In Islamic jurisprudence, "niat puasa qadha" is a noun phrase referring to the specific intention required to perform a replacement fast. It is composed of three distinct terms: niat (intention), a fundamental pillar of Islamic worship; puasa (fasting); and qadha (repayment or making up). Therefore, the phrase denotes the formal, internal resolve to fast on a particular day to compensate for an obligatory fast, typically from the month of Ramadan, that was missed for a legitimate reason.
The concept is rooted in the principle that all acts of worship are validated by their underlying intention. This specific intention is crucial as it distinguishes the replacement fast from other types of fasts, such as a voluntary fast (sunnah) or an expiatory fast (kaffarah). According to the majority of Islamic legal schools (madhhabs), for an obligatory fast like a qadha fast to be valid, the intention must be firmly established in the heart during the night before the fast begins, specifically before the dawn prayer (Fajr). This requirement ensures the act is performed with conscious purpose and is correctly categorized as the fulfillment of a religious debt.
Practically, this intention is an internal act of the heart and does not necessarily need to be verbalized, though many scholars recommend utterance to reinforce the resolve. An individual would make a specific mental note that the next day's fast is to repay a missed Ramadan fast for the sake of God (Allah). This act is a prerequisite for the validity of the fast, thereby allowing an individual to properly fulfill their religious obligation of completing the requisite number of fasting days prescribed during Ramadan.
