Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Is it true you have to fast the days that you owe from ramadan before fasting these 6 days. I’ve heard that you must make up the days you’ve missed in Ramadan because these are obligatory whereas the 6 days in shawwal are sunnah. Any idea?
Walaikum assalam,
1. If one fasts any 6 days (even makeups) in Shawwal, one gets the reward of performing the sunna of fasting six days of Shawwal, as the fuqaha have stated..
2. If one does the voluntary fasts first, and the makeups after, this would have more reward, though, if circumstances permit.
3. It is not obligatory to perform one’s makeup fasts before performing voluntary fasts, though one should not perform the latter in a way that unduly delays finishing one’s makeups. This depends on one’s circumstances and adeptness at fasting regularly.
Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani