Ruling on Pronouncing the Intention for the Prayer !‏

سؤال:نحه في بلادوا وعسف أن كم عبادة لابد لها مه ويت فهرنك لابد قبم انشسوع في انصلاة مه
انتهفظ بانىيت, فئذا كان هرا غير جائز أو بدعت فما معنى الحديث "إنما الأعمال بانىياث"؟
جواب: عَى كم ع مً يححاج إلى يَة, نهحذيث انزي ركشجه أ انشسىل قال: "إنما الأعمال
بانىياث وإنما نكم امسا ما ووى )أخشجه الإياو انبخاسي ويسهى(, ونك نيس يعنى هزا أ جحهفظ
بان يُة, يعنى هزا: أ جعحقذ بقهبك, وج ىُي بقهبك أداء انع مً لله , ويكفي هزا, فان يُة محهها انقهب,
ونيس محهها انهسا ,ٌ وانحهفظ بها بذعة, لأ هَ لم يثبث ع ان بُي ولا ع خهفائه انشاشذي وأصحابه
وانقشو المفضهة أنهى كا ىَا يحهفظى بان يُة, وإنما ان يُة محهها انقهب, والله جعالى يقىل: قُمْ أَتُعَهِّ
انهَّهَ بِدِيىِكُمِ وَانهَّهُ يَعِهَمُ مَا فِي انسَّمَوَاثِ وَمَا فِي الأَزِضِ وَانهَّهُ بِكُمِّ شَيِءٍ عَهِيِمٌ ]الحجشات: ١٦ ]
فإرا ىَيث بقهبك وقصذت بقهبك, فالله يعهى رنك, ولا يححاج إلى أ جحهفظ بهسا كَ.
)مج ىًع فحاوي فضيهة انشيخ صالح ب فىصا انفىصا ,ٌ ص ٦٧٥ )




Question:

We, in our country, know that with every act of worship it is necessary to have an intention. Therefore it is necessary before beginning the prayer to utter the intention. So if this is impermissible or an innovation, then what is the meaning of the hadeeth: “Indeed, the actions are by intentions.”?

Answer:

Yes, every action requires an intention due to the narration which you mentioned that the Messenger  said: “Indeed, the actions are only by intentions and indeed and every person will have that which he intended.” (Extracted by Imam Al-Bukhaari and Muslim). However, the meaning of this is not that you pronounce the intention, the meaning of it is: that you believe in your heart and intend with

التلفظ بالنية

your heart the performance of the action for the sake of Allaah , and this is sufficient. Since the place of the intention is the heart, its place is not the tongue. Hence uttering it is an innovation because it has not been established from the Prophet  , nor from his Rightly-guided successors, nor his Companions, nor the favored generations that they used to pronounce the intention. Rather its place is only the heart. And Allaah, the Most-High says:

 Say, “Will you inform Allaah of your religion while Allaah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and Allaah is All-Knowing of everything?”

[Al-Hujaraat 49:16]

So if you intend with your heart and you resolve with your heart, then Allaah knows that. And there is no need for you to utter with your tongue.

(Majmoo’ Fataawa Fadeelatu-Shaikh Saalih bin Fawzaan al-Fawzaan, pg. 675)


Translated by Abu Humaid.