Is intention located in the heart or merely in spoken wording?
2026-09-20
T18 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
Selected source passage; the question-style heading is editorial unless an original question is separately displayed. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
الجواب
محل النية القلب دون اللسان باتفاق أئمة المسلمين، في جميع العبادات: الطهارة والصلاة والزكاة والصيام والحج والعتق والجهاد وغير ذلك.
ولو تلفظ بلسانه بخلاف ما نوى في قلبه فالاعتبار بما نوى في قلبه.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Answer
The place of intention is the heart, rather than the tongue, by agreement of the imams of the Muslims, in all acts of worship: purification, prayer, zakah, fasting, Hajj, emancipation, jihad, and other acts.
If he says with his tongue something contrary to what he intended in his heart, what counts is what he intended in his heart.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 22/217–218
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited edition and location. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.