never on Eid day.
• Consecutive or spread out: both are fine.
• Make-up fasts: many scholars say make them up first; others allow the six first. Ask if unsure.
• See the full Shawwal 1448 calendar for day-by-day dates.