Is there a righteous deed that contains more than one intention? With examples.

The questioner : Is it permissible to combine two intentions in one prayer?

The Shaykh : This answer can be attached to the previous question, or it can be kept separate. In the previous question regarding combining the 'aqiqah and the udhiyah, we established that this is not permissible, because an obligatory act does not substitute for another obligatory act. As for this question, if the intent is to combine two intentions in one obligatory act, the answer is no. However, if the intent—and this is the common case for such a question—is, for example, a man enters the mosque and has already performed wudu'. In this case, it is prescribed for him to perform the sunnah of wudu', and there is also the sunnah of the time, such as the sunnah of the Zuhr prayer, and there is also the greeting of the mosque. So a person can pray two rak'ahs and intend three intentions in these two rak'ahs: the greeting of the mosque, the sunnah of wudu', and the sunnah of the time. We say: Yes, this is possible. But it is better to assign a specific deed to each intention. Why? Because the one who prays two rak'ahs with three intentions receives a lesser reward, as stated in the authentic hadith where Allah the Mighty and Majestic says to His angels: . So the one who prays two rak'ahs has at least ten good deeds recorded for him. At least ten good deeds are recorded for him, and perhaps a hundred, and perhaps seven hundred, depending on his perfection of the prayer and his humility in it, and the like. So we will take now, to clarify the matter, the minimum recorded for one who performs an act of worship is ten good deeds. The one who prays the two rak'ahs with three intentions will have ten good deeds recorded for him, plus one good deed for one intention, and plus a second good deed for two intentions; because he prayed two rak'ahs with three intentions. The first intention, the greeting of the mosque, was accompanied by the deed of two rak'ahs, so he was recorded, as we said, at least ten good deeds. There remained two intentions without any deed. Each intention is worth one good deed, because this is part of the completion of the previous hadith . So he did not perform deeds for two intentions, which are, for example, the intention of wudu' and the intention of the time; whereas for the intention of the greeting, he performed two rak'ahs. So he is recorded ten good deeds plus two good deeds for the two intentions. But as we said earlier, it is better, as is clear to everyone, to assign a deed to each intention: pray two rak'ahs for the greeting of the mosque, pray two rak'ahs for the sunnah of wudu', and pray two rak'ahs for the sunnah of the time. In that case, he will be recorded at least ten plus ten plus ten, which is thirty. Please.

The questioner : For example, I entered the mosque and realized that the mu'adhdhin was about to give the iqamah, and there was no time for more than two rak'ahs. What should I choose? Should I pray the greeting of the mosque, or should I pray the sunnah, for example, for the Zuhr prayer?

The Shaykh : May Allah forgive you. Your problem is now solved by my previous answer. You are obligated to pray two rak'ahs. If we tell you to pray two rak'ahs with three intentions, what is your problem? Pray two rak'ahs with three intentions. But when you have time, we tell you to pray three prayers with three intentions, assigning a deed to each intention: two rak'ahs plus two rak'ahs plus two rak'ahs. This answer was given previously.