How is an intention supposed to be made in heart for Salah/wudhu??

I

islamis4ever

New Member
As salaamu alaikum

PLease could someone help me with this intention question? Can someone just answer these questions for me regarding making an intention for salaah or wudhu, I used to know how to do it, but after this waswasa problem, I take about 5 mins to make an intention because I do not know if it is right and I keep thinking that it is wrong:

1. I know that the intention is supposed to be made in the heart, but what does that mean and how does one make an intention in the heart?

2. If any random thought appears in the mind while making an intention do you have to restart the intention?

3. If any picture of a swear word appears in the mind while making an intention do you have to restart it? (They appear beacause of my waswasa problems)

Jazakallah in advance for the answers
 
K

Kakorot

Junior Member
:wasalam:

When you have intention for wudhu, salat etc. you don't have to spare a few seconds thinking 'I am making intention to make wudhu' and then before you perform salah 'I am making intention to do salah'. You just get up and make wudhu and then pray salat. Easy.
 
Tomtom

Tomtom

Banned
Kakorot you've just gave him the wrong answer! Intention is very important.

When you want to perform Wudu you make the intention first otherwise you are just washing yourself. And you have to categorise which prayer you are performing, for example, there are obligatory and non-obligatory prayers so you have to distinguish which prayer you are offering.

If you don't know something please do not give advise.
 
K

Kakorot

Junior Member
Actions are backed by intentions. I didn't say he doesn't need to have an intention. I was taught by a shaykh that you do not need to utter the intention for ablution or prayer. By you getting up, entering the bathroom and performing wudhu - that itself implies the intention.

So please don't say to me if I don't know I must not give advice. I wasn't speaking from my own intellect.
 
Tomtom

Tomtom

Banned
Then that sheyk was wrong. And you don't utter the intention you think it in your head.

For example before performing Wudu you pause for a minute and think inside your head the intention " I intend to perform wudu, Oh Allah clean me and purify so that I can pray -----"
( the dashed being the prayer that you are about to perform ie. Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib or Isha).
 
K

Kakorot

Junior Member
:wasalam:

With all due respect but since when do you know more than a scholar? You don't even know him, he's well known and teaches from Qur'aan and sunnah.

Anyway 'islamis4ever' read through this, maybe you'll understand better inshaAllaah:


Should a Muslim utter the intention (niyyah) when he starts to do an act of worship, such as saying, “I intend to do wudoo’”, “I intend to pray”, “I intend to fast” and so on?

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about the intention when starting to do an act of worship such as praying etc., do we need to utter it verbally, such as saying, “I intend to pray, I intend to fast”?*!

He replied:*!

Praise be to Allaah.*!

The intention of purifying oneself by doing wudoo’ ghusl or tayammum, of praying, fasting, paying zakaah, offering kafaarah (expiation) and other acts of worship does not need to be uttered verbally, according to the consensus of the imaams of Islam. Rather the place of intention is the heart, according to the consensus among them. If a person utters something by mistake that goes against what is in his heart, then what counts is what he intended, not what he said.*!

No one has mentioned any difference of opinion concerning this matter, except that some of the later followers of al-Shaafa’i expressed approval of that, but some of the leaders of this madhhab said that this was wrong. But in the dispute among the scholars as to whether it is mustahabb to utter one’s intention, there are two points of view. Some of the companions of Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad said that it is mustahabb to utter the intention so as to make it stronger.*!

Some of the companions of Maalik, Ahmad and others said that it is not mustahabb to utter it, because that is a bid’ah (innovation). It was not narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or his Sahaabah did it or that he commanded anyone among his ummah to utter the intention. That is not known from any of the Muslims. If that had been prescribed then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions would not have neglected it, as it has to do with worship which the ummah does every day and night.*!

