What is the ruling on changing the intention during prayer?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you. Regarding changing the intention in prayer?
The Shaykh : Yes, changing the intention is either from a specific prayer to a specific prayer, or from a general prayer to a specific prayer. This is not valid. Do you understand? From a specific to a specific, or from a general to a specific, this is not valid.
And if it is from a specific to a general, there is no harm. An example of this is someone who intends a specific prayer, such as wanting to switch from the Sunnah of Dhuha to the rawatib of Fajr that he wants to make up. He began with the intention that he wants to pray the two rak'ahs of Dhuha, then he remembered that he had not prayed the rawatib of Fajr, so he changed it to the rawatib of Fajr. Here, it is not valid because the rawatib of Fajr is two rak'ahs, and one must intend them from the beginning of the prayer. Likewise, a man who entered the prayer of 'Asr and during the prayer remembered that he had not prayed Zuhr, so he intended it for Zuhr. This is also not valid, because for a specific prayer, one must have the intention from the very beginning.
As for changing from a general to a specific, for example, if a person is praying a general voluntary prayer, then he remembers that he did not pray Fajr or did not pray the Sunnah of Fajr, so he changes this intention to the prayer of Fajr or to the Sunnah of Fajr, this is also not valid. It is not valid.
As for changing from a specific to a general, for example, if someone starts the prayer intending it to be the rawatib of Fajr, having forgotten it, and during the prayer it becomes clear that he has already prayed it, then he changes from the first intention to the intention of prayer only. Or, for example, if a person starts the obligatory prayer alone, then the congregation arrives, and he wants to change the obligatory prayer to a voluntary prayer so that he can limit it to two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, this is also permissible because he changed from a specific to a general.
This is the rule: from a specific to a specific is not valid, from a general to a specific is not valid, and from a specific to a general is valid. Yes, that is correct.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Not in turn. Who asked first? Yes, let us start with the one who asked first.
The questioner : Professor, a related question.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, changing the intention is either from a specific prayer to a specific prayer, or from a general prayer to a specific prayer. This is not valid. Do you understand? From a specific to a specific, or from a general to a specific, this is not valid.
And if it is from a specific to a general, there is no harm. An example of this is someone who intends a specific prayer, such as wanting to switch from the Sunnah of Dhuha to the rawatib of Fajr that he wants to make up. He began with the intention that he wants to pray the two rak'ahs of Dhuha, then he remembered that he had not prayed the rawatib of Fajr, so he changed it to the rawatib of Fajr. Here, it is not valid because the rawatib of Fajr is two rak'ahs, and one must intend them from the beginning of the prayer. Likewise, a man who entered the prayer of 'Asr and during the prayer remembered that he had not prayed Zuhr, so he intended it for Zuhr. This is also not valid, because for a specific prayer, one must have the intention from the very beginning.
As for changing from a general to a specific, for example, if a person is praying a general voluntary prayer, then he remembers that he did not pray Fajr or did not pray the Sunnah of Fajr, so he changes this intention to the prayer of Fajr or to the Sunnah of Fajr, this is also not valid. It is not valid.
As for changing from a specific to a general, for example, if someone starts the prayer intending it to be the rawatib of Fajr, having forgotten it, and during the prayer it becomes clear that he has already prayed it, then he changes from the first intention to the intention of prayer only. Or, for example, if a person starts the obligatory prayer alone, then the congregation arrives, and he wants to change the obligatory prayer to a voluntary prayer so that he can limit it to two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, this is also permissible because he changed from a specific to a general.
This is the rule: from a specific to a specific is not valid, from a general to a specific is not valid, and from a specific to a general is valid. Yes, that is correct.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Not in turn. Who asked first? Yes, let us start with the one who asked first.
The questioner : Professor, a related question.
The Shaykh : Yes.