What is the ruling on changing the intention in prayer (in voluntary prayer)?
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The questioner : The second question...
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Abu Shadi...
The Shaykh : But you are directing him and then reversing the direction. You did not direct him; he is the one asking. Why is he not speaking? You know, we reject intermediaries. Let him speak.
The questioner : He extended his hand, I did not see it.
The Shaykh : If you are satisfied with saying he extended his hand. Please, go ahead.
The questioner : Regarding the witr, my Shaykh, for the witr prayer, if I intended three rak'ahs and during the prayer I said the taslim after two rak'ahs, or the opposite.
The Shaykh : I intended two rak'ahs and continued.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : There is no harm in that, because both are sunnah.
The questioner : Sunnah?
The Shaykh : Yes. What is not permissible to change the intention for is the obligatory prayer. As for voluntary prayer, it is as he (peace be upon him) said regarding fasting:Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim 16:72 And if the witr is a choice for the one praying between praying one rak'ah or three, or so on, then it is even more so that his action fluctuates between one sunnah and another. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) connecting [the rak'ahs] with one tashahhud in the three rak'ahs of witr, and separating them. So it does not harm him here if the intention of the one praying witr differs, as long as it does not take him out of the sunnah.
Yes
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Abu Shadi...
The Shaykh : But you are directing him and then reversing the direction. You did not direct him; he is the one asking. Why is he not speaking? You know, we reject intermediaries. Let him speak.
The questioner : He extended his hand, I did not see it.
The Shaykh : If you are satisfied with saying he extended his hand. Please, go ahead.
The questioner : Regarding the witr, my Shaykh, for the witr prayer, if I intended three rak'ahs and during the prayer I said the taslim after two rak'ahs, or the opposite.
The Shaykh : I intended two rak'ahs and continued.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : There is no harm in that, because both are sunnah.
The questioner : Sunnah?
The Shaykh : Yes. What is not permissible to change the intention for is the obligatory prayer. As for voluntary prayer, it is as he (peace be upon him) said regarding fasting:
The voluntary fasting person is the commander of himself; if he wishes, he fasts, and if he wishes, he breaks his fast.
الصائم المتطوع أمير نفسه إن شاء صام وإن شاء أفطرYes
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.