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(F 33) We know that intention is a condition for the validity of prayer, but does the intention require defining whether the prayer is a current prayer or a make-up prayer? For example, if someone is going to pray Dhuhr exactly before its time runs out but he is unsure if the time of ʽAṣr have already started, should he be certain about the time first before performing the prayer of Dhuhr? I have another question. Does ʼIqāmah require a specific intention when it is made in the mosque or alone? For example, if I say the wording of ʼIqāmah for prayer alone at home, without holding the intention of praying ʽIshāʼ until I finished the ʼIqāmah, is there any issue about that?


Firstly, intention is considered a condition for the validity of prayer by consensus based on the Qur’anic verse and the famous Hadith of ʽUmar.
Secondly, the majority of scholars, including the Ḥanafiy scholars, do not require specifying the intention for a present or make-up prayer because it is obligatory in any case. The type of acceptance is determined by the time and situation. For example, if someone utters the intention for a make-up prayer during its present time, it will be accepted as a present prayer without paying attention to the intention. If someone utters the intention for a present prayer when its time has ended, it will be accepted as a make-up prayer.
Therefore, one only needs to have the intention for the prayer, whether it is obligatory or voluntary.
Thirdly, there is no specific intention for saying ʼIqāmah of prayer, whether in the mosque or alone, as the ʼIqāmah is an announcement of the start of performing the prayer and the ʼAādhān is an announcement of the start of the prayer time. Therefore, the prayer time determines the type of prayer, not the call (ʼAādhān) to prayer.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr