How to make intention for fasting

Answer: Intention is the resolve and determination to fast as Allah has made obligatory. Intention is nothing else, and there is no need to verbalize the intention. Every believer’s heart is determined to fast the month of Ramadan from the moment it begins. Rather, his heart is determined and intentional every night to fast the coming day because Allah has made it obligatory, imposed, and prescribed it for the believers. The fasting person must be careful with his fast and refrain from eating, drinking, and sexual intercourse minutes before dawn. He should not break his fast at sunset except when he is certain of nightfall because Allah says: “Then complete the fast until the nightfall.” Nightfall is known by the appearance of darkness in the east, or by the illumination of the moon’s face, or by the appearance of a planet in the northern hemisphere of the sky. The fasting person should not exaggerate in rinsing his mouth and nose, and should be careful when rinsing and sniffing to avoid water entering his throat. The fasting person should not use a siwak that has a taste, and it is better to leave the siwak during the day in Ramadan. The fast is invalidated by anything that enters the stomach from… Shaving, and sexual intercourse also invalidates it. Foul speech, harming people or harming the fasting person’s family by cursing, insulting, etc., nullifies the reward of fasting, and making it up is not required. The fasting person should maintain the prayers in congregation, for those who draw closer to Allah do not draw closer to Him than by performing what Allah has enjoined upon them and leaving what He has forbidden them. The fasting person should also strive to do whatever voluntary acts of worship he can during the day and night of the month. There are many types of voluntary acts of worship, such as voluntary prayers, voluntary charity, reading the Quran, remembering Allah, learning and teaching knowledge, supplication, being kind to family, children, and wives, maintaining kinship ties and being kind to them, to neighbors, brothers, the poor and needy, etc., a kind word is charity, removing thorns from the road is charity, removing harmful things from the mosque is a good deed, etc., and fulfilling the need of a believer is better than fasting a month and secluding oneself in it. The month of Ramadan is the month of piety and repentance to Allah, the gates of Heaven are open during it, and the bounty of Allah is great, so the sinner should not consider it too great. His sins, even if they were like the foam of the sea, so whoever repents, Allah will accept his repentance, “Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” “Indeed, no one despairs of mercy from Allah except the disbelieving people.” “Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.” So whoever has many rights over people and vast injustices, he should resolve to pay them back when he is able to pay them back. If he is not able to pay them back until he dies, then Allah will pay off his rights and injustices. Allah, the Most High, said: “And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out and will provide for him from where he does not expect.” So let the sinner return to Allah with a sincere return. The sinner may say to himself: How can I repent when I stole from such-and-such a province and such-and-such a state, and I deceived countless people, and I betrayed a great multitude and took from their money, and I have been stealing, betraying, and deceiving people all my life and…? (We say to him): Return to Allah and repent to Him, and regret what you have done and what you have neglected, and maintain your obedience to Allah and be steadfast. And ask Allah and pray to Him to forgive you and ask Him to free you from the rights of the creatures, and Allah will not disappoint your request nor cut off your hope. But if you have a grievance that is still in your hand, then return it to its people, and Allah will make a way out for you and a way out from the rights of the creatures. If you die before you are able to fulfill the rights of the people, Allah will fulfill them for you. And know that the sin is to think badly of Allah and that He will not forgive you because of the abundance of your sins and the abundance of your crimes and the abundance of the rights of the creatures that you owe.