Does Your Intention Need to Be Spoken?
The Importance of Sincere Intention (Ikhlas) in Worship and Dispelling the Misconception of Proclaiming Intentions
Summary
This lecture continues the discussion of the first chapter of an Islamic text on sincerity (ikhlas) and intention in worship. The speaker analyzes three Quranic verses (98:5, 22:37, and 3:29) that establish the importance of sincere intention in all acts of worship. A significant portion of the lecture addresses a common misconception about proclaiming one's intention before prayer, arguing that Islamic jurisprudence does not require verbal declaration of intention. The speaker clarifies that intention is an internal matter of the heart, known to Allah regardless of whether it is spoken or concealed, and cites agreement among the four Islamic schools (madhabs) that the Prophet Muhammad never taught the recitation of intentions before worship.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Alhamdulillah. Continuing where we left off in authored by in the first chapter, the chapter of sincerity. The chapter regarding sincerity and holding a coherent intention in all acts of worship, whether physical or spoken or even states of being, both outward and inward, meaning in the heart and manifest. We mention the first verse that half of the we mention in this chapter to bolster the chapter title because as we mentioned yesterday that the way that and Noah we set this book up is very similar to alkari for instance in his book is that he'll mention the chapter title that's what he intends to that's the statement that he the derived truth or the argument that is put forth. Then he will mention verses of the Quran which either explain aspects of that chapter title or specify what is intended by the chapter title then followed by narrations. He mentions three verses. Each one of these verses when they are taken together articulate a very particular set of intentions that know we had for this chapter. The first chapter the first verse that he mentions is the verse number five from that is that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala said regarding the people of the book those whom Allah sent the messengers of ben is too. He said, "And they were not commanded except that they were to worship Allah alone, making sincere to him, or to worship Allah, making sincere to him all of their acts of worship in adherence to the teachings of their respective prophets and that they establish prayer and that they give zakah and that indeed is the right and correct religion that Allah has commanded. The next verse he mentions is verse number 37 from where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says regarding the sacrifice that is made on the day of the day of when we make our people in the time of when they would slaughter during Hajj because they made Hajj every And when they would slaughter, whether it be for Allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala or for their idols, they would not take this meat and use it for anything. They would take it, they would put it out on the mountain or wherever it is they were slaughtering. And they wouldn't even allow the buzzards or the animals to eat this meat. They would stand guard and just leave this meat because this meat is dedicated to Allah or this meat is dedicated to idol such and such and so no one is to touch it. They wouldn't eat it. They wouldn't let anyone or anything else eat it. However, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala corrected this. He commanded them to slaughter, to eat of it themselves, and to give it to to give it to those who either ask outwardly or those who do not ask but are in need or those who have and those who are less fortunate. And so Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala changed this changed this about the way they understood slaughter. He said, "No, eat. Use it. Benefit from it." Why? Because he said, "Because it is not the meat or the blood that reaches Allah from your slaughtering. Rather, it is your piety that is raised up to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala." The next verse he mentions is verse number 29 from Ali in which Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says say to them oh messenger oh Muhammad oh prophet say to them that if you were to conceal what is in your heart or manifest it either way. Allah knows of it. Knows it. Whether you speak it or you conceal it in your chest, Allah is fully aware of it equally. And so what do we understand from that verse with regards to the chapter title? Well, remember the chapter title is regarding intention. Intention that one of the prerequisites of any any act of worship being accepted by Allah is that you have an intention. Well, that intention, should I say it? Should I proclaim it? Should I announce it when I go to pray, when I go to fast, when I go to make woo? Why would you say it? Intentions place in the heart. And Allah has informed us that whether we speak it or keep it concealed in our chest, it is equally known to Allah. The intentions place is in the heart and there is no evidence anywhere of any time in which the prophet or his companions ever proclaimed or recited their intentions for any act of worship. Not for salah, not for fasting, not for Hajj. Person They say well what about when a person goes for they are supposed to say a person is to say or that when a person begins his journey to Hajj and begins his he says this is not an intention. The intention was made the moment he stepped on the plane. As a matter of fact, the intention was made months ahead of time when you were purchasing your Hajj package. As a matter of fact, it was made the moment you decided to go to Hajj. That's when you made your intention for Hajj. That's not a proclamation of intention. That is a proclamation of the start of your because we have to have a starting point, right? Just when a person stands for salah they say Allahbar this is the starting point the point of no return. This is your entrance into the act of worship. Likewise that proclamation otherwise there is no instance in which a person proclaims or recites his intention. And you can see this sometimes you see people that they were taught I was taught growing up that when you go to make salah you have to stand there and you have to say a whole about your intention, right? to say and all kinds of things I have to oh Allah I am standing here to make for by the way standing behind this im I'm facing thea the only thing left is to mention your address and zip code and why is this at all necessary not at all and you'll see people that they are so entrenched in this kind of tradition that they'll even miss the the im will go into and they're still trying to recite their the im gets up goes into sujud and they're still way behind. They're going to make intention. You made intention the moment you laced your shoes. You made your intention when you got up off the sofa and decided to go to salah. You made intention when you made woo. Right? Furthermore, what if you accidentally say the wrong thing? Imagine you stand there to make and you say for and then as you're making salah, you're oh gosh, I said instead of what do I do? Does is my salah valid or do I have to restart? Everyone would say your salah is valid. Then what's the point of this? And if my is invalid. Why didn't the prophet take teach us this? And this is the opinion of the four ims of not in the four med any of the later scholars of any particular med have made all kinds of had all kinds of opinions but I imbuifi I im Ahmed Ib all four of them agree in their works and by their students that procla Proclaiming, announcing, reciting your intention for any act of worship is never been narrated from our prophet.
[Arabic recitation]
We will end with that. As I mentioned last night, just as a reminder, this evening for Brothers will lead, brother Ahmed will lead and tomorrow morning I won't be here inshallah will Solarity.