This is the more correct view. Indeed, uttering the intention is a of irrational thinking and falling short in religious commitment. In terms of falling short in religious commitment, that is because it is bid’ah (an innovation). In terms of irrational thinking, that is because it is like a person who wants to eat some food saying, “I intend to put my hand in this vessel, take out a morsel of food, put it in my mouth and chew it, then swallow it, and eat until I have had my fill.” This is sheer foolishness and ignorance.*!

Intention is connected to knowledge. If a person knows what he is doing then he has obviously made an intention. It cannot be imagined, if he knows what he wants to do, that he has not formed an intention. The imaams are agreed that speaking the intention out loud and repeating it is not prescribed in Islam, rather the person who has made this a habit should be disciplined and told not to worship Allaah by following bid’ah and not to disturb others by raising his voice. And Allaah knows best.*!


Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, 1/214, 215


http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/13337/Niyyah
 
I

islamis4ever

New Member
Jazakallah for all replies but let us not try to fight here we are all brothers in islam.
Kakorot I have read up on what you have posted but tomtom does have a valid point. I was taught to make an intention before salah/wudhu, but if it comes to your mind mentally then it isn't making an intention is it? also, i see lots of people stop before salah for about 3 secs just to make thier intention but for me it takes very long because I dont know how to make it?
 
K

Kakorot

Junior Member
Wa iyyaaki.

Brother I was taught the same and it used to take me a minute or so just to make intention. But I stopped uttering/thinking intention simply because there's no proof that we have to do that.
 
thariq2005

thariq2005

Praise be to Allah!
Tomtom said:
Then that sheyk was wrong. And you don't utter the intention you think it in your head.

For example before performing Wudu you pause for a minute and think inside your head the intention " I intend to perform wudu, Oh Allah clean me and purify so that I can pray -----"
( the dashed being the prayer that you are about to perform ie. Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib or Isha).
Click to expand...

I wish people refrained from speaking without knowledge. And refraining from speaking without knowledge can lead a person to gain good deeds. I request you brother Tomtom to seek knowledge as this is what eliminates ignorance. Remember the narration about the judge who gives a 'verdict' without knowledge and even if he was right- he will go to the hell-fire. So something to ponder over and I hope that you do not take this as an offensive post from my behalf. This is a reminder to all of us and I am sure you, brother Tomtom, is sincere and only trying to help the brother out. I ask Allaah to overlook our faults and forgive us for our shortcomings.

Your way of doing the 'Niyyah' is flawed. Why would you not think inside your head, with the following additions: "I intend to do Wudoo', Oh Allah clean me and purify so that I can pray 'Dhuhr' of 4 units, each unit consisting of 2 sajdah's and 1 rak`ah, and with a tasleem and fatihah and I will be facing the Qiblah, and O' Allaah accept my prayer that I am praying to You etc. etc. etc."

Please read below inshaa'Allaah

@ Brother Islamis4ever

Let me try and explain this to you in brief:

- When you go to do wudoo': The fact that you go into the bathroom and open the tap itself shows that you have intended to do wudoo'. The fact that you have started washing your face, hands etc. itself is an indication that you have previously intended to do wudoo'. In fact, if a muslim was to walk past you- even he would know that you are doing wudoo' from your external actions, so how can it be possible that your own self does not know what you are doing? This is from the waswaas of Shaytaan.


Just like how you sit at your dining table to eat your food is an indication that you have intended to eat the food. The fact that you are waiting for your plate of food to arrive- is an indication that you are intending to eat.

- The fact that you are walking towards the prayer mat, or the fact that you are waiting for the `Iqaamah to be called out, whilst you are sitting in a masjid... all the people around you know that you are waiting to pray, for example, Salaah al-Dhuhr from your external actions- so how can you not know about your own self.

Based on the above... this has answered your first question.

As for your second question and third question- then no. Just ignore it and just carry on doing wudoo'. The only way to keep shaytaan away from you is to avoid his whisperings.

P.S I know I used "The fact that" too many times...

