Intending to Break the Fast Without Eating or Drinking – Does It Invalidate the Fast?
🔹 Source: Fatāwā Arkān al-Islām
❓ Question
If a fasting person intends to break the fast without actually eating or drinking, will his fast be invalidated?
✅ Answer
All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
It is well understood that fasting is a combination of intention and the abstention from specific acts. A person abstains from actions that invalidate the fast while intending to draw closer to Allah through this abstention.
If someone makes a firm intention that they have indeed broken their fast, then their fast becomes void, even if they have not eaten or drunk anything.
However, if the fast in question is a Ramadan fast, then abstaining from food and drink until sunset remains obligatory, because whoever abandons a Ramadan fast without a valid excuse must still refrain from eating and drinking for the rest of the day and make up the fast later.
If a person does not make a firm intention, but merely has hesitation, doubt, or uncertainty, then there is scholarly disagreement regarding this matter:
◈ Some scholars state that the fast is invalidated, because hesitation contradicts the firm resolve required for intention.
◈ Other scholars say that the fast is not invalidated, since the original intention remains unless a decisive intention to break the fast is made.
Given the strength of the second opinion, the preferred view is that mere hesitation or doubt does not invalidate the fast.
🖋 This is what I hold, and Allah knows best what is correct.
