Dawud, and al-Tirmidhi (1), who said: It is a sound (hasan) hadith. Ahmad said: It is narrated from three sources from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Sa'id narrated with his chain of transmission from Thawban that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever fasts Ramadan, a month for ten months, and fasts six days after the Fitr, that is the completion of a year" (2). This means that a good deed is rewarded tenfold; so the month is ten months, and the six days are sixty days, which makes twelve months, a complete year. This does not follow the ruling of preempting Ramadan, because the day of Fitr is a separator. If it is said: There is no proof in this hadith regarding their virtue, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) compared fasting them to fasting the entire year, which is disliked. We respond: Fasting the entire year is only disliked due to the weakness it causes and its resemblance to asceticism (tabattul); were it not for that, it would be a great virtue because it involves occupying one's time with worship and obedience. The intent of the report is to liken it to it in the attainment of the reward for worship, in a manner devoid of hardship, just as he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever fasts three days of every month is as one who has fasted the entire year" (4). He mentioned this as an encouragement to fast them and to explain their virtue, and there is no disagreement regarding their recommendation. He prohibited 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr from reciting the entire Quran in less than three days (5).
(1) Recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on Fasting Six Days of Shawwal, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/567. And al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on What Has Been Reported Regarding Fasting Six Days of Shawwal, from the Chapters on Fasting. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 3/290. It was also recorded by Muslim, in: The Chapter on the Recommendation of Fasting Six Days of Shawwal, from the Book of Fasting. Sahih Muslim 2/822. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on Fasting Six Days of Shawwal, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/547. And al-Darimi, in: The Chapter on Fasting the Six Days of Shawwal, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan al-Darimi 2/21. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/417, 419. In the footnote of copy [B]: "It was also narrated by Muslim, al-Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah." (2) Recorded by Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on Fasting Six Days of Shawwal, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/547. And al-Darimi, in: The Chapter on Fasting the Six Days of Shawwal, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan al-Darimi 2/21. (3) In copies [B] and [M]: Addition: "that". (4) Recorded by al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on What Has Been Reported Regarding Fasting Three Days of Every Month, from the Chapters on Fasting. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 3/292. And al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on Fasting Three Days of the Month, from the Book of Fasting. Al-Mujtaba 4/188. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on What Has Been Reported Regarding Fasting Three Days of Every Month, from the Book of Fasting. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/544. (5) Its takhrij (authentication/referencing) was provided earlier in 2/612.
