The Meaning of Forming the Intention the Night Before in Fasting
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Is it obligatory to form the intention the night before for every day of Ramadan, and is the same rule applied to fasting on specific days?
First: We must know the meaning of "forming the intention the night before" (tabyit al-niyyah), because some people think it means that a person must intend to fast before going to sleep. That is not the case. The meaning of forming the intention the night before is that one intends before the dawn (Fajr) breaks, even if only for a moment. If one intends before the dawn breaks, even for a moment, then the intention has been formed.
Fasting in Ramadan is known to everyone. Every Muslim, once the month of Ramadan enters, has formed a firm intention to fast the entire month. Therefore, the intention at the beginning is sufficient, unless a cause arises that breaks the fast, such as if a person travels and then returns; in that case, he must renew the intention. Or if he falls ill and then recovers, he must renew the intention. But as long as he remains in the same state, the intention at the beginning is sufficient for the end.
Based on that: If a person is overcome by sleep after the 'Asr prayer and does not wake up until after the dawn of the next day, his fast for that second day is valid because the intention has been completed.
As for the specific days of voluntary fasting, the specific voluntary fast, such as fasting six days of Shawwal, for example, also requires that one intends to fast before the dawn breaks.This is clarified by the example: If a person does not have the intention to fast six days of Shawwal, and during the day he wakes up without having intended to fast, he prays Fajr, and when the sun rises, he thinks, "Perhaps I will fast, or perhaps I will not."But when the sun reaches its zenith, that is: When it is noon, he resolves to fast and does so. His fast for that day is valid, as long as he has not eaten, drunk, or done anything that breaks the fast before that. His fast is valid.But if he said: I want this to be the first of the six days.We said: It is not valid; because if he fasts five days after that day, how many days has he fasted? Five and a half days. And the hadith specifies six days. Therefore, the specific days must be intended before the dawn breaks.
First: We must know the meaning of "forming the intention the night before" (tabyit al-niyyah), because some people think it means that a person must intend to fast before going to sleep. That is not the case. The meaning of forming the intention the night before is that one intends before the dawn (Fajr) breaks, even if only for a moment. If one intends before the dawn breaks, even for a moment, then the intention has been formed.
Fasting in Ramadan is known to everyone. Every Muslim, once the month of Ramadan enters, has formed a firm intention to fast the entire month. Therefore, the intention at the beginning is sufficient, unless a cause arises that breaks the fast, such as if a person travels and then returns; in that case, he must renew the intention. Or if he falls ill and then recovers, he must renew the intention. But as long as he remains in the same state, the intention at the beginning is sufficient for the end.
Based on that: If a person is overcome by sleep after the 'Asr prayer and does not wake up until after the dawn of the next day, his fast for that second day is valid because the intention has been completed.
As for the specific days of voluntary fasting, the specific voluntary fast, such as fasting six days of Shawwal, for example, also requires that one intends to fast before the dawn breaks.This is clarified by the example: If a person does not have the intention to fast six days of Shawwal, and during the day he wakes up without having intended to fast, he prays Fajr, and when the sun rises, he thinks, "Perhaps I will fast, or perhaps I will not."But when the sun reaches its zenith, that is: When it is noon, he resolves to fast and does so. His fast for that day is valid, as long as he has not eaten, drunk, or done anything that breaks the fast before that. His fast is valid.But if he said: I want this to be the first of the six days.We said: It is not valid; because if he fasts five days after that day, how many days has he fasted? Five and a half days. And the hadith specifies six days. Therefore, the specific days must be intended before the dawn breaks.