“A person who performs fasting in Ramadan and then adds six more days in Shawwal is regarded as if he has performed fasting in the whole year (in terms of reward).” (Muslim, Sawm, 204 (1164))

“Whoever performs fasting in Ramadan and adds six more days to it in Shawwal is regarded as if he has performed fasting during the whole year.” (Tirmidhi, Siyam, 53)

“If a person fasts the whole Ramadan and then six days in Shawwal, it is regarded as if that person has spent the whole year fasting.” (Abu Dawood, Savm, 58)

“Whoever fasts Ramadan, and then six days after Eid, it is [like fasting] an entire year. Whoever does a good deed shall have ten times its reward.” (Ibn Majah, Siyam, 33)

Explanation About Hadiths:

Imam Shafi’i, Ahmed b. Hanbel, Dawood Dhahiri and a group of more scholars consider the six days of fasting in Shawwal as mustahab.

Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik and Abu Yusuf on the other hand, think that fasting in Shawwal for six days is makruh. According to Imam Malik’s explanation in Muwatta, this fast is bid’at since nobody performed this type of fasting before him and therefore it is makruh. He also adds that he is afraid of uneducated people to consider this fasting as of the fast in Ramadan.

Here is Imam Malik’s explanation:
“I have met no scholars or faqihs that fast for six days after Eid, and I haven’t inherited any narrations from any of my forerunners on this subject. Besides, scholars find the fasting in Shawwal as makruh since they fear that uneducated people may consider these six days as if from Ramadan and may make a bid’at up. If scholars had permitted it, they would have been seen as fasting for six days after Eid.” (Muwatta, The explanation residing at the end of section Sawm)

Some Hanafi and Maliki books, on the other hand, mention fasting for six days in Shawwal as mandub. For example, six days of fast in Shawwal is mentioned amongst the mandub fasts in Noor-ol-Izah and Sharh-ul Maraq’ul. In the postscript of Maraq-ul Falah, Tahtavi narrates that it is mentioned in Bahr: “Fasting six days in Shawwal is makruh, either it is consecutive or separate six days according to Imam Hanafi, however some scholars have seen no harm in it later on”.

Ibn Abidin also mentions that scholars after Imam Hanafi had seen no harm in this fasting of six days.

As understood from the above explanation, fasting for six days in Shawwal is mandub according to most of Islam scholars. There is no difference between this fast being consecutive or separate. (Sunan Abu Dawood Translation and Sharh, Necati Yeniel, Hüseyin Kayapınar, Necat Akdeniz, Şamil Press, İstanbul, 1989, v: 9, p: 348-349.)

Intoxicants are unlawful. One cannot avoid obeying other commands of Allah since he commits one sin. Performing other worships and commands of Allah would help him refrain from unlawful deeds.

For further information please read the following fatwas:

http://www.islamandquran.org/fatwas/what-should-the-people-who-cannot-endure-to-fast-do.html

http://www.islamandquran.org/fatwas/should-diabetics-fast-in-ramadan.html

The sick and the travelers who do not fast should fast the same number of days at some other time. If they die without having the chance to fast they would not be responsible for that. There is no ransom for such people to pay, either.

For further information, please read our following fatwa:

http://www.islamandquran.org/fatwas/what-should-the-people-who-cannot-endure-to-fast-do.html

184: Fast for a certain number of days. Whoever among you is sick or on a journey, should fast the same number some other days. For those who can endure to fast it, a fee to feed a desperate person is needed. Whoso does good with a willing heart, it is better for him. But to fast is better for you, if you only knew.

185: The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for mankind and clear signs of right path. It lets discern right from wrong. So whoever of you reaches that month, should spend it in fasting. Whoever is sick or on a journey, should fast the same number some other days. Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty. He facilitates for you that you may complete the number of Fast days and glorify Allah for He has shown you the right path; and perhaps you will be grateful.

People who niyyah (intend) to fast can break fasting if they get sick. If the sick people get well, they make up their fast; otherwise they have nothing else to do.

“Whoever forgets he is fasting, and eats or drinks is to complete his fast, as it is Allah who fed him and gave him something to drink.” (Bukhari, Sawm, 26; Muslim, Siyam, 33 (1155))

In another verse He commands: “…Allah does not impose upon anybody a duty but to the extent of its ability.” (Al-Baqarah/ The Cow 2:286)

Since the Glorified Allah notifies that fasting would be better for the sick and the travelers, it is concluded that they have the strength to fasten. The reason for the permission not to fast is already explained in Al-Baqarah, 185 as follows:
“Allah desires ease for you, and He does not desire for you difficulty.”

People who are too weak to fasten, either old, sick or otherwise, cannot count amongst the people who Allah charges to fasten. These are not similar to people who “would better fasten”. The hadiths narrated from our Prophet (p.b.u.h.) about pregnant and breast-feeding women prove the situation of these people:
“Undoubtedly Allah has relieved the travelers of fasting and half of the prayer, and the pregnant and the breast-feeding women of the fast.” [1] (Abu Dawud, Sawm: 43, Tirmidhi, Sawm: 21; Ibn Majah Sıyam: 12)

Our Prophet has not charged these people to pay the fidyah, either. Because the fidyah mentioned in the verse Al-Baqarah 2:184 is the payment of fitra.[2] These people do not need to pay the fitra since they cannot endure to fast. The expression, ‘pregnant and breast-feeding women’ should be clarified. Not all of these women are identical from Islamic point of view. If they fear that they or their infants will probably be harmed by fasting, they can be treated as sick. In this case, the following hadith of our Prophet (p.b.u.h.) applies:
Narrated by Anas Ibn Malik:
“The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) has permitted the pregnant women who fear for themselves and the breast-feeding women who fear for their infants not to fast in Ramadan. ” (Ibn Majah, Siyam, 12)
Pregnant or breast-feeding women in this situation, make up their fast later as different from the others above.

Follow the link below to read our research on fidyah for the fasting:

http://www.islamandquran.org/common-belief-mistakes/fidyah-for-the-fasting.html

[1] There is a problem in the text of this hadith. Since the traveler is not relieved of fasting, the word ‘fasting’ must have been added to the hadith by the narrator (The hadith is mudraj ). Because, Allah has not relieved travelers of fasting but only permitted them to make up fasting later. The hadith must be  as follows: “Undoubtedly Allah has relieved the travelers of half of the prayer, and the pregnant and the breast-feeding women of the fast.”

[2] The payment of fitra mentioned in this expression is the daily subsistence money of a person that is explained in the surah At-Tawba/The Repentance 9:60.

There is no problem to offer prayers while the effects of those are on you.