What is the ruling on combining the intention of fasting six days of Shawwal with making up missed fasts, and also combining the intention of the greeting of the mosque with the intention of the Sunnah prayer?
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The questioner : ... Shaykh, combining acts of worship ... I understood your recent remarks regarding combining the intention of fasting six days of Shawwal with making up missed fasts.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And also combining the intention of the greeting of the mosque with the intention of the Sunnah prayer.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh : In examples like the ones you mentioned, we can envision three levels, three levels in terms of virtue. We start with the best, then the next, then the last. A man performs wudu and enters the mosque for the Fajr prayer, intending to pray two rak'ahs after the Fajr adhan. He enters the mosque intending the greeting of the mosque and the Fajr Sunnah. Here, he has two. Another man, the third and last, performs wudu and enters the mosque intending the Fajr Sunnah. These are ranked in virtue: first, then second, then last. The last one is credited with the virtue of the Fajr Sunnah. The one above him, who intended the greeting of the mosque, is credited with what was credited to the first, plus a good deed. The first one, who intended the wudu and the greeting and the Fajr Sunnah, is credited with what was credited to the first and second, plus a second good deed. That is, he is credited with the virtue of the two rak'ahs of Fajr and two good deeds. The two good deeds are the intentions of the two acts of worship. Where did we take this from? There is no doubt that the one who prays three acts of worship is better than these three. That is, he prays two rak'ahs as the Sunnah of wudu, then he prays two rak'ahs as the Sunnah of the greeting of the mosque, or the obligation of the greeting of the mosque, then he prays the two rak'ahs of Fajr. This is credited to him as three acts of worship. But the type we were discussing, the one who prayed only two rak'ahs with two intentions, is credited with the prayer of the Fajr Sunnah and two intentions. Who told us about the two intentions? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith:; so, the intention of a good deed without action is written as a good deed, but with action it is ten and increasing, as you heard. So we say that the one who wants to settle for two rak'ahs, my brother, may gain two good deeds just by the two intentions. But we advise him to pray two rak'ahs as the Sunnah of wudu, two rak'ahs as the greeting of the mosque, and two rak'ahs as the Fajr Sunnah. This is better. But not everyone has that energy. However, the one who prays two rak'ahs at the first level, meaning with two intentions, and the one who prays two rak'ahs with one intention, and the one who prays with an added intention, and the one who prays two rak'ahs without any intention, neither the first nor the second, their action is the same. How did they differ? By the intention. The matter is simple. So why not gain good deeds just by good intentions? From here comes this ruling you asked about earlier, and it is hopefully clear, if Allah wills.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you. Okay, I now want to ... Abd al-Rahman, I want to leave.
The questioner : ... our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : It is now nine and a quarter.
The questioner : ... May Allah preserve you ... Abd al-Ghani is at his home there.
The Shaykh : How?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And also combining the intention of the greeting of the mosque with the intention of the Sunnah prayer.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh : In examples like the ones you mentioned, we can envision three levels, three levels in terms of virtue. We start with the best, then the next, then the last. A man performs wudu and enters the mosque for the Fajr prayer, intending to pray two rak'ahs after the Fajr adhan. He enters the mosque intending the greeting of the mosque and the Fajr Sunnah. Here, he has two. Another man, the third and last, performs wudu and enters the mosque intending the Fajr Sunnah. These are ranked in virtue: first, then second, then last. The last one is credited with the virtue of the Fajr Sunnah. The one above him, who intended the greeting of the mosque, is credited with what was credited to the first, plus a good deed. The first one, who intended the wudu and the greeting and the Fajr Sunnah, is credited with what was credited to the first and second, plus a second good deed. That is, he is credited with the virtue of the two rak'ahs of Fajr and two good deeds. The two good deeds are the intentions of the two acts of worship. Where did we take this from? There is no doubt that the one who prays three acts of worship is better than these three. That is, he prays two rak'ahs as the Sunnah of wudu, then he prays two rak'ahs as the Sunnah of the greeting of the mosque, or the obligation of the greeting of the mosque, then he prays the two rak'ahs of Fajr. This is credited to him as three acts of worship. But the type we were discussing, the one who prayed only two rak'ahs with two intentions, is credited with the prayer of the Fajr Sunnah and two intentions. Who told us about the two intentions? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith:
Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: When My servant intends a good deed and does it, write it for him as ten good deeds, up to a hundred good deeds, up to seven hundred, up to many times over, and Allah multiplies for whom He wills. And when My servant intends a good deed but does not do it, write it for him as one good deed.
يقول الله - عز وجل - : إذا هَمَّ عبدي بحسنة فعملها ؛ فاكتبوها له عشر حسنات ، إلى مئة حسنة ، إلى سبع مئة ، إلى أضعاف كثيرة ، والله يضاعف لِمَن يشاء ، وإذا هَمَّ عبدي بحسنة فلم يعملها ؛ فاكتبوها له حسنةThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you. Okay, I now want to ... Abd al-Rahman, I want to leave.
The questioner : ... our Shaykh.
The Shaykh : It is now nine and a quarter.
The questioner : ... May Allah preserve you ... Abd al-Ghani is at his home there.
The Shaykh : How?
Source
www.al-albany.com
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