as in the repentance of a man whose penis has been severed from unlawful intercourse, or the repentance of someone whose tongue has been cut out from making accusations of unlawful intercourse and other such sins. The foundation of repentance is the heart’s resolve, and this remains possible despite physical incapacity.

Fifth: Intention is not subject to corruption, unlike outward deeds. Intention is rooted in love for Allah and His Messenger and the desire for His Countenance. This is itself beloved and pleasing to Allah and His Messenger. Outward deeds, however, are subject to many defects and are not accepted unless they are free of them. For this reason, acts of the heart alone are superior to bodily acts alone.

As one of the early Muslims said:

“The believer’s strength lies in his heart, and his weakness in his body; the hypocrite’s strength lies in his body, and his weakness in his heart.”

A detailed discussion of this would be lengthy. Allah knows best.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

A Hanafī man prayed in congregation, keeping his intention private, and then raised his hands with every pronouncement of “Allah is the Greatest.” The congregation’s jurist objected, telling him:

“This is not permissible in your school, and you are introducing an innovation into it. You are wavering: you have neither followed your imam nor taken guidance from your school.”

Does what he did constitute a deficiency in his prayer and a departure from the Sunnah and his imam’s teaching, or not?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. The person who objected to his keeping his intention private is ignorant. Stating one’s intention aloud is neither obligatory nor recommended, neither in the school of Abū Hanīfa nor