Is it permissible for a Muslim to intend fasting with a single intention for fasting on Mondays and Thursdays according to his ability, meaning without repeating the intention to fast?
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The questioner : Is it permissible for a Muslim to intend fasting with a single intention, meaning voluntary fasting on Mondays and Thursdays according to his ability, i.e., without repeating the intention to fast?
The Shaykh : It is well known that the intention does not require effort or hardship.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : Nor does it require burden. If a person gets up in the last part of the night and eats, he did not get up in the last part of the night and eat except with the intention of fasting. So if he gets up on the night of Monday in the last part of the night and eats and drinks and abstains, that is the fast. Deeds do not require effort in establishing the intention, because every sane, willing person who performs an action must have the intention preceding the action, because the intention is the will. Whenever he wills the action, he has intended it. It is not possible to perform an action without will, except by a person who is not sane or a person who is coerced.
Based on this, we say: Fasting is achieved if a person gets up from the last part of the night, eats or drinks, and then abstains. He does not need an intention. However, sometimes a person may have intended and slept while maintaining his intention, but he did not get up until after the Fajr adhan. Does he continue in his fast? We say: Yes, he continues, because he slept with the intention and nothing occurred to invalidate this intention, and the original rule is that what was in a certain state remains in that state.
Sometimes it is a person's custom to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and he forgets, even when going to sleep, that tomorrow is Monday. He sleeps and does not get up until after the dawn has appeared, then he remembers that this day is Monday. Does he intend to fast and continue, or do we say that since the dawn appeared without an intention, he does not fast? The answer is that we say: He fasts, because as long as this is his custom and he forgot due to forgetfulness, whenever he remembers, even during the day, let him continue in his fast. But if it is assumed that he ate before intending, then the intention does not benefit him at that time, because he did what contradicts fasting at the beginning of the day. Yes.
The questioner : He asks and says.
The Shaykh : It is well known that the intention does not require effort or hardship.
The questioner : Very well.
The Shaykh : Nor does it require burden. If a person gets up in the last part of the night and eats, he did not get up in the last part of the night and eat except with the intention of fasting. So if he gets up on the night of Monday in the last part of the night and eats and drinks and abstains, that is the fast. Deeds do not require effort in establishing the intention, because every sane, willing person who performs an action must have the intention preceding the action, because the intention is the will. Whenever he wills the action, he has intended it. It is not possible to perform an action without will, except by a person who is not sane or a person who is coerced.
Based on this, we say: Fasting is achieved if a person gets up from the last part of the night, eats or drinks, and then abstains. He does not need an intention. However, sometimes a person may have intended and slept while maintaining his intention, but he did not get up until after the Fajr adhan. Does he continue in his fast? We say: Yes, he continues, because he slept with the intention and nothing occurred to invalidate this intention, and the original rule is that what was in a certain state remains in that state.
Sometimes it is a person's custom to fast on Mondays and Thursdays, and he forgets, even when going to sleep, that tomorrow is Monday. He sleeps and does not get up until after the dawn has appeared, then he remembers that this day is Monday. Does he intend to fast and continue, or do we say that since the dawn appeared without an intention, he does not fast? The answer is that we say: He fasts, because as long as this is his custom and he forgot due to forgetfulness, whenever he remembers, even during the day, let him continue in his fast. But if it is assumed that he ate before intending, then the intention does not benefit him at that time, because he did what contradicts fasting at the beginning of the day. Yes.
The questioner : He asks and says.