بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
مَنْ لَمْ يُبَيِّتِ الصِّيَامَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الفَجْرِ فَلَا صِيَامَ له
“Whoever does not commit himself (i.e. establish the intention) for fasting before the break of dawn has no fast“
(Sahīh al-Jāmi of Al-Albānī who declared it Sahīh #6534)
Al-Manāwī said:
… and in Ibn Mājah’s narration: “Whoever does not make it obligatory [yafridhu] from the night,” meaning to decide firmly upon fasting from the night, and “fard” means “to cut/decide.” In Al-Dāraqutnī’s version: “Whoever does not expose himself to fasting,” meaning to approach fasting and intend it. And in a narration mentioned by Ibn Al-ʿArabī: “Whoever does not decide firmly [yabut] on fasting,” and “al-batt” means decisive determination, “before the break of dawn” meaning to intend it from the night.
The apparent meaning applies to both obligatory and voluntary fasts. This view is held by a group including Ibn ʿUmar, Mālik, Dāwūd Al-Dhāhirī, and Al-Muzanī. Most scholars, however, restricted it to obligatory fasting based on Al-Dāraqutnī’s narration from ʿĀishah that al-Mustafā (the chosen one) (ﷺ) said: “Do you have any breakfast/morning meal?” She said: “No.” He said: “Then I am fasting…” The hadīth uses “idhan” (then) which indicates future action and starting anew.
Scholars agreed on requiring nighttime intention for every obligatory fast that is not tied to a specific time, but they differed regarding fasts that have a specific time.
Most scholars required nighttime intention for these as well, based on the general meaning of the hadīth.
However, Mālik and Ahmad, in one of his two narrations, said: If one intends on the first night of Ramadān to fast the entire month, it is sufficient, because fasting the whole month is like fasting a single day. Al-Qādī [Al-Baydāwī] said: “This is a rejected analogy that contradicts the explicit text.” (Fayd Al-Qadīr 2/1411-1412)
Al-Kittānī said (quoting Ibn Hazm):
From Ibn ʿUmar: “One does not fast except by resolving/intending to fast before dawn.”
From ʿĀishah: “There is no fast for one who does not resolve/intend [to fast] before dawn.”
From Hafsah: “There is no fast for one who does not resolve/intend [to fast] before dawn.”
No disagreement with them is known from among the companions whatsoever.
Dāwūd and Al-Shāfiʿī said: “Neither Ramadān fasting nor any other fasting is valid except with a renewed intention each night for the coming day’s fast. Whoever deliberately abandons the intention, his fast is invalid.” (Mu’jam Fiqh al-Salaf 1/314 – see al-Muhallā 2/738-739)
Ibn Hazm said:
We do not know of any evidence for Mālik at all, except that they said: “Ramadān is like a single prayer.”
This is a blatant false argument, because in a single prayer, there is no deliberate interruption by something that is not part of it, whereas in the fasting of Ramadān, between each two days there is a night in which fasting is completely invalid and eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse are permitted. Thus, each day has its own ruling, different from the day before it and the day after it. One might fall ill, travel, or a woman might menstruate, and the fast becomes invalid, whereas yesterday one was fasting and tomorrow one will be fasting.
Rather, the month of Ramadān is like the prayers of the day and night, with intervals between each two prayers that are not prayer, so each prayer requires its own intention, and likewise each day of fasting requires its own intention.
They are the first to invalidate this analogy, for they hold that whoever deliberately breaks his fast on a day of Ramadān must make it up, but the rest of his fasting for the remaining days of the month is valid. So they have acknowledged that the ruling of the month is not like a single prayer over a single night and day. (Slightly paraphrased, al-Muhallā 2/741-742)
Al-Albānī was asked:
Questioner: Is it necessary to establish the intention for fasting each night in Ramadān?
Shaykh: Yes, by Allāh.
(Jāmi’ al-Turāth 10/113)
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