Question
Reference number: 271153 | Fasting | June 11, 2019
Should we renew the fasting intention every night? Can as-suhur be considered as an intention?
Answer
Praise Be to Allah and Peace Be Upon His Messenger.
Referring to your question, the majority of scholars agree upon this: whoever wants to fast must observe intention a night before, or before dawn. It was narrated that the messenger of Allah said: “whoever does not have the intention of fasting from the night before, then there is no fast for him.” Sunan an-Nasa’i.
Hafsah RRA, one of the prophet’s wives, reported Allah’s messenger as saying: “he who does not before dawn express his intention of fasting is not credited with it.”
What is meant by intention is what is expressed in the heart and mind without the necessity of articulating it. Thus, taking as-suhur is considered an intention.
Malik has a different opinion. He sees that fasting Ramadan is considered one unit of worship; thus, one intention before the first day of Ramadan is enough.
Nevertheless, it would be much better to observe the intention of fasting every night.
The Palestinian Legal Verdict Council decided that it is preferred that whoever wants to fast should observe the intention for every single day. However, it is allowed and accepted to have one intention before the first day of Ramadan. The intention is not necessarily articulated, it can be expressed silently in the heart and mind. Taking suhur is considered to be an intention.