'' Our Lord ! grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire '' [Ameen]
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{in Arab} :->
Rabbanaa aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wafil aakhirati hasanatan waqinaa 'athaaban-naar/-
(Surah Al-Baqarah ,verse 201)
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expiation for the year that came before. But because we use the
Gregorian calendar I did not know when 'Ashoora is until the morning
of the day itself. I had not eaten anything, so I intended to fast. Is
my fast valid, and will I get the rewardof this day and receive
expiation for the previous year?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah for making you keen to do naafil acts of worship.
We ask Him to make us and you steadfast in doing that.
With regard to your question about forming the intention to fast from
the night before, there is sound evidence from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) that the intention to observe a
naafil fast formed on themorning of the day itselfis valid, so long as
a person has not ingested anything that breaks thefast after dawn.
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) narrated that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) entered uponhis family one
day and said: "Do you have anything (i.e., any food)?" They said,
"No." He said, "Then I am fasting." (Muslim, 1154, 170). The word
"idhan" (translated here as "then", in the sense of "in that case")
indicates that it is permissible to form the intention of observing a
naafil fast on the day itself. This is unlike the obligatory fasts,
which are not validunless one forms the intention the night before,
because of the hadeeth, "Whoever doesnot form the intention to fast
before dawn, has not fasted." Abu Dawood, 2454; al-Tirmidhi, 726;
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', 6535. What is
meant here is obligatory fasts.
Based on this, then your fast is valid. With regard to getting the
reward for fasting, will this be reward for the whole day or from the
time of the intention only? Shaykh al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:
There are two scholarly opinions on this matter. The first is that he
will be rewarded from the beginning of the day, because the correct
Islamic fast can only be from the start of the day.
The second view is that he will only be rewardedfrom the time of his
intention, and if he formed the intention at midday then he will be
rewarded for half a day. This is the correct view, because the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Actions are but by
intentions, and each person will have but thatwhich he intended."
Thisman only formed the intention during the day, so he will be
rewarded from the time he formed the intention.
Based on the correct opinion, if a fast is connected to a particular
day, such as fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, and fasting on al-ayaam
al-beed (the13th, 14th and 15th of each Hijri month) or fasting three
days each month, and a person forms the intention during the day, he
will not be rewarded for the entire day.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 6/373.
The same applies to the case of one who did not intend to fast
'Ashoora until after dawn had come: he will not get thereward for
fasting 'Ashoora', which is the expiation of one year, because his
case is not like that of one fasted the whole day of 'Ashoora', rather
he only fasted part of it, from the moment he first formed the
intention of fasting.
But he will be rewarded in the general sense of the reward for fasting
during the month of Allaah Muharram, which is the best kind of fasting
after Ramadaan (as it says in Saheeh Muslim, 1163).
Perhaps one of the main reasons for your and many people's not knowing
when 'Ashoora is, or al-ayyaam al-beed, until the day has started,is –
as you mention – useof the Gregorian calendar. Perhaps missing out on
these special days will motivate you and others whom Allaah blesses
with guidance, to followthe lunar Hijri calendar which Allaah has
prescribed for His slaves and approved of for His religion, even if
that is only with regard to theirpersonal dealings, so as to revive
this calendar which reminds us of different shar'i occasions, and in
order to be different from the People of the Book whom we are
commanded to differ from and be distinct with regard to their rituals
and unique characteristics, especiallysince the lunar calendar was
followed by the earlier Prophets, as may be understood from the
hadeeth which mentionsthe reason why the Jewsfasted 'Ashoora – which
is a day that is known through the lunar calendar. They said that it
was the day on which Allaah had saved Moosa. This indicates that they
followed a lunar calendar and not the months of the solar European
calendar.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 6/471
May Allaah make your missing out on this special reward, and the
missing out of others who are keen like you, lead to a good outcome,
so this will make you strive harder in doing good works and acts of
worship. This may make you more keen than people who do some act of
worship regularly andfeel content with what they are doing, and may
fill them with self-admiration.
We ask Allaah to bless us with His bounty and reward, and help us to
remember Him and give thanks to Him.
