What is the ruling on the person who meets Ramadan while they have pending fasts from the previous Ramadan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ، الحمد لله رب العالمين، و الصلاة و السلام على رسول الله -صلوات الله و سلامه عليه- وعلى آله و صحبه أجمعين.

أما بعد:

Before answering this question, it is important to know if the person was unable to fast due to a valid excuse that continued till the next Ramadan. For example, the next Ramadan met him while he did not get the opportunity, due to a chronic illness, to make up missed fasts from previous Ramadan

Upon such a person, the ruling is to fast a day for each day missed. There is no additional ruling upon him

Secondly, the person does not have a valid excuse, but due to carelessness and negligence he delays making up the missed fasts (from the previous Ramadan). In this case he has been neglectful in fulfilling the rights of Allah. For such a person there are three things

He has to ask forgiveness from Allah for being careless and negligent in fulfilling the obligation

Make up every single fast that he missed. (He does not have to fast any extra days)

Feed a Miskeen for every fast he missed while fasting (to make up missed fasts)

For example, he has five days to fast, in which case, he must fast 5 days and feed 5 Masakeen. He has to feed half of a Saa’ to each person. That is 1.5 kg if it is rice

The evidence for this is the narration of Sahaba Ibn Abbas (radiyallāhu ‘anhu)  who was asked about what a person should do if he meets Ramadan while he had missed fasts still pending from the previous Ramadan. He (Ibn Abbas) replied,

(يصوم هذا الذي أدركه، ويصوم الذي عليه، ويطعم لكل يوم مسكيناً نصف صاع)

Make up those days before Ramadan arrives. And those fasts he cannot make up before Ramadan arrives, he must still fast them. And for each of those fasts he must feed a Miskeen. That is half of a Saa’

والله تعالى أعلم. وصلى الله على نبينا محمد وآله وصحبه وسلم.