In our religion, the correctness of every action and its acceptance by Allah is dependent on the intention. Similarly, making an intention is a requirement for fasting. Without intention, there is no worship. The obligatory aspects of the fast during the month of Ramadan are three: intention, abstaining from eating and drinking from dawn until sunset, and abstaining from sexual relations.
In essence, intention is something that occurs in the heart. Only the intention made in the heart is considered valid. If one makes an intention verbally but has nothing in their heart, their fast will not be valid.
As Mawlono Aliy Qoriy said, making an intention verbally is a commendable innovation, meaning it is considered an acceptable action. Accordingly, one should express the intention from the heart and say something like: "I intend to fast during the month of Ramadan from dawn until sunset." Indeed, our jurisprudential books state that making an intention verbally is also a Sunnah ("Olamgiriyya", "Kofiy", "Nihoya", "Nahr").
All the scholars of our school have stated that one should make a separate intention for each day of Ramadan ("Fatovoyi Qozixon"). However, in the Maliki school, it is permissible to make one intention for the entire month of Ramadan.
Imam Najmiddin Nasafiy stated that simply waking up for Suhoor during Ramadan counts as an intention. However, waking up for Suhoor serves as an intention only for that specific day and does not carry over to other days. The time for intention begins after sunset each day; any intention made before that does not count (Saraxsiy "Muhiyt").
If a person makes an intention for the next day's fast before sunset but then falls asleep or loses consciousness or is unable to renew their intention for any reason before sunset, their intention does not count. However, if they make the intention after sunset, it is valid ("Xulosa"). There is no difference regarding intention between a traveler and a resident ("Tabyin").
It is preferable to make the intention at its proper time, that is, at night. However, making the intention during the day is also permissible.
Additionally, the intention should be clear and specific, meaning one should clearly and definitively state which fast they are intending to observe ("Ixtiyor").
If someone falls asleep and is unable to wake up for Suhoor, but wakes up after sunrise and makes an intention for the fast without eating or drinking anything, according to our school, their fast for that day will be valid. The same applies if they wake up before sunrise. In both cases, they can still make the intention for the usual Ramadan fast.
However, consistently doing this (i.e., making the intention for the fast after dawn or after sunrise) is not advisable. This is because, in other schools, this practice is not permissible at all. Indeed, our Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "Whoever does not make an intention for their fast before dawn, their fast is invalid" (reported by Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi).
For missed and compensatory fasts, it is necessary to make the intention in the evening and to specify the fast that will be observed ("Niqoya").
