Intention (Niyah)

Intention is a mental state that represents a commitment to carrying out an action or actions in the future. Intention involves mental activities such as planning and forethought.

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Mind . Intention (Niyah) . Salah (Prayers)

Is the Niyyat correct if one might need to think and it may take some time before the mind recalls which prayer one is praying? Do we need to actively keep repeating the intention in our mind so that we don't forget?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 3 years ago

We do not need to keep repeating the intention (Niyyat) as far as we still remember what we are intending to perform. If we forget what want to perform, then we need to remember the Niyyat again.

'Niyyat is nothing more than to know what you are going to perform, and it is for the sake of Allah. We do not need to say anything to reflect our intention.

Wassalam.

134853

Language . Intention (Niyah) . Salah (Prayers)

Is it permissible to make the Niyyat of prayer in one's own language?

Yes, but you do not need to say it but just in your heart.

Wassalam.

117514

Intention (Niyah) . Wudu (Ablution) . Salah (Prayers)

If one has done Wuzu with the intention for Wajib Namaz and does it again later while the Wuzu is still valid, does the intention need to be different?

Valid Wuzu is good for every worship as far as it is still valid. Any Wuzu performed for the sake of Allah is good for any worship.

Wassalam.

114170

Iqama . Adhan . Salah (Prayers) . Intention (Niyah)

Is it obligatory to recite the Azan and Iqama before every prayer or can one just say their Niyya and begin the prayer?

It is highly recommended to recite Azan and more importantly Iqama for daily obligatory Prayers, but it is not obligatory. You can start you Prayer with out Azan and Iqama but you will be losing great deal of reward. Hadeeth states that if you recite Azan and Iqama and start your Salah, two rows of angles will pray behind you. If you recite Iqama then start your Salah, one row of angles will pray behind you. If you don't recite neither Azan nor Iqama and pray, you will pray alone then. Your prayer will still be valid but you will be losing great deal of reward.

Wassalam.

Iqama . Adhan . Salah (Prayers) . Intention (Niyah)

Is it obligatory to recite the Azan and Iqama before every prayer or can one just say their Niyya and begin the prayer?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 4 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Adhan and Iqamah are recommended acts so there is no problem in not performing them.

May you always be successful

113688

Intention (Niyah) . Qadha . Salah (Prayers)

What is the specific intention one should have when performing Qadha prayers?

Just to know in your heart that you are performing Qadha of the specific missed Prayer, for the sake of Allah (SWT).

'It is Makrouh (Disliked) to say your intention in your tongue. Intention is only in the heart in all worships. Only in Hajj and Umra rituals, it will be recommended to pronounce your intention.

Wassalam.

106747

Intention (Niyah) . Worship . Shirk

Is is allowed to say Ya Hussain for Shifa without the intention of worship?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 4 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

To worship means to appoint someone/something as divine. This could be in practice, and it could be in one's intention and in their heart.

When any Muslim says or does something, then under no circumstance would they want to defy their religion and leave the perimeters of faith by ascribing a partner to Almighty God, or do shirk, or claim someone/something as being divine.

Any Muslim would know that there is only 1 God, and He has no partner, and He is the only Divine being.

Merely to say Ya, or Labayk does not mean the individual you are referring to is divine. A genuine seeker of the truth would certainly agree with this.

You can say Ya to God, and you can also say Ya to your neighbour, if you are drowning and seek help, for example. The Quran talks about this, saying Ya Musa (a.s.), and beseeching him, doing what we call istighatha.

To say Ya to someone alive, for the purpose of asking for help, cannot be irrational or haram.

Now, to say Ya to someone who is dead, is that ok?

Of course, we do not beseech help or assistance, or intercession from any person, but rather from those who are closer to Almighty God. Those who are considered as "waseelah" to Him.

And such people do hear us, even though they have departed this world, as the Quran [2:154] says:
Do not consider those who are slain for the cause of God to be dead. They are alive but you are unaware of them.

So, when we say Ya Muhammad, or Ya Ali, etc, it is not taken as worship at all. It does not fall under the category of 'ibadah, so how can it be shirk?

With prayers for your success.

98435

Intention (Niyah)

Can you post pictures or videos of yourself on the internet without the intention of attracting lustful attention?

Muslim female should not display her photos or videos etc in public even if her intention is not to attract, but she can never control the intentions of others.

'Wassalam.

101886

Intention (Niyah) . Shirk . Sunni-Shi'a . Prostration (sujud) . Tawhid

I heard a Shia scholar say that when prostrating at the doorstep of the Prophet (saw), with the intention of piety and love of Allah, this action is not regarded as an act of Shirk. Can you explain the boundaries of Tawheed and Shirk in Shia Islam?

Tawheed means not believing nor worshiping but only Allah (SWT). Shirk is believing or worshiping other than Allah with Allah (SWT). We believe that the Prophet and his Ahlul Bayt are the most humble servants of Allah.

Prostrating at the doorstep of the Prophet (SAWA) is in fact for thanking Allah for granting us the great bounty of visiting the shrine of the Prophet (SAWA) or his Ahlul Bayt (AS). Thanking Allah in the form of prostrating is a sincere worship to Allah and can never be Shirk. We never believe nor accept any claim suggesting worshiping the Prophet, his Ahlul Bayt or any one but only Allah (SWT). Respecting the Prophet and his Ahlul Bayt does not mean worshipping them at all. Respect is completely different from worshiping. Wahhabis mix wrongly between respect and worship. Even we prostrate at the doorstep of the holy shrines, we never do it as a sign of respect but we do it as an act of thanking Allah for His great bounties on us.

Wassalam.

Intention (Niyah) . Shirk . Sunni-Shi'a . Prostration (sujud) . Tawhid

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Shirk is to limit Allah in any way such that even the conception of another god would be possible. Even to say He is a god is not satisfactory as that would entail a genus of gods under which God would be a species with only one referent. Numerical oneness is limited, as in numbering God as one a person gives the possibility of two gods. Numbers themselves are a factor of the material world. Rather, Allah is above being numbered as a number entails a limit and He is above all limitations.

As for prostration, it is clear that if a person prostrates to a being in worship then that is completely forbidden in Islam and Shiism as a sect within Islam. However, prostration does not only entail this meaning and is also a symbol of humbleness. For this reason God commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam (as), not in worship or out of polytheistic intent. So too Prophet Ya'qub (as) prostrated in front of Prophet Yusuf (as).

May you always be successful

97484

Shirk . Intention (Niyah) . Salah (Prayers) . Repentance (Tawbah)

While I was praying I realized that there was a picture before me depicting people. I immediately placed it elsewhere and repented to Allah. Did I commit Shirk for unintentionally bowing to the picture even though my intention was to bow only to Allah?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 5 years ago

Insofar as you are not intentionally worshipping or praying to the picture or the people and just had it there by accident, it is not shirk. However it is better not to pray in front of the picture (and you fixed that anyway so that is not a problem). Accidents happen!

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Istikhara . Intention (Niyah) . God (Allah)

If a person does Istikhara with the intention that she will not follow it if it comes out bad, is this intention of Istikhara valid, or will they have to perform the Istikhara again with the intention that they will follow whatever Allah wills?

If the person had the intention not to follow the Istekhara if it come out bad, the Istekhara is invalid. Istekhara means seeking guidance from Allah whether we like it or not. The intention of not following it if it come out bad means that the person is not seeking guidance from Allah through Istekhara, rather wants to dictate what he wants on the Istekhara. Such act is wrong and has no value.

Wassalam.