Wassalaamu `alaykum
 
K

kalamazoo

'Millat "IBRAHIM" {AleyhiSalaam}
islamis4ever said:
As salaamu alaikum

PLease could someone help me with this intention question? Can someone just answer these questions for me regarding making an intention for salaah or wudhu, I used to know how to do it, but after this waswasa problem, I take about 5 mins to make an intention because I do not know if it is right and I keep thinking that it is wrong:

1. I know that the intention is supposed to be made in the heart, but what does that mean and how does one make an intention in the heart?

2. If any random thought appears in the mind while making an intention do you have to restart the intention?

3. If any picture of a swear word appears in the mind while making an intention do you have to restart it? (They appear beacause of my waswasa problems)

Jazakallah in advance for the answers
Click to expand...


asalaam aleykum

~~~~I thinK; NO you don't have to worry of anything just go ahead; (and just a precautionary measures)

DO NOT

listen to those inner voices, or as you said images of waswas bothers you.

I reply this with conviction of the words of Almighty

ALLAH (Jala Jalaaluhu)


(67:13) Whether you speak in secrecy or aloud, (it is all the same to Allah). He even knows the secrets that lie hidden in the breasts of people. *20 (67:14) Would He not know, He Who has created, *21 when He is All-Subtle, *22 All-Aware?
---------------------------

*20 The address is to all human beings, whether they are believers or unbelievers. For the believer it contains the admonition that while living his life in the world he should always remember that not only his open and hidden deeds but even his secret intentions and innermost thoughts are not hidden from Allah; and for the unbeliever the warning that he may do whatever he may please fearless of God, but nothing that he does can remain un-noticed and unseen by Him.


*21 Another translation can be:

"Would He not know His own creatures?" In the original man khalaqa has been used, which may mean:

"Who has created" as well as "whom He has created, " In both cases the meaning remains the same.

This is the argument for what has been said in the preceding sentence.

That is,
how is it possible that the Creator should be unaware of His creation?

The creation may remain unaware of itself, but the Creator cannot be unaware of it. He has made every vein of your body, every fibre of your heart and brain. You breathe because He enables you to breathe, your limbs function because He enables them to function, How then can anything of yours remain hidden from Him?

*22 The word Latif as used in the original

means the One Who works in imperceptible ways as well as the
One Who
knows the hidden truths and realities.

sadaqa ...LLAH

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SO
as we believe IN ALLAH.....so His words are clear.

Please....use this word "Latif" frequenntly...Yaa Latif"
knowing what it means well, You shall feel its blessings ...Inshaa ALLAH.



Yaa Rabi....help me and him and all muslims and muslimaat..Bi Rahmatika yaa Arham Raahimiiyn

amin.
 
Tomtom

Tomtom

Banned
Ok then so I was 'taught' differently than yourselves. I was 'taught' to make the intention first, otherwise it's just an ACT. The intention seperates the act from the 'ritual' of what's needed, it purifies the 'act'.

Also, there are so many differing versions of how to pray on the internet. It seems that there are ways you can pray at your whim instead of the Sunnah way of praying.
 
thariq2005

thariq2005

Praise be to Allah!
Tomtom said:
Ok then so I was 'taught' differently than yourselves. I was 'taught' to make the intention first, otherwise it's just an ACT. The intention seperates the act from the 'ritual' of what's needed, it purifies the 'act'.

Also, there are so many differing versions of how to pray on the internet. It seems that there are ways you can pray at your whim instead of the Sunnah way of praying.
Click to expand...

Everyone agrees that the intention has to be there. The way how the intention is done- is not some complex thing where people are saying things (in their heart): "I am going to face the Qiblah, on a monday, in my house, by praying 4 units etc.". Taking this method leads a person to hardship and extra confusion- on top of that... it will be doing something that the Prophet :saw2: did not practise.

And can you tell me how would one pray at his whims (in this specific issue of niyyah)? And where in the sunnah does it dictate that we must do the niyyah like how you mentioned in your previous post. It will be nice if you can tell me.
 
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