Explanation of the author's statement: "And it is obligatory to perform it at the first of the obligatory acts of purification, which is the invocation of the Name of Allah, and it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts, if it occurs before an obligatory act."
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The Shaykh : He said, (may Allah have mercy on him), "And it is obligatory to perform it at the first of the obligatory acts of purification, and it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts". It is obligatory to perform it, meaning the intention, at the first of the recommended acts of purification. The intention, as we have known before, is the resolve of the heart to perform an act of worship as an approach to Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
The questioner : The first of its obligatory acts.
The Shaykh :"And it is obligatory to perform it at the first of the obligatory acts of purification, which is the invocation of the Name of Allah, and it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts". I omitted it intentionally. "It is obligatory to perform it at the first of the obligatory acts of purification, which is the invocation of the Name of Allah, and it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts". This author intended to speak about the place of the intention: when does a person intend? He says it is obligatory at the first of the obligatory acts of purification. The word "at" (ʿinda) indicates proximity, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-A'raf 7:206]. So "at" indicates proximity. Accordingly, the intention must be concurrent with the act or precede it by a short time. If it precedes it by a long time, it is not sufficient. The evidence that it must be concurrent or close is his statement—where do we take this from? From the author's words, from his use of "at" and his statement: "at the first of the obligatory acts of purification". He did not say "at the first of the fard (obligatory) acts of purification," because the wajib (obligatory) takes precedence over the fard in purification. The wajib is the invocation of the Name of Allah. It has been mentioned to us before that the author says the invocation of the Name of Allah is obligatory in wudu' with remembrance, and it is dropped with forgetfulness. And if he remembers it during the wudu', he must start over according to the madhhab, or he invokes the Name and builds upon what is in al-Iqna'. And our companions differed on this: does he invoke the Name and build upon it, or does he invoke the Name and start over? It has been mentioned to us before that the correct view is that the invocation of the Name of Allah is not obligatory. This is the choice of al-Muqaffi and a group of our companions, (may Allah have mercy on them). This is because the evidence coming regarding it, as Imam Ahmad said, is not established. And if it is not established, then the view that obligates people to do it and invalidates the wudu' by leaving it off is based on evidence that is not established. This is not appropriate, because a person is accountable before Allah the Exalted. In the obligation of the worship of Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, it is not to obligate them with what the Shari'ah has not required. But according to the madhhab, it is obligatory with remembrance. So if he wants to perform wudu', he must intend the intention before the invocation of the Name of Allah, because the invocation of the Name of Allah is obligatory. He said: "And it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts, if it occurs before an obligatory act". What is the first of the recommended acts of purification? The first of its recommended acts is washing the hands three times before washing the face, as will come, if Allah wills, in the description of wudu'. So if he washes his hands three times before invoking the Name of Allah, performing the intention at that time becomes obligatory, not a recommended practice. "And it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts, if it occurs before an obligatory act". This means if he washes his hands three times before the invocation of the Name of Allah, the intention before washing the hands becomes a recommended practice. But as we have mentioned repeatedly, it is not conceivable for a person to... bring the water and start. Is it conceivable that he would do that without any intention at all? It is not conceivable. Therefore, the intention must precede even the first of the recommended acts, because no one can conceive that a person brings the water and engages in the work without intending to perform wudu'. This is far-fetched, except if he brings the water to wash for eating, and when he washes his hands, he says, "There is only a little left for me, I will complete it, I will make it wudu'." In this case, it might be said that the man started purification without an intention, and at that time, the intention may become obligatory at the invocation of the Name of Allah.
The questioner : Or he forgot, O Shaykh, because it is possible that some people do not wash for eating and forget and enter into the wudu' because they are accustomed to wudu' without an intention?
The Shaykh : Without an intention?
The questioner : Without an intention for the wudu'?
The questioner : He starts for the washing.
The Shaykh : Yes, this might also happen, but it is far-fetched. The important thing is that he intended the act now; he intended the act.
The questioner : The siwak, O Shaykh, is it not a recommended practice?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is, but at the gargling. The siwak is at the gargling, because it is after the obligatory acts. He said: "And it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts, if it occurs before an obligatory act". "If it occurs"—the pronoun refers to the first of the recommended acts. And his statement: "before an obligatory act"—what is the obligatory act? The invocation of the Name of Allah. Meaning, if he washes his hands three times before invoking the Name of Allah, then advancing the intention before washing the hands is a recommended practice. The summary is that if we are asked when the intention is, we say it has two places: a place where it is a recommended practice and a place where it is obligatory. What is the place where it is obligatory? Before the first of the obligatory acts. And what is the place where it is a recommended practice? Before the recommended act, if it occurs before an obligatory act. And the author's statement: "if it occurs before an obligatory act" indicates that this recommended act does not usually exist before the obligatory act. The usual case is that a person invokes the Name of Allah before washing his hands, and at that time, the obligatory act is advanced.
The questioner : The first of its obligatory acts.
The Shaykh :"And it is obligatory to perform it at the first of the obligatory acts of purification, which is the invocation of the Name of Allah, and it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts". I omitted it intentionally. "It is obligatory to perform it at the first of the obligatory acts of purification, which is the invocation of the Name of Allah, and it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts". This author intended to speak about the place of the intention: when does a person intend? He says it is obligatory at the first of the obligatory acts of purification. The word "at" (ʿinda) indicates proximity, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, those who are near your Lord are not prevented by arrogance from His worship
إن الذين عند ربك لا يستكبرون عن عبادتهThe questioner : Or he forgot, O Shaykh, because it is possible that some people do not wash for eating and forget and enter into the wudu' because they are accustomed to wudu' without an intention?
The Shaykh : Without an intention?
The questioner : Without an intention for the wudu'?
The questioner : He starts for the washing.
The Shaykh : Yes, this might also happen, but it is far-fetched. The important thing is that he intended the act now; he intended the act.
The questioner : The siwak, O Shaykh, is it not a recommended practice?
The Shaykh : Yes, it is, but at the gargling. The siwak is at the gargling, because it is after the obligatory acts. He said: "And it is a recommended practice at the first of its recommended acts, if it occurs before an obligatory act". "If it occurs"—the pronoun refers to the first of the recommended acts. And his statement: "before an obligatory act"—what is the obligatory act? The invocation of the Name of Allah. Meaning, if he washes his hands three times before invoking the Name of Allah, then advancing the intention before washing the hands is a recommended practice. The summary is that if we are asked when the intention is, we say it has two places: a place where it is a recommended practice and a place where it is obligatory. What is the place where it is obligatory? Before the first of the obligatory acts. And what is the place where it is a recommended practice? Before the recommended act, if it occurs before an obligatory act. And the author's statement: "if it occurs before an obligatory act" indicates that this recommended act does not usually exist before the obligatory act. The usual case is that a person invokes the Name of Allah before washing his hands, and at that time, the obligatory act is advanced.