His statement, “or fasts in expiation”: If she fasts as an expiation, her maintenance is forfeited, because she was the cause of the expiation becoming obligatory upon her. Some scholars, however, have said that her maintenance is not forfeited, because expiation is an obligatory right due to Allah Most High, and no one is free of error. She may, for example, accidentally kill her child, in which case she must fast for two consecutive months; or she may swear an oath believing that she will fulfil it, then break it. This is something customary and occurs frequently. So how can we say that her maintenance is forfeited?! The correct view is that her maintenance is not forfeited by fasting an expiation, unlike a vow, for she herself undertook the vow, and vows are prohibited in principle.

His statement, “or makes up missed Ramadan fasts while there is ample time”: If she fasts to make up missed Ramadan fasts, there are two possibilities:

The first is that there is ample time.

The second is that time is limited. This is when the number of days remaining in Sha'ban equals the number of Ramadan fasts she owes. For example, if she owes ten days of Ramadan fasting and it is the nineteenth of Sha'ban: in this case, if she fasts, her maintenance is not forfeited, because time has become constrained.

When time is ample, however, her maintenance is forfeited. If the days remaining are twice the number of days she owes, her maintenance is forfeited for all of those days; if fewer days remain, it is forfeited in proportion to the excess days.

For example, if fifteen days remain until Ramadan and she owes ten days of fasting, then if she fasts, maintenance for five days is forfeited. If twenty days, or more, remain, then all of her maintenance is forfeited. They said: because she is able to delay it until time becomes constrained.