FASTING (SAUM)

Fasting in the Shariah means to abstain from food, drink and sexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, with a niyyat (intention).

The niyyat is important in fasting. Hence, if a person stayed away from the above three things due to illness or lack of desire, or was unconscious for the whole day and no food or drink was entered into the body, such abstention will not be regarded in the Shariah as fasting, since there was no niyyat or intention.