Is it permissible to intend more than one act of worship in a single act of worship, such as if one enters the mosque at the adhan for the Zuhr prayer and prays two rak'ahs, intending with them both the greeting of the mosque and the sunnah?
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The questioner : This questioner asks: Is it permissible for us to intend more than one act of worship in a single act of worship, such as if one enters the mosque at the adhan for the Zuhr prayer and prays two rak'ahs, intending with them the greeting of the mosque, the sunnah of wudu, and the regular sunnah of Zuhr? Is that valid?
The Shaykh : This principle is important. It is whether acts of worship overlap. We say: if an act of worship is subsidiary to another act of worship, then there is no overlap between them. If an act of worship is subsidiary to another, there is no overlap between them. This is the rule. An example of this is: the Fajr prayer is two rak'ahs, and its sunnah is two rak'ahs. Is this sunnah subsidiary to the prayer or independent? It is independent, but it is subsidiary. That means it is the regular sunnah of Fajr, completing it. So the sunnah does not take the place of Fajr, meaning the place of the Fajr prayer, and the Fajr prayer does not take the place of the sunnah, because the regular sunnah is subsidiary to the obligatory prayer. So if an act of worship is subsidiary to another, it does not take the place of the other, neither the subsidiary nor the primary. Okay, another example: Jumu'ah has a regular sunnah after it, or before it? After it. Does a person restrict himself to the Jumu'ah prayer and be satisfied with it instead of the regular sunnah after it? The answer is no. Why? Because the sunnah of Jumu'ah is subsidiary to it. This is one. This is one.
Second: if the two acts of worship are independent, each act of worship is independent and intended for its own sake, then the two acts of worship do not overlap. Is this rule understood?
If the two acts of worship are each independent of the other and intended for their own sake, then the two acts of worship do not overlap. Do you understand the meaning now? No? The example will come, if Allah wills. An example of this is: if someone said: I will pray two rak'ahs before Zuhr, intending with them the four rak'ahs, because the regular sunnah of Zuhr before it is how many? Four rak'ahs with two taslims. So if he said: I will pray two rak'ahs and intend with them the four, is that permissible or not? It is not permissible, because the two acts of worship are independent, each one is independent of the other, and each one is intended for its own sake, so one does not suffice for the other. Okay, another example: after 'Isha' there is a regular sunnah, and after the sunnah there is witr. And witr is permissible to pray the three with two taslims, so he prays two rak'ahs, then he prays the witr. So if he said: I want to make the regular sunnah of 'Isha' count for the even number of witr and for the regular sunnah of 'Isha', is that permissible or not?
It appears that you did not understand the speech.
Okay, a man prayed 'Isha' and wants to pray the regular sunnah of 'Isha'. How many does he pray? Two rak'ahs. And he wants to pray witr with three, but he wants to separate them, so he prays two rak'ahs and says taslim, then he prays the third and makes it witr. So he said: I want now to pray two rak'ahs, intending with them the regular sunnah and the even number. What do you say about this? It is not permissible. Why? Because each act of worship is independent of the other and intended for its own sake, so it is not valid.
Third: if one of the two acts of worship is not intended for its own sake, but the intended thing is performing this type of worship, then here one of them suffices for the other, but the primary suffices for the secondary. I hope you follow, brothers. An example of this is: a man entered the mosque before praying Fajr, after the adhan. He entered the mosque after the adhan of Fajr. So here he is required to do two things. What are they? The greeting of the mosque and the regular sunnah of Fajr. So if he prays the regular sunnah, does it suffice for the greeting of the mosque? Yes, it suffices, because the greeting of the mosque is not intended for its own sake. The intended thing is that you do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs. So if you prayed the regular sunnah of Fajr, it is true that you did not sit until you prayed two rak'ahs, and the intended thing was achieved. If you intended the secondary, meaning you intended the greeting without the regular sunnah, it does not suffice for the regular sunnah. Why? Because the regular sunnah is intended for its own sake, and the greeting is not intended for its own sake. The intended thing is that you do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs. Is it clear, brothers, now? Okay, we come to the question the questioner mentioned. What does he say? But give the example he said so we can apply it to the rule.
