Did the fasting of the six days of Shawwal come down?

Question:
Recently, and especially through the media, some people have claimed that the fasting of the six days of Shawwal is not established and that it interrupted the festival for the Muslims. What is the Shaykh’s view on this statement?

Answer:
Answer: This is a false statement; the fasting of the six days of Shawwal is established in the authentic collections from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal, it is as if he fasted the entire year.” This is because a good deed is rewarded ten times over, so the month of Ramadan is equivalent to ten months, and the six days are equivalent to two months. These are the twelve months of the year, so it is as if he fasted the entire year, meaning he receives the reward of one who fasted the whole year, because a good deed is rewarded ten times over. This is a favor from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) in prescribing the fasting of these six days of Shawwal and following them with the month of Ramadan, so that the reward for the Muslim is complete. Whoever denies the fasting of these six days or finds it difficult has not been informed of the hadith, so it is an argument against him. For this reason, Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), who is not known to hold the view that the six days should not be fasted, or to whom it is attributed that he does not approve of fasting the six days, was said to have not been informed of the hadith. The hadith is in the authentic collections, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.