Suhoor is the meal before the fast; intention is your resolve to fast. A spoken sentence explaining that intention should not be confused with a universally prescribed Prophetic formula.
Context and use
Know which fast you intend and learn your school's guidance on when that intention must be present. Eating suhoor and reciting a printed phrase are not the same requirement.
Sunni school differences
Mufti Wilayah's Ramadan series 74 adopts renewing the Ramadan intention each night in Shafi‘i guidance and describes a Maliki month-long intention approach. Different fast types and interruptions affect the details; it is not a universal all-school timetable.
Intention concerns the fast you mean to keep
Sahih al-Bukhari 1 establishes the importance of intention in deeds. It does not supply one compulsory Arabic fasting-intention sentence.
Distinguish Ramadan, a make-up fast, an expiation, a vow and a voluntary fast when seeking guidance. A rule discussed for one category may not apply unchanged to another.
Suhoor and personal dua
Bukhari 1923 encourages suhoor and describes blessing in it. This is evidence about the meal, not proof that a special prayer formula must accompany every mouthful.
You may make personal lawful requests for acceptance, patience and help to do good. Label personal wording as personal wording rather than a quotation from the Prophet.
Popular spoken formulas
A sentence translating “I intend to fast” can communicate a person’s resolve. Whether uttering an intention is recommended or unnecessary is a fiqh discussion; it should not be settled by an unattributed graphic.
Before calling a formula Sunnah, ask for its precise source. The general hadith on intentions does not authenticate every printed intention sentence.
Nightly and month-long intentions
Mufti Wilayah, Ramadan series 74, recommends a nightly intention under its Shafi‘i approach and describes a Maliki approach to a continuous month of fasting. Learn the conditions of the position you follow.
Do not treat a brief comparative summary as permission to overlook a missed intention. Ask a qualified teacher promptly about a particular fast and what happened before dawn.
Common questions
Is the fast invalid because I missed suhoor? Missing a meal and missing the required intention are different questions.
Is the iftar dua the fasting intention? No: its reported occasion concerns breaking the fast. Learn that text separately.
What if I overslept? Explain your prior intention and fast type to a teacher; do not assume the answer from a generic suhoor checklist.