Issue No. 1319- There is no specific time for making an intention. In fact, if one makes an intention at any time before fajr adhān, it would be sufficient. Therefore if he is asked while having suḥūr [1] "what are you doing" he would reply "I am going to fast" it would be sufficient.
Issue No. 1321- If in the month of Ramadan, one forgets to make the intention of fast, the fast is correct provided that he makes the intention immediately when he remembers before ẓuhr adhān and he has not done any act that invalidates the fast. However, if he makes the intention in the afternoon, it will not be correct.
Issue No. 1322- It is necessary to specify when one wants to fast in other than the month of Ramadan. For example, he should specify it as a qaḍā fast or a fast to fulfil a vow (nadhr). But in the holy month of Ramadan it would be sufficient if he intends to fast the following day. Rather if he does not know that it is Ramadan or he knows but he has forgotten it and he makes the intention of another fast, it will be counted as the fast of the month of Ramadan. However, if he knows that it is the month of Ramadan, yet he intentionally makes the intention of fasting other than the fast of the month of Ramadan, his fast will not be considered as the fast of the month of Ramadan, nor will it be counted as the fast for which he had made intention.
Issue No. 1323- It is not necessary to specify that one is going to observe the fast of the first or second day of the month and so on. Even if he specifies a day, for example, if he says “I am observing the fast of the second day of Ramadan” and understands later that it was the third day of the month, his fast is correct.
Issue No. 1324- If a person makes an intention before the fajr adhān to observe a fast and then goes unconscious or gets intoxicated and comes to his senses during the day while he has not done any of the invalidators of the fast, he should, as an obligatory precaution, complete the fast of that day and should also perform its qaḍā.
Issue No. 1326- If a child becomes mature before the fajr adhān in the month of Ramadan, he/she should fast and if it happens after the fajr adhān and has not done any of the invalidators of the fast, he/she should, on the basis of obligatory precaution, observe fast and also perform it as qaḍā later.
Issue No. 1327- If a person has a qaḍā fast from the Holy month of Ramadan or another obligatory fast due on him to perform, it is not permissible for him to perform a recommended fast. In case he performs a recommended fast out of forgetfulness and remembers before ẓuhr, he can switch his intention to the obligatory fast. If however, one notices this after ẓuhr, his fast is void.
Issue No. 1328- A person who has been hired to complete the fasts of a dead person may observe recommended fast for himself.
Issue No. 1330- If a person has an unspecified obligatory fast [1] upon him to perform (e.g., the qaḍā fast of the Holy month of Ramadan or a fast for atonement), the time to make the intention for it is until ẓuhr, meaning, if he has not committed any fast invalidators and makes the intention before ẓuhr, his fast is correct.
Issue No. 1331- If a non-Muslim embraces Islam in the month of Ramadan before ẓuhr, he should fast as an obligatory precaution, provided he has not performed any act which invalidates the fast and there is no need to perform qaḍā of the fast. Similarly, if a patient recovers from his illness before ẓuhr in the month of Ramadan and has not done any act which invalidates the fast, he should make the intention to observe fast and he should also, as an obligatory precaution, perform the qaḍā of the fast. But if he recovers after ẓuhr, it is not obligatory for him to observe fast on that day; he should then perform it as qaḍā alone.
Issue No. 1332- If there is a doubt about the last day of Sha’ban or the first day of the month of Ramadan, the fast of that day is not obligatory. If however, somebody wants to observe fast on that day, he should observe the fast with the intention of the last day of Sha’ban, or if he has qaḍā fasts due to be performed, he should make the intention of qaḍā. If it transpires later that it has been the holy month of Ramadan, it will be considered as the fast of the month of Ramadan. If however, he realizes during the day that it is the first day of Ramadan, he should immediately switch his intention to the fast of the month of Ramadan.
Issue No. 1333- If somebody is reluctant in his intention to break or not to break a specified obligatory fast or the fast of the month of Ramadan, or decides to cancel his intention of observing a fast, his fast becomes invalid. If he also intends to perform an act which invalidates the fast, for example, he decides to eat something, his fast becomes invalid even if he does not eat anything at all. However, if he has not paid attention at that time that (for example) the said act invalidates the fast, his fast remains valid.
