Your NEE'AH during Sunnah and Fard Namaaz

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

I was just having a discussion with a friend of mine who said when making NEE’AH for Sunnah prayers it is “FOR THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD” and not for Allah. But I argue that prayers are only for Allah and your intention should be for the divine. However, this person argues that Fard and Nawafil are for Allah but Sunnah are for the Prophet when making NEE’AH (Intention).

Someone shed some light on this please. While making NEE’AH for sunnah what is it? Towards Allah or the Prophet?

Thanks

Jitna Diya Sarkar Nay Mujko, Itni Meri Auqat Nahi, Yeh Saab Tumhara Karam Hai Aqa, Mujh Mein Aisi Koi Baat Nahin.

Love happens once . . .

2

You are right.

The niyyat for sunnah prayers is that "I am praying 2/4 rakaats, sunnat OF the Prophet SAW" not FOR the Prophet SAW.
We do it following the Prophet's actions. And since Prophet SAW regulary offered certain number of rakats with every salat, those rakats came to be known as sunnats. But the recipient of those, and any other rakat that we offer, is always Allah SWT.

Q. Ask ur friend if this means that Prophet SAW used to pray for himself?

3

All prayers are for Allah SWTA, period. No two ways about it.

The compulsory prayers are the FARD units and possibly WITR, but there is a difference of opinion on the WITR.

When the Sunnah units are prayed, the Intention (Neeyat) is always for Allah SWTA, but
Muhammad's PBUH name is mentioned in the context of saying ( I hereby intend to pray to you Allah SWTA, 2/4 units Sunnah, similar to the way The Messenger PBUH prayed to you, time of Salaat ? facing AL' Ka'baa).

I hope this helps for those that read the Sunnah units.

4

I heard "neeyat" is not important, because Allah swt knows. True?

5

Youngbrat, i believe the Nee'ah is the reinstatement and confirmation of your heart, mind and souls intention to devote yourself to a certain amount of Rakah's in each prayer.

Although that does not clarify your question entirely. In my opinion Nee'ah is important while addressing to your creator before prayer.

Jitna Diya Sarkar Nay Mujko, Itni Meri Auqat Nahi, Yeh Saab Tumhara Karam Hai Aqa, Mujh Mein Aisi Koi Baat Nahin.

Love happens once . . .

6

[quote]
Originally posted by yOuNgBrAt:
I heard "neeyat" is not important, because Allah swt knows. True?
[/quote]

niyyat is more important than the action itself. And niyyat is one of the obligations of salat. If u miss ur niyyat, u have to commit to a sajda-e-sehv. So not only does the niyyat have to be right, it has to be there. Remember the hadith...'inna mal aa'maal o bin niyaat'.

7

Can some please point out the Hadith in which this form of intention is mentioned? Sorry I am unaware of this type verbal intentions.

However, for all the salats, be it Fard, Waajib, Sunnah or Nafl, we Ahmadis recite these words of Holy Quran as our intention (niyat).

TRANSLATION: I have turned my full attention towards Him Who has created the heavens and the earth, being ever inclined to Him, and I’m not of those who associate partners with Allah.

8

I also would like to know the words you all use when making Niyat. Is it all in arabic? or urdu. The ones I have been taught are in urdu with arabic interspersed.

And can you please cite the source.

9

[quote]
Originally posted by Akif:
** niyyat is more important than the action itself. And niyyat is one of the obligations of salat. If u miss ur niyyat, u have to commit to a sajda-e-sehv. So not only does the niyyat have to be right, it has to be there. Remember the hadith...'inna mal aa'maal o bin niyaat'. **
[/quote]

hmmm, even if you mention the prayer you are about to read i.e lets say if you are going to pray Farz, and in your niyaat all you mention is that you are about to pray Farz, will that be consider an accurate niyyat?

Sajda-e-sehv?

Coconut, point taken, thanks!

[This message has been edited by yOuNgBrAt (edited July 02, 2001).]

10

People please, I don’t know who you all are, but the way some of you are handling this topic, most of you, like me, are ill equipped to tackle questions on religion. A false statement must not be made. My suggestion to Sunni brothers, please visit www.ahlesunnat.net for merited answers based on the Quran and Hadith.

11

[quote]
"I am praying 2/4 rakaats, sunnat OF the Prophet SAW"
[/quote]

Maybe its just me, but the way I was taught to make niyyah never included any mention of the Prophet sallallaho alaihe wassallam. For example, 'I am performing two rakaats Farz of Salatul Fajr for Allah facing towards the Qibla.'

[quote]
I heard "neeyat" is not important, because Allah swt knows. True?
[/quote]

False. If you do not make niyyah, ie. intention, for namaaz, your salaat will not be accepted.

The niyyah may be said verbally or silently(in one’s mind) but it must be said.

I just want to make one correction to what Akif bhai said, 'And niyyat is one of the obligations of salat. If u miss ur niyyat, u have to commit to a sajda-e-sehv.'