The questioner : Is it permissible to intend more than one act of worship in a single act of worship, such as if one enters the mosque at the adhan for the Zuhr prayer and prays two rak'ahs, intending with them the greeting of the mosque, the sunnah of wudu, and the regular sunnah of Zuhr?
The Shaykh : If he intends the sunnah of the greeting of the mosque and the regular sunnah, does it suffice or not? It suffices. And the sunnah of wudu, we look: is the meaning of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 226b Does he (peace and blessings be upon him) mean that two rak'ahs exist after wudu, or does he mean if you perform wudu, then pray two rak'ahs? We see. If the intended thing is if you perform wudu, then pray two rak'ahs, then the two rak'ahs become intended. And if the intended thing is that whoever prays two rak'ahs after wudu, in whatever form the two rak'ahs are, then in that case these two rak'ahs suffice for the sunnah of wudu, the greeting of the mosque, and the regular sunnah of Zuhr. And what appears to me, and knowledge is with Allah, is that the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): does not intend two rak'ahs for their own sake, but the intended thing is to pray two rak'ahs, even if it is an obligatory prayer. And based on that, we say in the example the questioner mentioned that these two rak'ahs suffice for the greeting of the mosque, the regular sunnah, and the sunnah of wudu.
Okay, also another example: a man took a ghusl on Friday from janabah. Does it suffice for the ghusl of Friday? Okay, if he intends, there is no problem. If he intends with the ghusl of janabah and the ghusl of Friday, he gets it, due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): But if he intends the ghusl of janabah, does it suffice for the ghusl of Friday? We look: is the ghusl of Friday intended for its own sake, or is the intended thing that the person purifies himself for this day? Purity, due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): So the intended thing from this ghusl is that the person be clean on Friday. And this is achieved by the ghusl of janabah, or is it not achieved? It is achieved. And based on that, if a person took a ghusl from janabah on Friday, it sufficed for him for the ghusl of Friday, even if he did not intend it. If he intended it, the matter is clear. So now we have three rules. Who will repeat them?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Subsidiary to another act of worship, so there is no overlap between them. What is the example?
The student: ... The sunnah of Fajr and the obligatory prayer.
The Shaykh : Okay, the sunnah of Fajr and the obligatory prayer do not overlap. So if a man prays two rak'ahs, intending with them the obligatory prayer and the regular sunnah, it does not suffice. Okay, rest. The second?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Meaning that the two acts of worship are each independent of the other and intended for their own sake. Okay, for example: Yes, then it does not suffice, because the two acts of worship here are each independent of the other and intended for their own sake. Complete. Rest. The third?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : So the one intended for its own sake suffices for the other. What is the example?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : So if he entered the mosque and prayed the sunnah of Fajr, it sufficed for him for the greeting of the mosque, because the intended thing from the greeting of the mosque is that you do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs, whether it is an obligatory prayer, a regular sunnah, or anything else.
The Shaykh : This principle is important. It is whether acts of worship overlap. We say: if an act of worship is subsidiary to another act of worship, then there is no overlap between them. If an act of worship is subsidiary to another, there is no overlap between them. This is the rule. An example of this is: the Fajr prayer is two rak'ahs, and its sunnah is two rak'ahs. Is this sunnah subsidiary to the prayer or independent? It is independent, but it is subsidiary. That means it is the regular sunnah of Fajr, completing it. So the sunnah does not take the place of Fajr, meaning the place of the Fajr prayer, and the Fajr prayer does not take the place of the sunnah, because the regular sunnah is subsidiary to the obligatory prayer. So if an act of worship is subsidiary to another, it does not take the place of the other, neither the subsidiary nor the primary. Okay, another example: Jumu'ah has a regular sunnah after it, or before it? After it. Does a person restrict himself to the Jumu'ah prayer and be satisfied with it instead of the regular sunnah after it? The answer is no. Why? Because the sunnah of Jumu'ah is subsidiary to it. This is one. This is one.
Second: if the two acts of worship are independent, each act of worship is independent and intended for its own sake, then the two acts of worship do not overlap. Is this rule understood?
