#1139: Ruling on Changing the Intention of One`s Fast

QUESTION:

Assalamu alykm. I have a question pls.
Can a person change the niyya of his fast?
The initial niyya was for tashu’a but that person realises it was a miscalculation tashu’a starts the next day, so can the person change the niyya for the fast to something else?

ANSWER:

Wa Alaykum Salam Warahmatullah Wa barakaatuh

Alhamdulillah.

Know, may Allah illumine my heart and yours that it is obligatory that specifying the Intention to fast the obligatory fasts is obligatory in itself. This is the position of Maalik, Ash-Shaafi’i and Ahmad in the more predominant position in his school. For the reason that the Fuqahaa hold the commentary of the Hadith:

إنما الأعمال بالنيات

“Indeed Deeds are attributed to the intentions behind them”

As generic and applicable to the obligatory fast. It therefore follows that if a person intended to fast a voluntary fast, it is not applicable for him to change his intention to an obligatory fast. An example is the one who intends to fast the 6 days of Shawwal and then chooses to change the intention in the course of the day to the missed day in Ramadan. This form of change in the intention is not permissible and he loses both by so doing. That is because the intention of obligatory fast must be made up before Fajr of that day. But as for the voluntary fasts, there is no harm on its doer to pick its intention during the day. The proof for this is the Hadith of Aa’ishah radiyallahu anha. As was recorded by Imam Muslim that she said:

دخل عليّ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ذات يوم فقال: “هل عندكم شيء؟ فقلنا: لا. قال: فإني إذن صائم”. ثم أتانا يوماً آخر فقلنا يا رسول الله: أهدي لنا حيس، فقال “أرينيه، فلقد أصبحت صائماً “فأكل”

“The Messenger of Allah salallahu alayhi wasallam entered upon me one day and said: Have you anything (eatable) in your place? We said: No. He then said: ‘Then I am fasting’. Then he came to us on another day in which we said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we were gifted some food’ Then he said: ‘Let me have it for I spent the morning fasting’, he then ate of it. ”

Regarding this Hadith, Imam An-Nawawi rahimahullah said:

“In it is proof for the position held by the majority: that the Intention of a voluntary fast can be made during the day before the sun passes its zenith”

And based on this difference between the obligatory and the voluntary fast, there is nothing wrong in changing the intention during the fast. Imam Ar-Ramli rahimahullah said regarding this in Nihaahatu al-Muhtaaj:

“It has been mentioned that the Days that are Emphatic for fasting can be switched in the course of the Fast… Rather even if he intended to fast generally (and did not Intend that particular fast by name), it suffices for him. It is just like Tahiyyatu Al-Masjid. This is because what is required is that he fasts on that day”

And this is clear.

What is required on the Day of Aashurah is to fast. It is not necessary that he intends the day of Aashurah in his Niyyah precisely. It therefore follows that if he had intended to fast generally and does so, his fast is OK as the Fast of the Day of Arafah. In the observance of Naafilah is much latitude as does not exist in the observance of Faraaid.

And Allah knows best.
Barakallahu fikum

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