Shawwal

Shawwāl () is the tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar. Shawwāl means to ‘lift or carry’; so named because she-camels normally would be carrying a fetus at this time of year.

Fasting during Shawwāl

The first day of Shawwāl is Eid ul-Fitr. Some Muslims observe six days of fasting during Shawwāl beginning the day after Eid ul-Fitr since fasting is prohibited on this day. These six days of fasting together with the Ramadan fasts, are equivalent to fasting "perpetually", according to Sahih Muslim. The reasoning behind this tradition is that a good deed in Islam is rewarded 10 times, hence fasting 30 days during Ramadan and 6 days during Shawwāl is equivalent to fasting the whole year in terms of reward. It is a common misconception that the six days of fasting must be undertaken on consecutive days, but there is no hadith that support or stipulate this.

Timing

The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Shawwāl migrates throughout the seasons. The actual and estimated start and end dates for Shawwāl are as follows:

Islāmic Events

• 01 Shawwāl, Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated throughout the Muslim World.
• 13 Shawwāl, primary traditionist of the Sunni Muslims, Muhammad al-Bukhari, was born in 194 AH.
• 17 Shawwāl, early Muslims took part in the Battle of Uhud
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