The intention for fasting, and when to make it
How to make the intention (niyyah) for a fast, the words used, and by when it must be made for each kind of fast.
The intention (niyyah) is you deciding in your heart, "I am fasting." You don't have to say it out loud, but it's good to say it. For the Ramadan fast, you can make your intention any time from after sunset the evening before, right up until a little before midday, but making it the night before is best.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصُومَ غَدًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالٰى مِنْ صَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
Nawaytu an aṣūma ghadan lillāhi taʿālā min ṣawmi Ramaḍān
I intend to fast tomorrow for the sake of Allah, in the fast of Ramadan.
نَوَيْتُ بِصَوْمِ غَدٍ
Nawaytu bi-ṣawmi ghad
I intend to fast tomorrow.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصَوْمَ لِهَذَا الْيَوْمِ
Nawaytu an aṣūma li-hādhā al-yawm
I intend to fast today.
The intention for fasting is an internal decision; it is not necessary to voice it, though doing so is recommended.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصُومَ غَدًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالٰى مِنْ صَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
Nawaytu an aṣūma ghadan lillāhi taʿālā min ṣawmi Ramaḍān
I intend to fast tomorrow for the sake of Allah, in the fast of Ramadan.
نَوَيْتُ بِصَوْمِ غَدٍ
Nawaytu bi-ṣawmi ghad
I intend to fast tomorrow.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصَوْمَ لِهَذَا الْيَوْمِ
Nawaytu an aṣūma li-hādhā al-yawm
I intend to fast today.
| Fast | Latest time for the intention |
|---|---|
| Ramadan (the daily fard fast) | Any time from sunset until shortly before midday (zawal) the same day; making it the night before is best. Naming the type is not required, though it is better to. |
| A vow (nazar) for a named day | Same window as Ramadan: sunset to shortly before midday. |
| A voluntary (nafl) fast | Same window as Ramadan: sunset to shortly before midday. |
| A missed Ramadan fast being made up (qada) | Night only, after sunset and before the appearance of fajr, and the fast must be specified as this particular qada. |
| A fast of expiation (kaffarah) | Night only, specified as the kaffarah fast. |
| An unspecified vow (nazar ghayr mu'ayyan) | Night only, specified as that vow. |
| A voluntary fast begun and then broken, now being made up | Night only, specified as that make-up fast. |
"Night" here (Nahar Shar'i's counterpart) runs from sunset to the appearance of fajr; the Shari'ah day itself runs from fajr to sunset.
A fresh intention is required for every single fast of Ramadan; making the intention once at the start of the month is not sufficient for the whole month.
The niyyah for ṣawm is a matter of the heart (qalb); vocalizing it (talaffuẓ) is mustaḥabb, not required.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصُومَ غَدًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالٰى مِنْ صَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
Nawaytu an aṣūma ghadan lillāhi taʿālā min ṣawmi Ramaḍān
I intend to fast tomorrow for the sake of Allah, in the fast of Ramadan.
نَوَيْتُ بِصَوْمِ غَدٍ
Nawaytu bi-ṣawmi ghad
I intend to fast tomorrow.
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصَوْمَ لِهَذَا الْيَوْمِ
Nawaytu an aṣūma li-hādhā al-yawm
I intend to fast today.
| Fast | Window for the niyyah | Must the type be specified? |
|---|---|---|
| Ramaḍān | From sunset to shortly before zawāl (midday) the same day; at night is best. | No, though specifying is better (al-taʿyīn awlā). |
| A muʿayyan vow (naẓr) | Same as Ramaḍān. | No, though better to specify. |
| Nafl | Same as Ramaḍān. | No, though better to specify. |
| Qaḍāʾ of a missed Ramaḍān fast | At night only: after sunset, before ṭulūʿ al-fajr. | Yes: must be specified as this particular qaḍāʾ. |
| Kaffārah | At night only. | Yes. |
| Naẓr ghayr muʿayyan | At night only. | Yes. |
| Qaḍāʾ of a broken nafl fast | At night only. | Yes. |
The Sharʿī day (an-nahār ash-sharʿī) runs from the appearance of fajr to sunset; the niyyah for the ghayr muʿayyan group above can only be formed in the night that precedes it, never within that day itself.
A separate niyyah is wājib for each individual fast of Ramaḍān; a single niyyah formed at the outset of the month does not carry the obligation for the whole month.
This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 438 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.
Rulings of Fasting Introduction
Explanation of the Intention for Fasting:
- The intention for fasting is an internal decision, and it is not necessary to say it aloud, although it is recommended to say it. The intention should be made before dawn.
- The correct way to make the intention at night is:
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصُومَ غَدًا لِلَّهِ تَعَالٰى مِنْ صَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
(I intend to fast tomorrow for the sake of Allah in the fast of Ramadan), or a shorter version:
نَوَيْتُ بِصَوْمِ غَدٍ
(I intend to fast tomorrow).
If making the intention during the day, say [Sahri food is consumed for the purpose of fasting.]:
نَوَيْتُ أَنْ أَصَوْمَ لِهَذَا الْيَوْمِ
(I intend to fast today).
- Eating suhoor (pre-dawn meal) also serves as an intention, as long as the person does not decide to break the fast after eating (otherwise, it will not count as an intention).
- If the intention for fasting is made in the heart while performing prayers, it is valid.
- It is necessary to make the intention for each fast of Ramadan; making the intention once is not sufficient for all the fasts.
- The time for making the intention for the fasts of Ramadan, specified vows, and voluntary fasts is from sunset to just before midday. It is best to make the intention at night. For these fasts, it is not necessary to specify the type (whether it is Ramadan's fast, a vowed fast, or a voluntary fast), but specifying is better.
(Note): The Nahar Shari'i (Shari'ah Day) refers to the time from the appearance of Fajr (dawn) until sunset.
- For the missed fasts of Ramadan, unspecified vows, expiatory fasts, and the missed voluntary fasts that were started and then broken, the intention must be made after sunset [After this time, the intention cannot be made.] and before the appearance of Fajr (before dawn) [If a person forgets to make the intention for fasting at night, and remembers in the morning or during the day, they can still make the intention as long as they have refrained from eating or drinking since dawn.]. Also, for these fasts, it is necessary to specify the intention for those particular fasts.
- The intention for a fast before sunset is not valid [Making the intention before sunset, such as Saying that you will fast tomorrow, is not valid.].
- There should be no doubt in the intention; otherwise, the fast will not be valid [For example, if there is no invitation tomorrow, fasting would not be done.].
- If a person makes an intention to break the fast (if they plan to fast again later), the fast will not be invalidated unless they actually break the fast.
Terms on this page
Related
- The fasting day: the pre-dawn meal (suhur), the three obligations, and breaking the fast (iftar) What a fast requires from dawn to sunset, and the recommended way to eat the pre-dawn meal (suhur), break the fast (iftar), and use the day well.
- The nine kinds of fast The nine categories of fasting in the Hanafi school, from the obligatory fasts of Ramadan, through the emphasised and recommended fasts, down to the fasts it is disliked or sinful to keep.
- What breaks a fast: making it up (qada), expiation (kaffarah), or nothing at all Which acts break a fast and only need making up, which need making up plus an expiation, and which do not break the fast at all.
- Vows to fast, and seclusion in the mosque (i'tikaf) The rules for a vow (nazar) that involves fasting, and the rulings of seclusion in the mosque (i'tikaf), the spiritual retreat closely tied to Ramadan.