What is the permissible time frame for a person to intend to fast and perform a voluntary fast?
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The questioner : You once said that if the time of Dhuhr comes upon a person and he has not intended anything, if you would allow me to clarify this, does it specify the time of Dhuhr or the time of Asr?
The Shaykh : What happened is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he would wake up in the morning, would pass by his family and say to them, "Do you have any food?" If they said, "Yes," he would eat. Otherwise, he would say, "I am fasting." So, there is no voluntary fasting intended after Dhuhr. This has no solution. The one who fasts at any time before Maghrib, even one hour before, is valid.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : What happened is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he would wake up in the morning, would pass by his family and say to them, "Do you have any food?" If they said, "Yes," he would eat. Otherwise, he would say, "I am fasting." So, there is no voluntary fasting intended after Dhuhr. This has no solution. The one who fasts at any time before Maghrib, even one hour before, is valid.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.