Six days of Shaowal or missing days of fasting

[Slave of Allah]

Assalam alaikum Sheikh

Is it better for women to fast the six days of Shaowal first (if they wanted) or fast the days she missed while menstruation first?

Assalam alaikum

[Aslam AbuIsmaeel]

Wa alaikumusalaam wa rahmatullah

Some scholars have said that she should first make up the Compulsory Ramadan fasts that she missed and only after that fast the non-Compulsory Shawwal fasts six days.

This is the best if she can manage that many fasts in one month because Compulsory fasts take precedence over non-compulsory ones and the former is a loan the person owes to Allah whereas the non-Compulsory is not a duty.

However, I would add, if she fears that she may not be able to fast so many fasts in Shawwal's one month (since she is going to menstruate again that month too), then for such a person, it is acceptable for her to fast the six days of Shawwal first before Shawwal finishes and then start to make up the remaining Ramadan fasts.

Any non-Compulsory fast whose time will finish immediately, then the person may delay the making up of Compulsory ones till after that. 

We may understand this firstly because there is no explicit command from Allah or His Messenger to make up the missed Ramadan fast without fail in the first opportunity.  Rather, if they delayed it by a few days or more then it is acceptable and no sin so long as they try to do it as soon as they can.  Second, we understand this also because Aisha (r) would be left with some Ramadan fasts still to make up as the next year's Ramadan month nears due to her being busy being the household and wife of the Messenger of Allah.  If she was not able to fast any non-Compulsory ones till the missed Ramadan ones are made up, then that means she did not fast a single extra, recommended non-Compulsory fast the whole year, year after year or many years - no Arafah fast, no Ashurah fast, no three days a month fast, nothing at all?  This seems very unlikely as some of these fasts are very highly recommended.  So, it seems that she would fast some of these extra fasts when their day comes and fast whatever she could of other fasts as soon and as much as she could.

So, basically, it is better to finish Ramadan missed fasts due to menstruation etc first and thereafter do the Shawwal fasts.  However if that is difficult for her, she may finish the Shawwal fasts first and then make up as many of the Ramadan ones as possible that month and then the remaining ones as soon as possible thereafter.

And Allah knows best.