Combining Shawwal Fasting with the White Days

Combining intentions.

means a person does a single deed.

with two intentions. There is detail to this.

If he combines them.

Between a lesser and a greater one.

And the intended purpose is achieved by one of them. I'll give an example.

So this is permissible. For example.

A person woke up on Friday while in a state of janabah.

He woke up on Friday while in a state of janabah.

So he must do ghusl for janabah and Friday ghusl. Janabah is greater.

Even if we say Friday ghusl is obligatory.

So the ghusl for janabah is greater. The point of Friday ghusl is cleanliness.

So if a person performs ghusl for janabah, intending janabah and Friday ghusl.

the purpose of Friday ghusl is achieved.

So this is permissible. This.

is allowed.

Or suppose a person entered the mosque after the Maghrib adhan.

He intended.

the Sunnah the Prophet ﷺ urged by saying:

"Pray before Maghrib, pray before Maghrib,

pray before Maghrib,"

Then a third time: "for whoever wishes." And Tahiyyat al-Masjid.

So this is correct.

Because Tahiyyat al-masjid means not sitting till he prays two rak'ahs.

And he already has.

Done so. And the second case is combining a lesser with a greater.

And the greater one does not allow a shared intention.

That is, the greater act must be exclusive.

Like fasting the six of Shawwal while intending a make-up fast.

Fasting the six days and making up a missed fast in one day.

So here he combined a greater act with a lesser one.

And the greater does not allow combining; make-up is like on-time.

Likewise.

You can't combine intentions in Ramadan fasting.

You can't combine intentions in make-up fasts.

The correct scholarly view here is this.

The intention is devoted to the greater one. Combining is void.

So it counts only as make-up.

This is the soundest scholarly view, though some scholars void the whole act.

due to combining.

But the correct view is that the intention becomes exclusive.

For the greater act; combining is invalid.

Meaning, he did not fast the six; it counts only as makeup.

The third case is combining two equal or closely related acts.

And each of the two has an independent purpose.

Here, the sound view among scholars is: neither prescribed nor allowed.

Example:

Combining the intention for the Fajr Sunnah.

For example, combining Fajr Sunnah with another optional prayer.

Meaning:

He wants to pray extra and pray the Fajr Sunnah.

or Dhuhr Sunnah and another voluntary prayer, with one intent.

So we say: this has its own purpose, and that has its own purpose.

So one should not combine them.

Another case is to combine two equal or identical acts.

And the aim of the second is met as in the brother's question.

For example, you fast the thirteenth day.

The purpose of fasting the white days is to fast on the thirteenth day.

If you fast the thirteenth day.

With intent for the six days.

Then you have fasted the thirteenth day and the six days.

But here is the question.

Do you get credit for fasting three days each month along with the six?

Meaning, it is allowed.

And indeed, you fasted the 13th, 14th and 15th, whose fasting is urged.

But the question is: can it be said here, you fasted 6 and 3 days of Shawwal?

It seems—Allah ﷻ knows best— this should not be said.

Because the six of Shawwal have a purpose, and the three do too.

So if it is your habit to fast three days of every month.

And you fasted the six days, and they fell on the 13th, 14th, and 15th.

Then fast three days of the month.

So that you will have fasted the three as three days.

That is like lifelong fasting: three days each month.

And you will have fasted the six days.

This too is like lifelong fasting, since Ramadan counts as ten months

and six days equal sixty days— that is two months, making a year.

So this is intended, and this is intended. Allah knows best.