Intention in salaah
Prayer
Asked on 23rd January 2021
Question
Can one change one’s intention in salaah after saying AllahuAkber before Surah Fatiha?
For eg. I wanted to offer 3 rakaat witr but I decide after saying AllahuAkber I want to finish sooner and instead of 3 I want to just pray 1. Can I change my intention or do I have to continue and complete offering 3?
Answer
Assalaamou'alaikoum.
As from changing from three raka'ah to 1 rak'ah while it is still the same prayer. This is fine as per the explanation of Sheikh Ibn Uthaimeen below.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about changing the intention in prayer.
He replied:
Changing the intention means either changing it from one specific thing to another, or from something general to something specific. This is not correct, but if it is changing it from something specific to something general, then there is nothing wrong with that.
For example:
Changing from one specific thing to another: A person wanted to change the Sunnah prayer of Duha to the regular prayer of Fajr which he had missed and wanted to make up. He said takbeer with the intention of offering two rak’ahs of Duha, then he remembered that he had not offered the regular prayer of Fajr, so he changed it to the regular prayer of Fajr. This is not valid, because the regular prayer of Fajr is two rak'ahs for which he should have had the intention from the beginning of the prayer.
Another example is a man who started to pray ‘Asr, but whilst praying he remembered that he had not prayed Zuhr, so he intended this prayer to be Zuhr. This is also not valid, because the intention for a specific prayer must be there from the outset.
With regard to changing from something general to something specific, such as if a person started to offer a general (i.e., naafil) prayer, then he remembered that he had not prayed Fajr or the Sunnah of Fajr, so he changed his intention to Fajr prayer or the Sunnah of Fajr – this is also not valid.
But if he changes from something specific to something general, such as if he starts praying with the intention that it is the regular prayer of Fajr, then whilst he is praying he remembers that he has already offered this prayer, in that case he may change his original intention to the intention to simply offer a prayer.
Another example is that of a man who starts to offer an obligatory prayer on his own, then a group (jamaa’ah) comes along, and he wants to change his obligatory prayer to a naafil prayer so that he may cut it short and offer two rak'ahs only, then offer the obligatory prayer with the group. This is permissible, because he is changing from something specific to something general.
So the principle is:
Changing from one specific thing to another is not valid; changing from something general to something specific is not valid; changing from something specific to something general is valid.
End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12/ Question no. 347
As from changing from three raka'ah to 1 rak'ah while it is still the same prayer. This is fine as per the explanation of Sheikh Ibn Uthaimeen below.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about changing the intention in prayer.
He replied:
Changing the intention means either changing it from one specific thing to another, or from something general to something specific. This is not correct, but if it is changing it from something specific to something general, then there is nothing wrong with that.
For example:
Changing from one specific thing to another: A person wanted to change the Sunnah prayer of Duha to the regular prayer of Fajr which he had missed and wanted to make up. He said takbeer with the intention of offering two rak’ahs of Duha, then he remembered that he had not offered the regular prayer of Fajr, so he changed it to the regular prayer of Fajr. This is not valid, because the regular prayer of Fajr is two rak'ahs for which he should have had the intention from the beginning of the prayer.
Another example is a man who started to pray ‘Asr, but whilst praying he remembered that he had not prayed Zuhr, so he intended this prayer to be Zuhr. This is also not valid, because the intention for a specific prayer must be there from the outset.
With regard to changing from something general to something specific, such as if a person started to offer a general (i.e., naafil) prayer, then he remembered that he had not prayed Fajr or the Sunnah of Fajr, so he changed his intention to Fajr prayer or the Sunnah of Fajr – this is also not valid.
But if he changes from something specific to something general, such as if he starts praying with the intention that it is the regular prayer of Fajr, then whilst he is praying he remembers that he has already offered this prayer, in that case he may change his original intention to the intention to simply offer a prayer.
Another example is that of a man who starts to offer an obligatory prayer on his own, then a group (jamaa’ah) comes along, and he wants to change his obligatory prayer to a naafil prayer so that he may cut it short and offer two rak'ahs only, then offer the obligatory prayer with the group. This is permissible, because he is changing from something specific to something general.
So the principle is:
Changing from one specific thing to another is not valid; changing from something general to something specific is not valid; changing from something specific to something general is valid.
End quote from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12/ Question no. 347