The issue of verbalizing the intention.

The Shaykh : ... and it turned out he was not Abd al-Rahman. Do you think his prayer was valid or not?

The questioner : He intended that the one named So-and-So...

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : He intended, by the name of So-and-So, that I intended this young man.

The Shaykh : Yes, for this one who is Abd al-Rahman.

Another questioner : The imam, O our master, the Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes?

Another questioner : His intention was the imam.

The Shaykh : He intended the imam.

Another questioner : Regardless of whether it was Abd al-Rahman or someone else.

The Shaykh : No, he intended it. What is in his mind?

The questioner: Yes.

Another questioner : That So-and-So is praying for us.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is what is in his mind.

Another questioner : Yes, yes.

The Shaykh : But he said: with this imam.

Another questioner : This imam.

The Shaykh : Yes, but what is in his mind?

Another questioner : His mind is that it is Abd al-Rahman.

The Shaykh : Abd al-Rahman al-Khatib, yes.
But his assumption was wrong when he heard his recitation, because the recitation of one imam differs from another. Here, the scholars asked: Do you think this person who intended to follow this imam—without necessarily saying it with his tongue, "with this imam who is Abd al-Rahman," but in his mind and thought he believed it was Abd al-Rahman al-Khatib—and it turned out it was not Abd al-Rahman al-Khatib? Is his prayer valid or not?
There are two opinions on this issue: Some say his prayer is valid. Why? Because he intended the imam he wanted to follow, but he had a mistaken conception; so this is an excuse. Others said: No, it is not valid; because he intended to follow a specific imam. This is the problem of verbalizing the intention. What is this called? Verbalizing the intention. This verbalizing of the intention has no basis in the Islamic Shari'ah.

Another questioner : It has no basis.

The Shaykh : It has no basis in the Islamic Shari'ah. And I hope you pay attention to what I am saying: It is not that the intention has no basis; it is the verbalizing of the intention. The place of the intention is the heart. As for verbalizing this intention that is in your heart, this verbalizing has no basis. You do not go back to Sham and say: We heard a Shami Shaykh say that there is no intention in prayer and this has no basis. No, understand me well: the verbalizing.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, the verbalizing. May Allah allow you to convey it well and memorize it well.

Another questioner : ... My master, may Allah comfort your heart, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Verbalizing the intention has no basis, but the intention is necessary, do you see? The intention, whose place is the heart, is necessary. The same scholars who differed on the previous scenario said: If a person named Zayd stood to pray the obligatory 'Isha' prayer, and according to his habit he verbalized the intention, what did he say? "I intend to pray the obligatory Maghrib instead of 'Isha'." He is praying Maghrib, but what did he say with his tongue? "The obligatory Maghrib." Is his prayer valid or not? They said: The criterion is the intention in his heart. If he intended 'Isha', his prayer is valid; because this speech and this wording is idle talk with no value.
And the opposite is the opposite: Suppose he came to pray 'Isha' and said: "I intend to pray Maghrib," while he intended Maghrib; do you see? He intended Maghrib. His prayer is invalid; because his intention was wrong, just like his wording. At that time, his intention was good and correct, but his wording was wrong. So the criterion is what is in the heart, not what is in the wording.
We return to the Messenger (peace be upon him), who commanded us by his saying: ; With what did he begin his prayer? Look at the difference between us and him due to the distance of time and the prevalence of ignorance over us. We stand and begin the prayer with idle talk; as proven by the previous examples. He made a mistake in the wording, and they said: This has no value; the value is in what is in the heart. He used to begin the prayer with one sentence: and that is it! There is no "I intend to pray for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)."

Another questioner : Does he recite al-Fatihah, my master?

The Shaykh : May Allah guide me and you. We are now talking about beginning the prayer. The first thing he would do when entering the prayer was to say: . He does not say: "I intend to pray four rak'ahs of the obligatory 'Isha' as an imam." Allahu Akbar! No, the one who wants to pray imagines and conceives it in his mind, then follows that with his takbir to his Lord, Allahu Akbar. This is how the Messenger (peace be upon him) used to begin the prayer.
One of us today comes to perform wudu'. What does he say? "I intend to remove the minor state of ritual impurity." Words with no taste. Why are you standing in front of the washbasin or the sink and so on? Is it not to perform wudu'? Yes. Why are you saying: "I intend to remove the minor state of ritual impurity"? Do you think if you said: "I intend to remove the major state of ritual impurity" by mistake? Is your wudu' valid or not? The criterion is what is in the heart, not what is in the wording!
We sit to eat suhur in Ramadan. What do we say? "I intend to fast tomorrow, if Allah wills (Glorified and Exalted is He)." Empty talk! Why did you get up at night to eat suhur before dawn, contrary to custom? Is it not to fast tomorrow for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He)? Yes. So this whole speech is empty in reason and in the Shari'ah. In the Shari'ah: . Did he say anything before the takbir? The answer is: No. When we want to perform wudu', we say: "I intend to remove the minor state of ritual impurity." Many of them do not say: "In the name of Allah." Even though the Messenger said: . So we replaced what is lower with what is better. We discarded the Basmalah without which wudu' is not valid, and we put in a phrase with no taste and which is not reported in the Sunnah: "I intend to remove the minor state of ritual impurity"!!
The Imam Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him), one of the great scholars of hadith and Hanbali fiqh, says logical words, words of eminent scholars. He says: The example of one who verbalizes the intention while standing before his Lord of the worlds (Blessed and Exalted is He), who knows best what is in the breasts, is like a guest who knocked on the door, and the owner of the house stood up to receive him, and while standing towards him he says: "I intend to stand up for you to receive you and give you your due." This noble man says: All the attendees would laugh at him. Why? Because he is expressing something that is understood from his action, from his deed. It is not that the guest would only understand; even the seated ones, why did this owner of the house stand up? Do they need a translation that he stood up to receive him and honor him? They do not need a translation! He said: This is ugly in reason between one servant and another servant. And perhaps the servant needs clarification; because he does not know what is in the breasts. So how does your Lord know what is in the breasts? . So when you say you want to pray Dhuhr or 'Asr or something else; does your Lord not know that you are standing praying for Him four or three or two? He knows. So to whom are you translating? You are translating to one who knows what is in the breasts? Your translation was not accepted between you and a servant like your story; so how would this translation of what is in your heart to your Lord be accepted from you, while He knows the secret and what is even more hidden?!
All of this is prevalent in the Levant and outside the Levant. The cause is: distance from the Sunnah. So we ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to keep us alive upon the Sunnah and to let us die upon the Sunnah.

Those present : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh : And to you.
Do you mind if we go?

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Ah, let us pray.

Another questioner: We pray.

The Shaykh: Good.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Is there a place to pray? It would be better.

Another questioner : Whoever wants to perform wudu'.

The Shaykh : Oh Allah, whoever wants to perform wudu' should prepare.
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