What Invalidates the Intention Before the Opening Takbir in Hanafi Fiqh?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
In Hanafi fiqh, what defines a “long gap” between intention and the opening takbir? Does thinking about worldly matters or engaging in minor actions nullify the intention? Must the intention be explicitly stated in the mind, or is a general awareness sufficient?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
I pray this finds you in the best of states.
For the opening Takbir to be valid, the time between your intention to pray and between the opening Takbir must be free of actions foreign to the prayer (such as eating, drinking, worldly talk, and so on). [ Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]
As for actions that are needed to perform the prayer, they won’t invalidate the opening Takbir. For example, if you form your intention to pray in your heart before performing wudu, and then, after completing your wudu, you start praying in a heedless state, simply going through the motion, without renewing your intention, your opening Takbir and your prayer will remain valid despite this gap. [Ibid]
Other examples that won’t invalidate the opening Takbir are walking towards the place of prayer, performing Dhikr (remembrance of Allah, Most High), etc.
Please remember that it is best to have the intention to pray at the time you are uttering the opening Takbir. And practically you can always assume that this intention is there at that time. [Ibid]
For the rest of your inquiries, please see How Should I Go About Establishing an Intention for My Prayer?
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching for ways to learn Islam reliably and was disappointed at the answers he found locally.
Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.
He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
