*� Fasting for Shawwal*

Q: For the women, do they have to replace the fasts that they have missed during the month of Ramadan before they fast the 6 sunnah in the month of Shawwal or can they fast their 6 sunnah and replace the missing fard ones before the next Ramadan starts? 
Jazzakum Allahu Khairan

A: wa 'alaykumus-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.   

The hadeeth that encourages us to fast six days in Shawwaal mentions specifically fasting the month of Ramadhaan and then following that with six days in Shawwaal. Our scholars point out that this is only accomplished by completing the missed days of Ramadhaan and then fasting 6 optionally in Shawwaal, otherwise the person would not be "following" the fast of Ramadhaan with 6 days of Shawwaal, since the fast of Ramadhaan has not yet been completed. 

Also, the general principle is to give priority to obligations over recommended deeds. This supports what is above even further. Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, "Verily Allaah does not accept an optional deed until the obligatory one is offered." 

Shaykh al-Albaanee mentioned that the one who dies while fasting an optional fast, and he had obligatory fasts to make up but he delayed them, dies in a state of disobedience! 

And there is no distinction between men and women in this case.  And Allaah knows best. 

Here is a nice resource in Arabic quoting a number of fatwaas of the scholars, all in agreement with the above: 

http://www.sahab.net/forums/showthread.php?t=371830

Moosaa ibn John Richardson 

http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=10&Topic=9699

A reminder benefits the believer.