Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
When a woman does not fast because of her period, she has to
make up the days that she missed, because ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased
with her) said: “That – meaning menstruation – used to happen to us and we
were told to make up the fasts but we were not told to make up the prayers.”
Narrated by Muslim, 335.
Secondly:
We have already stated in the answer to question no.
26865 that it is obligatory to make
up days missed in Ramadaan before the next Ramadaan comes; it is not
permissible to delay it except for those who have a reason.
Thirdly:
Whoever is obliged to make up missed fasts but then is unable
to do so because of sickness or weakness for which there is no hope of a
cure should feed the poor instead, one poor person for each day.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked in Fataawa Arkaan
al-Islam (p. 455):
A young girl got her
period and she fasted the days of her period out of ignorance. What does she
have to do?
He replied:
She has to make up the days that she fasted during her
period, because fasts observed whilst menstruating are not accepted and are
not valid, even if she was ignorant of that, and there is no limit to the
time when they can be made up.
Here is a case which involves the opposite scenario: A woman
started her periods when she was young, and she was too shy to tell her
family, and she did not fast Ramadaan. This woman has to make up the month
that she did not fast, because once a woman starts her periods she becomes
mukallifah (accountable for her deeds), because menstruation is one of the
signs of having reached adolescence.
He was also asked about a woman who did not make up the days
from her period in Ramadaan until she owed nearly two hundred days, and now
she is sick and old and cannot fast – what should she do?
He replied:
If this woman will be
harmed by fasting as mentioned in the question, because she is elderly and
sick, then she should feed one poor person for each day. She should
calculate how many days she owes from the past and feed one poor person for
each day.
Fataawa al-Siyaam, p. 121.
For information on how much must be given when feeding the
poor, see question no. 38867.
In conclusion:
If you are able to fast then you have to make up the days. If
you will not be able to fast then you have to feed one poor person for each
day. Try to figure out how many days you did not fast until you think it
most likely that you have reached the right number.