Are Shawl fasting allowed on those whose Ramadan fasts are left?

Answer 1

The following are the things that require Qada only:

1. Eating or drinking intentionally. This includes non-nourishing items taken by mouth.
2. Deliberately causing oneself to throw up.
3. The beginning of menstruation or post-childbirth bleeding even in the last moment before sunset.
4. Ejaculation for reasons other than sexual intercourse.
5. Intending to break the fast before sunset even if one changes his mind, since intention is one of the pre-requisites of the validity of fasting.
6. Eating, drinking or having intercourse after dawn on the mistaken assumption that it is not dawn yet. Similarly, engaging in these acts before Maghrib on the mistaken assumption that it is already sunset.

Things that not only require Qada but also Kaffarah are the following:

Sexual intercourse during fasting(dawn to dusk). The penalty is to fast an additional period of 60 continuous days. If one is not able to do so then he must feed sixty poor people-one average meal each.

Before the days of the Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W.), slavery was a common practice in the Arab world. Islam eliminated slavery from the society in a very short period of time. A useful approach was to allow people free a slave as a charity or as a penalty for a sin. Thus during the time of the Prophet(S.A.W.), setting a slave free was the penalty one must pay as a kaffarah, if he or she had a slave.

What does not break the fast:

1. If anyone forgets that he is fasting and eats or drinks, he should complete his fast, for it is only Allah who has fed him and given him drink. (A Hadith from Muslim).
2. Unintentional vomiting.
3. Swallowing things which are not possible to avoid, such as one's saliva, street dust, smoke, etc.
4. Brushing the teeth.
5. Injection or intra-venous which is solely medical and not nutritional.

Breaking of fast under exceptional conditions:

Muslims are permitted to break the ordained fast of Ramadan when there is danger to their health. In this situation a Muslim should make up his fast later at any other time of the year.

One of the ways to manifest our loving of Allaah, by following the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi WA sallam, is to do those acts that he, sallallaahu `alayhi WA sallam, advised his Companions, and the Ummah in general, to do. A sunnah which is certainly relevant to us in these days is his, sallallaahu `alayhi WA sallam, practice to fast six days in the month of Shawwaal.

Aboo Ayyoob al-Ansaaree narrated: Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi WA sallam, said: "He who fasts Ramadhaan, and six of Shawwaal, it will be (in terms of rewards) as if the fasted a whole year." [Reported by Muslim, at-Tirmidhee, Aboo Daawood, Ahmad, Ibn Maajah]

So this is an established sunnah, which carries a great reward, even though we find a great Imaam differing in this issue. Ibn Rushd al-Qurtubee said that Maalik, raHimahumallaah considered this fast to be disapproved, "either because people might associate with Ramadhaan what is not a part of it, or either because the tradition had not reached him or it did not prove to be authentic for him, which is more likely." [Bidaayat ul-Mujtahid] However, we know that Imaam Maalik said: "Truly I am only a mortal: I make mistakes (sometimes) and I am correct (sometimes). Therefore, look into my opinions: all that agrees with the Book and the Sunnah, accept it; and all that does not agree with the Book and the Sunnah, ignore it." [Reported by Ibn `Abdul Barr, Ibn Hazm and al-Fulaanee]

In commenting on the above mentioned hadeeth, As-San`aanee said in Subul us-Salaam: "If the thirty days of Ramadhaan fasting are assimilated with the six days of fasting in Shawwaal, it altogether makes 36 days. According to Sharee`ah, each virtue is rewarded ten times. Therefore, if we multiply 36 with 10, it makes 360, a number which equals the days of a year. Some scholars are of the opinion that these six days of fasting in Shawwaal must be completed in a continuous order right after the end of Ramadhaan. Some believe that is enough to merely complete six days of fasting in Shawwaal (in any order, either successive or with intervals), an opinion which is deemed to be correct."

Perhaps it is proper for us to pray these days on Mondays and Thursdays, as in that case we would be following another Sunnah: `Aa'isha, radhiallaahu `anhaa, narrated: "The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu `alayhi WA sallam, used to fast Mondays and Thursdays". [an-Nasaa'ee, Saheeh]

If it is easier for one to fast on weekends, then in that case one would still be following another sunnah at the same time: Umm Salama, radhiallaahu `anhaa, narrated: Allaah's Messenger used to fast mostly on Saturday and Sunday, and he used to say: "They are the festival days for the mushrikeen, and I like to act contrary to them." [an-Nasaa'ee, Ibn Khuzaymah, who graded it saheeh, and Ibn Hajar agreed]

But, again, this fast is not obligatory, rather only recommended. There is reward for whoever does it, and no blame upon anyone who leaves it.