Fasting for Six Days in Syawal

I have to admit, fasting for six days in syawal is much tougher than fasting in ramadhan. Well, today is the first of my six, and I'm feeling the punch. Me and my other half decided to fast during syawal, why? Because of its rewards.

Fasting six days of Shawwal after the obligatory fast of Ramadhan is Sunnah Mustahabbah, not wajib. It is recommended for the Muslim to fast six days of Shawwal, and in this there is great virtue and an immense reward. Whoever fasts these six days will have recorded for him a reward as if he had fasted a whole year, as was reported in a sahih hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Abu Ayyub (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

"Whoever fasts Ramadhan and follows it with six days of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime."

Narrated by Muslim, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nisa'i and Ibn Majah

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained this when he said: "Whoever fasts for six days after ('Eid) al-Fitr has completed the year: (whoever does a good deed (hasanah) will have ten hasanah like it)." According to another report: "Allah has made for each hasanah ten like it, so a month is like fasting ten months, and fasting six days completes the year." [An-Nisa'i and Ibn Majah. See alsoSahih at-Targhib wa't-Tarhib, 1/421). It was also narrated by Ibn Khuzaymah with the wording: "Fasting for the month of Ramadhan brings the reward of ten like it, and fasting for six days brings the reward of two months, and that is the fasting of the whole year."

Who doesn't want right? But the challenge is real.

1. It's Sunnah, and not wajib. 

I would unconsciously think that why am I doing this? Everybody else is not doing and it's also not a sin, why bother?

2. Not getting used to.

Especially when you start fasting in the middle of syawal. It'll be much easier to start during the 2nd day of syawal as you're used to the fasting schedule, but celebrating Eid and visiting your relatives would likely delay your fast as they tend to serve you food to eat.

For me, I'm planning to fast during the weekdays as the weekends are usually going to visit with my family and friends. I'm working office hours during the weekdays so it'll be easier for me to cope. Today, Friday, will be my first and followed by the weekdays during next week.