Is Sehri Intention Necessary for Fasting? Islamic Ruling
Question:
If we forget to read the intention of Sehri, can we fast without intention after Sehri?Agar hum Sehri ki niyyat bhool jayein, toh kya hum bina niyyat ke Sehri ke baad roza rakh sakte hain?
Answer by Mufti Muhammad Shaheed:
Islamic fiqh ke mutabiq, niyyat (intention) dil ke irade ka naam hai. Zubani kehna zaroori nahi hai, lekin kehna behtar hai.
Roze Ki Niyyat Ke Bare Mein Aham Baaten:
Niyyat dil mein honi chahiye – Bas yeh sochna ke aaj roza rakhna hai, kaafi hai.
Zubani niyyat farz nahi hai – Agar aap “Maine roza rakhne ki niyyat ki” nahi bhi kahe, toh bhi roza valid hai.
Sehri khana bhi niyyat ka hissa hai – Agar aapne Sehri ki hai, toh iska matlab aapne roza rakhne ki niyyat ki thi.
Niyyat ka waqt:
Raat ko kisi bhi waqt Sehri se pehle niyyat kar sakte hain.
Agar kisi ne Sehri ke waqt niyyat nahi ki, lekin subah se le kar Zawal (dopehar) se pehle tak kuch nahi khaya-piya, toh wo ab bhi niyyat kar sakta hai.
Nafl Roza ke liye niyyat Fajr ke baad bhi ki ja sakti hai, jab tak kuch khaya-piya na ho.
Islamic Hawale (References):
Durr-e-Mukhtar: “Niyyat dil mein hoti hai, aur Zawal se pehle tak valid hai.”
Bahar-e-Shariat: “Roze ki niyyat Zawal se pehle tak karni chahiye.”
Durr-e-Mukhtar: “The place of intention is the heart, and it is valid until before Zawal.”
Bahar-e-Shariat: “The intention of fasting should be made before Zawal for it to be valid.”
If you forget to make an explicit intention at Sehri but had the thought of fasting in your heart, your fast is still valid. It is preferable to make the intention before Fajr but can still be made before Zawal if nothing has been consumed.
Dua for a Blessed Fast:
Wa bisawmi ghaddan nawaiytu min shahri ramadan
Translation: "I intend to keep the fast for tomorrow in the month of Ramadan."
Alternatively, another commonly recited dua is:
Navaitu an asuma gadala lilaahi ta aalla min fardi ramadan
May Allah accept our fasts and grant us steadfastness in His worship. Ameen.
Allah Hafiz.
