What is the ruling on the overlap of acts of worship, such as fasting on the Day of 'Arafah and the three days of every month, with a single intention?
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The questioner : The question, O Shaykh, is whether intentions overlap in fasting, such as combining, for example, fasting three days in a month with fasting on the Day of 'Arafah. Do the two rewards overlap?
The Shaykh : The overlap of acts of worship means we take the broader one.
The overlap of acts of worship has two categories:
One category is not valid: this is when the act of worship is intended for its own sake, or is subsidiary to another. In this case, acts of worship cannot overlap. For example, if a person missed the sunnah of Fajr until the sun rose, and then the time for the Duha prayer arrived, the sunnah of Fajr does not suffice for Duha, nor does Duha suffice for the sunnah of Fajr, nor is combining them permissible. This is because the sunnah of Fajr is independent and the sunnah of Duha is independent, so one does not suffice for the other.
Likewise, if the other act is subsidiary to the one before it, they do not overlap. If a person says, "I want to intend with the Fajr prayer both the obligatory prayer and the rawatib," we say this is not valid, because the rawatib is subsidiary to the prayer, so it does not suffice for it.
The second category is when the intended object of the act of worship is merely the action itself, and the act of worship itself is not the specific intention. In this case, acts of worship can overlap. For example, if a man enters the mosque and the people are praying the Fajr prayer, it is known that a person who enters the mosque does not sit until he prays two rak'ahs. If he joins the imam in the obligatory prayer, those two rak'ahs suffice for him. Why? Because the intention is to pray two rak'ahs upon entering the mosque. Likewise, if a person enters the mosque at the time of Duha and prays two rak'ahs intending them as the Duha prayer, they suffice for the greeting of the mosque. If he intends both, that is more complete. This is the rule regarding the overlap of acts of worship.
Fasting is among these. For example, the intention for fasting on the Day of 'Arafah is that this day comes upon you while you are fasting, whether you intended it as one of the three days you fast from every month or intended it for the Day of 'Arafah. However, if you intended it for the Day of 'Arafah, it does not suffice for fasting the three days. If you intended it as one of the three days, it suffices for the Day of 'Arafah. If you intended both, that is better.
The Shaykh : The overlap of acts of worship means we take the broader one.
The overlap of acts of worship has two categories:
One category is not valid: this is when the act of worship is intended for its own sake, or is subsidiary to another. In this case, acts of worship cannot overlap. For example, if a person missed the sunnah of Fajr until the sun rose, and then the time for the Duha prayer arrived, the sunnah of Fajr does not suffice for Duha, nor does Duha suffice for the sunnah of Fajr, nor is combining them permissible. This is because the sunnah of Fajr is independent and the sunnah of Duha is independent, so one does not suffice for the other.
Likewise, if the other act is subsidiary to the one before it, they do not overlap. If a person says, "I want to intend with the Fajr prayer both the obligatory prayer and the rawatib," we say this is not valid, because the rawatib is subsidiary to the prayer, so it does not suffice for it.
The second category is when the intended object of the act of worship is merely the action itself, and the act of worship itself is not the specific intention. In this case, acts of worship can overlap. For example, if a man enters the mosque and the people are praying the Fajr prayer, it is known that a person who enters the mosque does not sit until he prays two rak'ahs. If he joins the imam in the obligatory prayer, those two rak'ahs suffice for him. Why? Because the intention is to pray two rak'ahs upon entering the mosque. Likewise, if a person enters the mosque at the time of Duha and prays two rak'ahs intending them as the Duha prayer, they suffice for the greeting of the mosque. If he intends both, that is more complete. This is the rule regarding the overlap of acts of worship.
Fasting is among these. For example, the intention for fasting on the Day of 'Arafah is that this day comes upon you while you are fasting, whether you intended it as one of the three days you fast from every month or intended it for the Day of 'Arafah. However, if you intended it for the Day of 'Arafah, it does not suffice for fasting the three days. If you intended it as one of the three days, it suffices for the Day of 'Arafah. If you intended both, that is better.