The Utterance of Intention

Question : The questioner is from Jeddah. He says: What are the acts of worship in which it is permissible for a Muslim to utter his intention?

Answer : There is no act of worship in which it is prescribed for a Muslim to ever utter his intention, neither wudu' nor salah nor zakah nor fasting nor Hajj. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not known to say, "I intend to perform wudu'," "I intend to pray," "I intend to fast," "I intend to give zakah," or "I intend to perform Hajj." However, in Hajj, it is recommended (sunnah) for a person to name the type of pilgrimage with which he has entered the state of ihram. So he intends the type of pilgrimage in his heart, but he should name it with his tongue. For example, he says "Labbaik 'Umrah" for 'Umrah, "Labbaik Hajj" for Hajj, or "Labbaik 'Umrah and Hajj" for both.