نَوَيْتُ صَوْمَ غَدٍ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ
I intend to fast tomorrow in the month of Ramadan.
Nawaytu sawma ghadin min shahr-i Ramadana
When to Read
This is the standard intention for fasting. However, if you wake up and realize you haven't eaten or drunk anything and *forgot* to make the intention the night before, the ruling changes slightly. The intention can be made up until *dhuhr* (midday), provided you haven't intentionally broken your fast before that point. This is because the intention for voluntary fasts can be made anytime before dhuhr, and some scholars extend this leniency to missed obligatory fasts in Ramadan if the intention was forgotten.
How to Read
The intention for fasting in Ramadan is an inner commitment of the heart. While reciting the Arabic phrase above is a common and beautiful way to verbalize this intention, the key is the sincerity in your heart. It's recommended to make the intention each night before sleeping, as Ramadan fasts are obligatory. If you forget and remember before midday, make the intention then. Ensure you haven't eaten, drunk, or engaged in any other act that nullifies the fast.
Virtues & Benefits
Making the intention is a prerequisite for the validity of your fast. Forgetting to make the intention the night before is a common oversight. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us: 'Whoever does not intend to fast before Fajr, there is no fast for him.' (Sunan Abi Dawud 2357 - Hasan). This highlights the importance of conscious intent. However, the learned jurists have derived from other narrations and principles that if one forgets to make the intention for an obligatory fast of Ramadan the night before, they can still make it up until *dhuhr* (midday) of that day, as long as they have not nullified their fast prior to that. This provides mercy and ease for the believer, allowing them to fulfill their obligation even if they initially forget.
Source & Authentication
The narration related to the intention often comes in the context of establishing the prayer, but the principle of intention is crucial for acts of worship. The specific hadith regarding the intention for fasting is often cited as: 'Whoever does not have the intention to fast before Fajr, there is no fast for him.' (Sunan Abi Dawud 2357). This emphasizes the requirement of a deliberate intention. The ruling for making up the intention until dhuhr is based on scholarly consensus derived from various evidences, including the permissibility of making the intention for nafl (voluntary) fasts anytime during the day before dhuhr.