Answered by Ustadh Abdus Shakur Brooks
Question:
Is one intention for all of Ramadan sufficient or must a person make intention each day?
Answer:
In some basic books of Maliki fiqh they mention that it is sufficient for a person to make one intention for the whole Ramadan. However, the wider scope of the rule is that “one intention is sufficient for fasting that is obligatory to be performed consecutively” without missing any days in between like Ramadan for example . As a result, when a woman gets her menses in Ramadan and then her cycle discontinues, she must make a new intention for the following days of fasting. Likewise, a person making up previous days of fasting will need to make a new intention each day since make-up fasts do not require to be performed consecutively.
Conclusion:
The general rule is:
- One intention is sufficient for fasting that is obligatory to be performed consecutively
- One intention is not sufficient for fasting that is not obligatory to be performed consecutively
source : http://mathabah.org/2009121288/maliki-fasting-sawm/is-one-intention-for-all-of-ramadan-sufficient.html