Pronouncing the Intention for Prayer

Question: Some people, at the beginning of the prayer, say: "I intend to pray such and such, which is obligatory upon me for the sake of the Great Allah." What is the ruling on this statement? May Allah reward you.

Answer: This is among the religious innovations for which Allah has not sent down any authority. It is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), nor from his Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, nor from the preferred centuries, nor from the recognized imams, that they used to say at the beginning of the prayer,Or other acts of worship: "I intend such and such." Rather, they intended with their hearts, and Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) knows what is in their hearts. The place of the intention is the heart, not the tongue.And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Surah al-Hujurat: 16]. This is among the religious innovations that are not permissible to perform or to continue with. Rather, the Muslim should intend with his heart and aim with his heart to perform the act of worship that Allah has prescribed, without pronouncing it; because pronouncing the intention is an invented religious innovation. And what is attributed to al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) that he held this view, this is not established from al-Shafi'i.And what is established from him is that he said: The prayer is not like other things. The prayer begins with the remembrance of Allah, and by that he means the takbir of entering the prayer, and it does not mean that it begins with pronouncing the intention. This is not what al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) intended.