The Condition of Intention in Declaring Someone a Disbeliever
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, is it necessary for the one being declared a disbeliever to have an intention, or is it not required?
Answer:
It is necessary; acts of worship require intentions. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih al-Bukhari 1 This includes expiations, whether they are from the person himself or from someone else on his behalf. Therefore, the one paying the expiation must intend it; he must intend that it is an expiation, because it is an act of worship that requires an intention. This applies whether it is from the one upon whom it is obligatory, or from someone else who acts on his behalf by agency or by volunteering to do it for him. Therefore, intention is necessary.
Honorable Shaykh, is it necessary for the one being declared a disbeliever to have an intention, or is it not required?
Answer:
It is necessary; acts of worship require intentions. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
إنما الأعمال بالنيات وإنما لكل امرئ ما نوى
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، باب الرجعة، وباب الإيلاء والظهار والكفارة — islamhouse.com (56:11)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.