Chapter on Intention of Fasting

And it has been narrated with another wording, which is that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Actions are only according to intentions, and for every person is what he intended.”

And it has been narrated from Imam al-Ridha عليه السلام, peace be upon him, that Imam عليه السلام said: “There is no statement except with action, and no action except with intention, and no intention except by conforming to the Sunnah.”

Al-Husayn, from Fadalah, from al-Husayn ibn Uthman, from Samaah, from Abu Basir, who said: I (narrator) asked Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘the voluntary fasting person when a need arises for him.’ Imam عليه السلام said: “He has the choice between himself and the afternoon prayer (Asr), and if he remains until the afternoon prayer (Asr), then it appears to him that he should fast, while he had not intended that, then he may fast that day if he wishes.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub, from Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, from Safwan, from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj, who said: I (narrator) asked him about ‘a man who makes up (fasts of the month of) Ramadan. Does he have the right to break the fast after he enters the morning, before midday (al-zawal), if it occurs to him?’ So he said: “If he had intended that from the night, and it was from the makeup of (month of) Ramadan, then he must not break the fast, and he must complete his fast.” He (narrator) said: “And I asked him about ‘a man to whom it occurs, after he enters the morning and the day rises, to fast that day and make it up from (month of) Ramadan, even though he had not intended that from the night.’” He said, “Yes, he fasts it and counts it, provided that he has not brought about anything (that invalidates the fast).”

From him, from Ahmad, from al-Husayn, from Fadalah, from Salih ibn Abdullah, from Abu Ibrahim عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) said to Imam عليه السلام: “A man has made it binding upon himself for Allah سبحانه وتعالى to fast a month, so he enters the morning while intending to fast, then it occurs to him and he breaks the fast; and he enters the morning while not intending to fast, then it occurs to him and he fasts.” Imam عليه السلام said: “All of this is permissible.”

From him, from al-Husayn, from al-Nadr, from Ibn Sinan, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “Whoever enters the morning while intending to fast, then it occurs to him to break the fast, he may break the fast between himself and the middle of the day. Then he makes up that day. But if it occurs to him to fast after the day has risen, then let him fast, for it is counted for him from the hour in which he intended it.”

And from him, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Isa, from Yusuf ibn Aqil, from Muhammad ibn Qays, from Abu Ja’far عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam Ali عليه السلام, peace be upon him, said: “If a man has not made fasting obligatory upon himself, then he remembers fasting before eating any food or drinking any drink, and he has not broken the fast, then he has the choice; if he wishes, he may fast, and if he wishes, he may break the fast.”

From him, from Ali ibn al-Sindi, from Safwan, from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj, who said: I (narrator) asked Abu al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘a man who enters the morning and has not eaten, has not drunk, and has not intended a fast, while he has upon him a day from the month of Ramadan. Does he have the right to fast that day when most of the day has already passed?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, he may fast and count it as from the month of Ramadan.”

From him, from al-Abbas ibn Maruf, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Ammar ibn Marwan, from Samaah, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him: (Imam عليه السلام was asked) concerning the his saying, ‘The fasting person has the choice until the declining of the sun (zawal al-shams).’ Imam عليه السلام said: “That is in the obligatory fast. As for the supererogatory fast, he may break the fast at any time he wishes until the setting of the sun.”

Al-Saffar, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Hisham ibn Salim, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) said to Imam عليه السلام: “A man enters the morning and does not intend to fast. Then when the day rises high, an opinion occurs to him regarding fasting.” Imam عليه السلام said: “If he intends the fast before the sun declines, it is counted for him from his day, and if he intends it after the decline, it is counted for him from the time in which he intended.”

Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya, from Yaqub ibn Yazid, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr, from one whom he mentioned, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) said to Imam عليه السلام: “A man has upon him makeup from the month of Ramadan, and he enters the morning and does not eat until the afternoon prayer. Is it permissible for him to make it makeup from the month of Ramadan?” Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes.”

Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Mahbub, from Muawiyah ibn Hakim, from Safwan, from Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj, who said: I (narrator) asked Abu al-Hasan Musa عليه السلام, peace be upon him, about ‘a man who enters the morning without having eaten or drunk, and without having intended a fast, while he owes a day from the month of Ramadan. May he fast that day when most of the day has already passed?’ Imam عليه السلام said: “Yes, he may fast it and count it as being from the month of Ramadan.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from al-Barqi, from Ibn Abi Umayr, from Hisham ibn Salim, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: Imam عليه السلام said: “The Commander of the Faithful عليه السلام, peace be upon him, would enter upon his family and say, ‘Do you have anything (to eat)? Otherwise, I will fast.’ If they had anything (to eat), they would bring it to him, and otherwise, Imam Ali عليه السلام would fast.”

Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn al-Hakam, from Hisham ibn Salim, from Abu Abdillah عليه السلام, peace be upon him, who said: I (narrator) said to Imam عليه السلام: “A man enters the morning without intending the fast, then when the day rises, an opinion occurs to him regarding fasting.” Imam عليه السلام said: “If he intends the fast before the sun passes the meridian, his day is counted for him; And if he intends it after the sun has passed the meridian, it is counted for him from the time at which he intended.”

Ibrahim ibn Hashim, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Hammad al-Kufi, from Ibrahim ibn Abd al-Hamid, from Isa: Isa said: “Whoever spends the night while intending to fast the next day, that becomes binding upon him. Then if he breaks the fast, he must make it up. And whoever enters the morning and had not intended the fast from the night, then he has the choice until the sun declines; if he wishes, he may fast, and if he wishes, he may break the fast. Then if the sun declines and he has not eaten, then let him complete the fast until the night.”