The Ruling on Consecutiveness in Making Up Fasts of Ramadan

A listener (M. A. 'A.) from Taiz asks: If a woman breaks her fast for some days of Ramadan for a valid religious excuse, and she makes them up, is it obligatory for her to make them up consecutively? And if she makes them up on separate days, is it not valid? And is it obligatory to fast six days of Shawwal consecutively or on separate days?
Answer: Making up the fasts of Ramadan is obligatory, but consecutiveness is not obligatory in it. If she makes them up consecutively, that is better. If she separates them, there is no harm. Making them up is obligatory, but consecutiveness is not obligatory. So if she makes up Ramadan on separate days, there is no harm, whether her breaking the fast in Ramadan was due to illness, menstruation, or post-natal bleeding. Consecutiveness is not obligatory in making up the fasts, but it is recommended. So if she separates the making up of the fasts, there is no harm. Or if a man separates them, because he was sick and broke his fast in Ramadan, then fasted afterwards, there is no harm in separating them. As for the six days of Shawwal, it is not obligatory to fast them; it is a recommended practice (sunnah). Fasting six days of Shawwal is a recommended fast and not obligatory. So if one leaves it, there is no harm, and if one fasts it, he has a reward. Yes.