Question

Intention before praying

454

Question

When we stand before Allah to perform Salah, do we have to make an intention; for example, if it is Asr time do we say' I intend to pray 4 fard of Asr pray for you Allah, 'or do we say nothing and just pray? I was told that we don't make an intention when we stand to pray Please advice.

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Accepted Answer

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

As for pronouncing the intention by saying before obligatory prayers, it is unlawful. Indeed, it is not from Shariah that the person pronounces the intention prior to obligatory or supergatory prayers. It has not been reported authentically that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) ever pronounced the intention, nor had it been reported from any of his companions, the four Imams, or the rightly guided people who followed them. Had pronouncing the intention been from the Shariah the above named people would have preceded us in doing it. So pronouncing the intention is a Bid'ah (bad innovation).

In fact, the place of the intention is the heart, not the tongue. Now, if you want to pray, you just face the Qibla, intend to pray in your heart, and say 'Allahu Akbar' without saying: "I intend to pray" such and such.

Allah knows best.

Fatwa

Intention before praying

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Answer

Related Fatwa

Making a Mistake in the Intention of the Prayer

Teacher Fining It Hard to Observe Prayer on Time

Intention Does not Have to be Uttered

Multiple intentions in voluntary prayer

Changing intention from praying alone to praying behind imaam during prayer

Doubting while praying whether one made intention for Witr

Ash-Shaafi‘i's view on intention before prayer - At-Tirmithi's view on raising hands in prayer

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