If the two acts of worship are each independent of the other and intended for their own sake, then the two acts of worship do not overlap. Do you understand the meaning now? No? The example will come, if Allah wills. An example of this is: if someone said: I will pray two rak'ahs before Zuhr, intending with them the four rak'ahs, because the regular sunnah of Zuhr before it is how many? Four rak'ahs with two taslims. So if he said: I will pray two rak'ahs and intend with them the four, is that permissible or not? It is not permissible, because the two acts of worship are independent, each one is independent of the other, and each one is intended for its own sake, so one does not suffice for the other. Okay, another example: after 'Isha' there is a regular sunnah, and after the sunnah there is witr. And witr is permissible to pray the three with two taslims, so he prays two rak'ahs, then he prays the witr. So if he said: I want to make the regular sunnah of 'Isha' count for the even number of witr and for the regular sunnah of 'Isha', is that permissible or not?
It appears that you did not understand the speech.
Okay, a man prayed 'Isha' and wants to pray the regular sunnah of 'Isha'. How many does he pray? Two rak'ahs. And he wants to pray witr with three, but he wants to separate them, so he prays two rak'ahs and says taslim, then he prays the third and makes it witr. So he said: I want now to pray two rak'ahs, intending with them the regular sunnah and the even number. What do you say about this? It is not permissible. Why? Because each act of worship is independent of the other and intended for its own sake, so it is not valid.
Third: if one of the two acts of worship is not intended for its own sake, but the intended thing is performing this type of worship, then here one of them suffices for the other, but the primary suffices for the secondary. I hope you follow, brothers. An example of this is: a man entered the mosque before praying Fajr, after the adhan. He entered the mosque after the adhan of Fajr. So here he is required to do two things. What are they? The greeting of the mosque and the regular sunnah of Fajr. So if he prays the regular sunnah, does it suffice for the greeting of the mosque? Yes, it suffices, because the greeting of the mosque is not intended for its own sake. The intended thing is that you do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs. So if you prayed the regular sunnah of Fajr, it is true that you did not sit until you prayed two rak'ahs, and the intended thing was achieved. If you intended the secondary, meaning you intended the greeting without the regular sunnah, it does not suffice for the regular sunnah. Why? Because the regular sunnah is intended for its own sake, and the greeting is not intended for its own sake. The intended thing is that you do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs. Is it clear, brothers, now? Okay, we come to the question the questioner mentioned. What does he say? But give the example he said so we can apply it to the rule.
The questioner : Is it permissible to intend more than one act of worship in a single act of worship, such as if one enters the mosque at the adhan for the Zuhr prayer and prays two rak'ahs, intending with them the greeting of the mosque, the sunnah of wudu, and the regular sunnah of Zuhr?
The Shaykh : If he intends the sunnah of the greeting of the mosque and the regular sunnah, does it suffice or not? It suffices. And the sunnah of wudu, we look: is the meaning of the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):
He who performed ablution like this ablution of mine and offered two raka`ahs of prayer without allowing his thoughts to be distracted, all his previous sins would be expiated.
من توضأ نحو وضوئي هذا ثم صلى ركعتين لا يحدث فيهما نفسه غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبهThen prays two rak'ahs
ثم صلى ركعتينOkay, also another example: a man took a ghusl on Friday from janabah. Does it suffice for the ghusl of Friday? Okay, if he intends, there is no problem. If he intends with the ghusl of janabah and the ghusl of Friday, he gets it, due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):
And every person only gets what he intended.
وإنما لكل ارمرئ ما نوىIf you had purified yourselves for this day of yours
لو تطهرتم ليومكم هذاThe student: ...
The Shaykh : Subsidiary to another act of worship, so there is no overlap between them. What is the example?
The student: ... The sunnah of Fajr and the obligatory prayer.
The Shaykh : Okay, the sunnah of Fajr and the obligatory prayer do not overlap. So if a man prays two rak'ahs, intending with them the obligatory prayer and the regular sunnah, it does not suffice. Okay, rest. The second?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Meaning that the two acts of worship are each independent of the other and intended for their own sake. Okay, for example: Yes, then it does not suffice, because the two acts of worship here are each independent of the other and intended for their own sake. Complete. Rest. The third?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : So the one intended for its own sake suffices for the other. What is the example?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : So if he entered the mosque and prayed the sunnah of Fajr, it sufficed for him for the greeting of the mosque, because the intended thing from the greeting of the mosque is that you do not sit until you pray two rak'ahs, whether it is an obligatory prayer, a regular sunnah, or anything else.