Fasting the six days of Shawwal is not valid unless the fasting of Ramadan is completed

It is narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: [She used to have fasts remaining from Ramadan, and I was not able to make them up until Sha'ban because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) with me] Does this imply that she did not fast the six days, or is there a way to reconcile this?The Shaykh: Fasting the six days is a matter in which there is no dispute; it is not possible for them to be prescribed unless a person has completed Ramadan.And the hadith: (Whoever fasts Ramadan and then follows it with six days of Shawwal) and His saying: (then follows it) implies that Ramadan has been completed. Just as a person’s post-Zuhr regular voluntary prayer is not valid before the obligatory prayer, so too are the six days; because the six days are in the position of the regular voluntary prayer after the obligatory prayer, they are not valid.But tell me: Does this indicate that she did not fast the Day of 'Arafah, the Day of Ashura, or the white days? We do not know; Allah knows best. She may have fasted them, or she may not have. If she fasted them, it is not strange; because the time for making up fasts is extended, and voluntary fasting before the obligatory is extended and permissible. And if she did not fast them, it is also not strange given her understanding of the religion; because understanding requires that a person begin with the obligatory before the voluntary.And her father, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), said: [Indeed, Allah does not accept a voluntary act until the obligatory is performed].

In any case: Fasting voluntary fasts before making up missed ones is a possibility, but fasting the six days before making up missed ones is a certainty that she did not fast them; because Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was more knowledgeable in jurisprudence than we are, and we understand from this hadith that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said that the six days are attached to Ramadan, so they cannot be fasted before its completion.

Someone might say: Did not the Messenger fast on the white days, or fast three days of every month, or fast on Mondays and Thursdays? Why did she not fast with him?It is said: Is it not possible that the time of the Messenger of Allah’s (peace and blessings be upon him) fasting was her menstruation? It is possible, and for these possible reasons, it does not serve as evidence.