If one intends tamattu' (combining 'Umrah and Hajj with a break between them) and enters ihram (the consecrated state of pilgrimage) for 'Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage), then exits ihram, and then decides not to perform Hajj (the major pilgrimage), is that permissible for him?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question : Now, if one intends tamattu' and enters ihram for 'Umrah, then exits ihram, and then decides not to perform Hajj, is that permissible for him?
Answer : Yes, it is permissible for him, because he did not enter ihram for Hajj, and an intention without action is not binding.
Answer : Yes, it is permissible for him, because he did not enter ihram for Hajj, and an intention without action is not binding.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 2931 - إن نوى التمتع وأحرم بالعمرة وحل منها ثم بدا له أن لا يحج فهل له ذلك؟ ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.