553. Changing Intentions While Offering Salaah

By Asma bint Shameem 

QUESTION

I started praying Fardh of Fajr then I remembered that I had not prayed the Sunnah. 

Can I change my intention from Fardh to Sunnah after I’ve already started the Fardh prayer?

ANSWER

Once you start your fardh prayer, you cannot change the intention to pray the Sunnah. 

Why is that?

That’s because the fardh prayer and the Sunnah prayer, *both* are *specific* prayers. 

And it’s not allowed to change the intention of a “specific” act of ibaadah after beginning it, to another “specific” ibaadah. 

The *intention* to pray the *specific* prayer should be made *BEFORE* starting it. 

So since the Fardh of Fajr and the two Sunnah before it, are both “*specific*” prayers, you cannot change your intention. 

Similarly if you start praying the Sunnah of Dhuhr, and the Imaam begins the congregation for the Fardh, you cannot simply change your intention of your Sunnah prayer to Fardh in the middle of the prayer. 

That’s because the Sunnah of Dhuhr and the Fardh are  *“specific”* prayers. And the intention for each should be there from the very beginning. 

HOWEVER, you *can* change the intention of a “specific” act of ibaadah to a “general” act even after you have started the general act of Ibaadah. 

So for example if you started praying Fajr then realized you’ve already prayed it, then you can change your intention to a Nafl prayer while you’re praying. 

Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen explains about changing the intention:

He said:

“Changing the intention means either changing it from one “specific” thing to another (“specific”), 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 (specific thing):

A person wanted to change the Sunnah prayer of Duhaa 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 Duhaa, 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 Dhuhr, so he intended this prayer to be Dhuhr. 

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 (Nafl) prayer. 

Another example is that of a man who starts to offer an obligatory prayer on his own, then a group 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 (“specific”) is not valid; 

-changing from something “general” to something “specific” is not valid; 

-changing from something “specific” to something “general”is valid.”

(Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 12/ Question no. 347.)

Also The niyyah for a “SPECIFIC” act of ibaadah cannot be changed *after* you’ve done with that act of worship. 

So if you gave money to someone as sadaqah, you cannot change  your niyyah later that it’s Zakaah because it’s already left your hand. 

But if you were *thinking* of giving this money as sadaqah, and the money had not yet left your hand, and then you changed your mind to intend this as Zakaah, BEFORE you gave the money, then in that situation you can change your mind.

And Allaah knows best.