Is expiation (kaffarah) obligatory for one who delayed making up 17 days of fasting from the previous Ramadan, due to postpartum bleeding (nifas), until the approach of the next Ramadan, knowing that the remaining time is sufficient for making up the fasts?

As long as there is time to make up for the missed Ramadan fasts before the new Ramadan, one must hasten to make them up, and there is no expiation.

However, if the fasts are not made up before the new Ramadan without a legitimate excuse, then they must be made up after the upcoming Ramadan along with an expiation for delay, which is one mudd of food (approximately 750 grams) for each day.