Is it valid to verbalize the intention and the basmalah in prayer, or is it not valid?

The questioner:
In the name of Allah, the last one says: I entered the mosque and prayed what was written for me. When I finished the prayer, one of the brothers met me and said to me, "Your prayer is invalid." He said to me, "Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not verbalize the intention, nor the basmalah, nor did he recite qunut in the Fajr prayer?" So I said to my brother, may Allah guide you, that Imam al-Shafi'i verbalizes the intention and the basmalah and argues with them, and likewise if he... he responds to him, meaning he argues using Imam al-Shafi'i.

The Shaykh:
In any case, the prayer is not invalid if one verbalizes the intention; the prayer is valid, but verbalizing the intention is not prescribed; rather, it is a religious innovation (bid'ah). The place of the intention is the heart. It is not established from al-Shafi'i or any other of the imams that they verbalized the intention. As the scholars mentioned, neither al-Shafi'i, nor Malik, nor Ahmad, nor Abu Hanifah, nor any other of the imams verbalized the intention, nor did the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), nor the leader of the believers, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), verbalized the intention. Rather, when he intended to pray, he would begin with the takbir (saying Allahu akbar). As for some people saying, "I intend to pray for Allah the Zuhr prayer, four rak'ahs, as imam or as ma'mum," all of this has no basis; all of this is a religious innovation (bid'ah). The questioner should be aware of this, as should the cautious ones. Verbalizing the intention is among the religious innovations (bid'ah) that people have introduced. The place of the intention is the heart. It is not recorded from a single imam, whether from the Companions, the Tabi'un, or the four imams, that they verbalized the intention. Furthermore, if a scholar verbalizes it, that does not make it a proof for the scholar. The words of a scholar are to be evaluated against the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). If the scholar's statement agrees with the words of Allah and the words of His Messenger, it is accepted; otherwise, it is not. Allah the Exalted says: And He the Exalted said: "And in whatever you differ, refer its judgment to Allah." So whatever people have introduced is to be referred to the Book and the Sunnah. What agrees with them is accepted, and what contradicts them is rejected. (Peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever does an action for which there is no command from us, it is rejected." As for the basmalah, it is a recommended practice (sunnah). The recommended practice is to say it when one recites al-Fatihah or recites a surah, whether in prayer, in a vow, or in a voluntary prayer, saying "Bismillah." However, one does not say it aloud. The recommended practice, and what is better, is to say it quietly, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Companions did. Quietly is what is better. As for qunut, qunut is a recommended practice (sunnah) in the witr prayer and in the prayers during calamities. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would do it in the Fajr prayer and others during calamities. When a calamity befell the Muslims, such as an enemy, he would do it at specific times, supplicating against the enemy and for the Muslims, and then he left it (peace and blessings be upon him). So when an enemy befalls the Muslims, they supplicate in their prayers for one or two months for victory for the believers and destruction for the disbelievers, and then they stop; it is not permanent. As for in the witr, it is better. You should know this. However, some scholars said it is recommended in the Fajr prayer always, but that is a weak opinion. The correct view is that it is not recommended except during calamities. This is because it is established from Sa'd ibn Tariq al-Ash'aji that he said: "I asked my father, and my father was a Companion from among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I said: 'O my father, did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) do qunut in the Fajr prayer?' His father said: 'O my son, you are a latecomer.' The questioner said to him: 'You prayed behind Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. Did they do qunut in the Fajr prayer?' Tariq said to him: 'Answer me: from what day did the innovation of making it a regular practice, without a specific cause, begin?' As for qunut for calamities and newly occurring needs, such as wars, supplicating for the Muslims and against the disbelievers, this is what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did at certain times, and then he left it (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes.

The questioner:
Some young Muslims in some Islamic countries are seized from among the youth and thrown into prostration because of their calling to Allah. They always despair in Fajr.

The Shaykh:
They are excused, for the sake of the Salaf (the earliest generations) from this thing. But it is not that he is a caller one time and not another time.

The questioner:
They are there for a month.

The Shaykh:
Two months, then he stops, then he returns and makes up what was missed.

The questioner:
That the cause is still present, meaning he sees that the cause is still present.

The Shaykh:
Even if it is attributed, he distinguishes between them. It does not become permanent until it agrees with the Sunnah.

The questioner:
O Shaykh, some of the radio in Egypt continuously broadcasts the Fajr prayer and the Mosque of al-Husayn, and always the imam recites qunut in it?

The Shaykh:
May Allah guide them a little. They have major shirk (associating partners with Allah), greater than what is in the hearts. They have major shirk: supplicating to al-Husayn, and supplicating to al-Badawi. I ask Allah to guide them, and to accept that he prays.