Before the last rak'ah of the witr sunnah, the imam sits for a break and says, "Intend to fast, may Allah reward you," so we all say, "O Allah, we intend to fast tomorrow."

The questioner : Before the last rak'ah of the witr sunnah, the imam sits for a break and says, "Intend to fast, may Allah reward you," so we all say, "O Allah, we intend to fast tomorrow from the month of Ramadan, so accept it from us." What is the ruling on this? May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : The ruling on this is that it is a bid'ah (religious innovation), a blameworthy innovation, and the imam's command for it indicates his ignorance. The intention for fasting is not at the beginning of the night; rather, the intention is made at the time of suhur, when a person eats suhur, he intends.
Furthermore, there is no need to verbalize the intention, because verbalizing the intention is a bid'ah (religious innovation), and it is also ignorance on the part of the person. How do you inform your Lord that you intended to pray, or that you intended to fast, or that you intended to give charity, or the like? Does not Allah the Exalted know what is in your heart?
So your speech is idle, and the place of the intention is the heart; it is never spoken with the tongue, and speaking it is a bid'ah (religious innovation), whether done in secret or aloud.