In fact, Islam acknowledged certain cases in which a fasting person is to abstain from fasting. Menses, confinement, illness, traveling, etc. are excuses for a person to break fasting but in the meantime they are required to make up for the missed days later. If a person is so, he or she should hasten to make up for the missed days immediately after Ramadan and before the following Ramadan. If he or she did not make up for the missed days and the next Ramadan comes, then, they should ask Allah forgiveness for this negligence and make up for those days after Ramadan.
In this regard, the eminent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, states:
“Some scholars say that if a Muslim misses some days of Ramadan and another Ramadan comes before making up for those missed days from the previous Ramadan, then he or she has to make up for them along with a ransom. The ransom is to feed a poor person one mudd from the predominant foodstuff of the country for each day. The mudd is approximately a little more than half a kilogram. This is the madh-hab (school) of the Shafi`is and the Hanbalis who act upon what has come from some of the Companions. The other Imams and scholars do not make this an obligation.
All in all, if this happens with a person, then he or she is to definitely make up for the fast days. As for feeding someone or giving a ransom, if he does this then he has done something good and if he abandons it then In-Shaa-Allah (if Allah wills) there will be no blame on them. This is because there is nothing authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning this.”