What is the ruling on one who commits to verbalizing the intention when establishing the prayer? (Unclear).

The questioner : I mean, if the prayer is established and one stands up... and one of them speaks to the other, any kind of speech, is this considered an error or...?

The Shaykh : The answer: First, there is a difference between what we are discussing and the example you gave. Nevertheless, I will give you the answer. It is not considered an error, but it is considered a deficiency if one commits to it; it is undoubtedly a deficiency, because this falls under the category of committing to what is not required. That is one thing. The second thing is that we look at this person who speaks, or is speaking, other than the intention before the prayer in your example: is he seeking nearness to Allah by doing so, or not? If the answer, as is assumed, is no, then we say there is no... in the matter. So, those who verbalize are seeking nearness to Allah by doing so, and they say that verbalizing the intention is a recommended practice (mustahabb), and in the Shafi'i school, they claim that it is obligatory (fard). So, there is a very great difference between our treatment of this topic and the example you gave from several aspects. First, the example you gave does not commit to it; he might say a word now, and say another word in another prayer, and say another word in yet another prayer. And then, he does not commit to it; he might not say anything at all, and this is a reality. Meanwhile, those who verbalize commit to it. Then there is another contradiction: they seek nearness to Allah by this commitment. From here it follows that the topic falls under the category of Look, the Hanafis in their school say that the recommended practice (sunnah) after the closing salam is to sit for the duration of "O Allah, You are Peace, and from You is peace. Blessed are You, O Owner of Majesty and Honor," and then to stand for the post-prayer recommended prayer (sunnah). Our matter is exactly like this in that by his salam he has exited the prayer, but what he is saying is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not add after the salam except this amount. So, you do not add to that, even if it is prescribed invocations (awrad), let alone if he adds from himself speech like this idle talk, which is verbalizing the intention. It is even more deserving of being denounced. Therefore, some of the Shafi'i scholars stated: "Verbalizing the intention is nothing", and indeed it is nothing, because if we look at the examples we gave earlier, he intends correctly in his heart and verbalizes the error, and vice versa. So, what does this verbalization amount to? It amounts to nothing.