What is the way, decree and time for the intention (niyyah) of fasting? Is it permissible to make intention after imsak? Does the time of niyyah change according to fard or nafilah fasting?
How is intention made for Ramadan fasting, by saying “I intend to perform fard fasting of ‘today’ or ‘tomorrow’ for Allah’s sake”? I have always made intention by saying today. If the form of my intention is wrong, do I have to perform fasting again?
Dear Brother / Sister,
It is not necessary to utter the word “today” or “tomorrow” while intending to fast. A person who intends to fast after midnight can utter the word today and before midnight the word tomorrow.
What is the decree about intention in fasting?
Worship is based on intention; therefore, intention is necessary in fasting since it is a kind of worship. Intention is in the heart of the person. It means to know, to decide that one is going to fast that day or the next day. It is not necessary to utter it with the tongue but it is sunnah. To get up during the night for sahur is regarded as intention.
When can one intend for fasting?
One can intend for the fasting in Ramadan, fasting of vow and supererogatory fasting beginning from the evening to mid-morning the next day. It is necessary to intend for the skipped fasting of Ramadan, the fasting of vow whose time was not determined, substitute fasting for the supererogatory fasting that was started but then broken and the fasting of atonement (kaffarah) beginning from the evening to the time of imsak (pre-dawn). Intention after imsak is not valid for these kinds of fasting. According to Shafiis, it is permissible to intend for supererogatory fasting until the sun sets unless that person does something that invalidates fasting.
* If a person intends to perform any kind of fasting at night but gives up before the time of imsak, it is permissible.
* Intention is necessary for each day of the month of Ramadan separately because nights intervene and the fasting of each day is regarded as separate worship.
* If a person intends to fast as a substitute for a skipped fasting after the sun rises, this fasting is not regarded as a substitute for the skipped fasting but as supererogatory fasting. It is obligatory to intend for the substitute for the skipped fasting before the time of imsak.
* If a woman intends to fast at night while she is still in menstruation but her menstruation ends before the time of imsak, her intention becomes valid and she has to fast that day.
According to Shafii madhhab, the time of intention for fard fasting is at night. It cannot be delayed to the next morning. If one does not intend at night in the month of Ramadan, he has to perform substitute fasting for each day like that. However, Ibn Hajar says, “If a Shafii person forgets to intend at night in Ramadan, he can intend the next morning by imitating Hanafi madhhab.”
According to Maliki madhhab, one intention at the beginning of the month of Ramadan is enough. It is not necessary to intend every night. Therefore, if a Shafii or Hanafi person says, “I intend to fast in this month of Ramadan” when Ramadan starts, it will be a nice thing; if he forgets to intend one day, his fasting will be valid according to Maliki madhhab.
Questions on Islam
- Is the fasting of a person who does not intend for missed Ramadan fasting with his heart or tongue until imsak time but intends later until noon valid?
- When is the time of intention for fasting in Ramadan and qada (missed) fasting. When does fasting start?
- What is the time to make intention for fasting according to Shafii madhhab? Is it fard to make intention?
- When is it necessary to intend for fasting in Ramadan and missed fasting outside Ramadan? When does fasting start?
- Will you give information about the time to intend for kaffarah fasting and the issues that one needs to be careful about while performing kaffarah fasting?
- Is it necessary to act according to imsak time or according to adhan when we fast outside Ramadan?
- How to make niyyah (intention) for performing missed fasting?
- How should I make niyyah (intention) for Ramadan fasting?
- When does the time for fasting start, with imsak or adhan? Is it permissible to eat until adhan ends?
- How did people determine the time of imsak in the past? I heard from old people that they determined the time of imsak when it became bright enough to distinguish black thread from white thread. However, it is very dark at the time of imsak.
