at this time, offering four units in congregation within its prescribed time, for Allah Most High.” All of this is foolishness and ignorance. For intention extends as far as knowledge does: whenever a person knows what he is doing, he necessarily intends it. It is rationally inconceivable for someone to act knowingly without intention; likewise, intention cannot exist without knowledge.

The imams agree that stating the intention aloud and repeating it are not prescribed. Indeed, anyone who habitually does this should be disciplined sufficiently to deter him from worshipping through innovations and disturbing people by raising his voice. For the hadith states:

“O people, each of you is conversing privately with his Lord, so do not raise your voices over one another in recitation.”

What, then, of someone who disturbs people with words other than recitation? Instead, he says: “I intend to pray, to pray such-and-such obligatory prayer at such-and-such a time”—among other practices that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not prescribe.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked about a man who was told: “It is not permissible to state the intention aloud in prayer, nor did the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, command it.”

The man replied: “It is true that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, neither did it nor commanded it. However, he did not forbid it, and the prayer of someone who states it aloud is not invalid.”

He then said: “We have good innovations and bad innovations,” and cited the tarāwīh prayers as evidence