Fatwa: # 22130
Category: Prayer
Country: India
Date: 29th August 2012

Title

Should Niyyat for Salaah be done orally or in the heart?

Question

Niyyat for namaaz,orally or in heart?

Answer

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

It is a pre-condition (Sharth) of Salaah for one to make Niyyat (intention) in the heart.[1] However, it is Mustahab (preferable) for one to make intention verbally/orally.[2]

Moreover, the Fuqahaa (jurists) have stated that such an intention should be in the past tense, for example: “I have intended to perform such and such Salaah”.[3]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Moulana Ismail Desai,
Student Darul Iftaa
Durban, South Africa

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.


  1 و الخامس النية بالاجماع و هي الارادة لا مطلق العلم و المعتبر فيها عمل القلب اللازم للارادة ( الدر علي التنوير، ج 1، ص 415-414، ايج ايم سعيد)

 

  و التلفظ بها مستحب  هو المختار و تكون بلفظ الماضي (الدر علي التنوير ( ج 1، ص 417، ايج ايم سعيد)[2]

  مثل نويت صلوة كذا (رد المحتار، ج 1، ص 416، ايج ايم سعيد)[3]

DISCLAIMER - AskImam.org questions
AskImam.org answers issues pertaining to Shar'ah. Thereafter, these questions and answers are placed for public view on www.askimam.org for educational purposes. However, many of these answers are unique to a particular scenario and cannot be taken as a basis to establish a ruling in another situation or another environment. Askimam.org bears no responsibility with regards to these questions being used out of their intended context.
  • The Shar's ruling herein given is based specifically on the question posed and should be read in conjunction with the question.
  • AskImam.org bears no responsibility to any party who may or may not act on this answer and is being hereby exempted from loss or damage howsoever caused.
  • This answer may not be used as evidence in any Court of Law without prior written consent of AskImam.org.
  • Any or all links provided in our emails, answers and articles are restricted to the specific material being cited. Such referencing should not be taken as an endorsement of other contents of that website.
The Messenger of Allah said, "When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]