Sajda e sehv or sajdatus sahw, however u pronounce/spell it, refers to the prostration of forgetfulness. We being human beings are not above making mistakes although that is no excuse for not striving for perfection hence, if we forget to do something in our namaaz, we can make it up in our last rakaah by making a sajdatus sahw. This is done by saying Tashahhud (in your last rakaah) then turning our face to the right to say 'Assalamu alaykum was rahmatullah' then you make two extra sajdas with tasbih (Subhana rabbiyal ala) and then you recite Tashahhud again with darud and dua, completing the namaaz as normally done.

Okay now for the correction, Akif bhai mentioned that if niyyah is not done, one must perform a sajdatus sahw, that is not correct. To the best of my knowledge, sajdatus sahw is necessary if one forgets to do any essentials of namaaz, ie. forgetting to recite parts of the Qu'ran after Al Fatiha, forgetting to say the first Tashahhud in a four rakaah salaah, saying salaam after two rakaahs in a four rakaah salaah. However your salaah/namaaz is not valid if you: miss out niyyah; miss out takbiratul ihram; forget to recite Al Fatiha; forget or do not make ruku or sajda; do not face Qibla; do not have wudu; talk during salaah; eat or drink during salaah; do not sit for Tashahhud. In the later cases one must repeat their salaah, a Sajdatus sahw is not considered adequate.

12

I agree with GFQ.

Without the Neeyat, the salaat is invalid. As you have not confirmed, which prayer and how many units of prayer you are making to Allah. The specific times for prayer are all mentioned in the Qur'aan.

The issue of neeyat is compulsory as it confirms exactly which act of worship one is going to perform.

13

I agree with GFQ to the point and thanks for writing explaination of sajda sahoo (in urdu). Probably it should be posted in a new thread separately so that people can find it easily and can benefit from it.

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/ok.gif

As far as doing neeyat in Urdu is concerned I think it is allowed because

Maybe someone else can elaborate it further as my word should be taken as final.

14

oh yes, thanks Coconut for a good post.

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/ok.gif

15

you are right..you dont have to mention Prophet’s [SAW] name. But one thing that needs to be defined is that the sunnahs are read in Prophets SAW taqleed. Allah SWT did not ordain them to us, and there wont be any accountability for the sunnahs read in namaz.

**Okay now for the correction, Akif bhai mentioned that if niyyah is not done, one must perform a sajdatus sahw, that is not correct. To the best of my knowledge, sajdatus sahw is necessary if one forgets to do any essentials of namaaz, ie. forgetting to recite parts of the Qu’ran after Al Fatiha, forgetting to say the first Tashahhud in a four rakaah salaah, saying salaam after two rakaahs in a four rakaah salaah. However your salaah/namaaz is not valid if you: miss out niyyah; miss out takbiratul ihram; forget to recite Al Fatiha; forget or do not make ruku or sajda; do not face Qibla; do not have wudu; talk during salaah; eat or drink during salaah; do not sit for Tashahhud. In the later cases one must repeat their salaah, a Sajdatus sahw is not considered adequate.
**
[/QUOTE]

GFQ, u may wanna check up on that, so that i can be sure as well.

There are 14 ‘obligations’ in a salat. (the number may differ depending on the sect business, but 14 is a widely accepted number). The only time your salat is invalid is when you pray without ablution, or you lose ur ablution mid-prayer. If u miss any of the other obligations, (including niyyat), u can make it up by doing sajda-e-sehv.

sajdatus sahw is necessary if one forgets to do any essentials of namaaz, ie. forgetting to recite parts of the Qu’ran after Al Fatiha

the ayats that we recite after surah fatiha are not mandatory. And namaz is complete even without them. Its recommended to read one long, or 3 short ayats, but their absence does not invalidate the namaz

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif

But do check on it though pls.

16

sighzamazoiders:)

I’m trying to keep myself from getting confused here.

But after reading this thread yesterday I was certain that if one doesn’t make niyyah one’s namaaz isn’t considered valid, I learnt that when i was small, but I went and checked the books we had to make sure, and they had mentioned that also, and I summarized the other points from one of the books as well.

I don’t get that.

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/confused.gif

I have never heard of anything like that, unless you’re referring to the 3&4 rakaats when u read 4 rakaat farz, which I don’t think is what u mean.

But I didn’t say that forgetting to recite ayats after Al Fatiha invalidates namaaz, I said it makes it necessary for one to make a sajdatus sahw.

17

[quote]
As far as doing neeyat in Urdu is concerned I think it is allowed because
[/quote]

Hmm maybe i'm wrong, but are we not recommended to make niyyah in our own language?

18

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Girl from Quraysh:
But after reading this thread yesterday I was certain that if one doesn't make niyyah one's namaaz isn't considered valid

you are right...namaz isnt valid if done without a niyyat.....but if you realize midway that you missed ur niyyat, you can do a sajda-e-sehv and make up for it. If you realize it after completing the salat, only then do u have to redo your namaz.

I have never heard of anything like that, unless you're referring to the 3&4 rakaats when u read 4 rakaat farz, which I don't think is what u mean.

no..im talking about reading quranic ayats after any rakat, be it the 1st or the 4th. Those ayats are 'mustahibb'. They are not 'faraiz'. Missing them does not negate ur salat. You dont even need a sajda-e-sehv for missing those. But they are mustahib...and its always nice to act upon something thats mustahib.