in that of any of the Muslim imams. Rather, they all agree that stating one’s intention aloud is not prescribed. Whoever does so is mistaken and acts contrary to the Sunnah, by agreement of the imams of the religion. Indeed, the position of Abū Hanīfa, Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī, Ahmad, and all the other Muslim imams is that if a person forms the intention in his heart without expressing it verbally, either quietly or aloud, his prayer is valid. Verbalizing the intention is not obligatory, according to either Abū Hanīfa or any of the other imams.

Indeed, when one of al-Shāfiʿī’s later followers put forward an inferred opinion that verbalizing the intention is not obligatory, the other followers declared him mistaken, saying: “Al-Shāfiʿī only required the opening declaration of ‘Allah is the Greatest’ to be spoken, not the intention.” As for Abū Hanīfa and his followers, they never disputed that verbalizing the intention is not obligatory. The same applies to Mālik and his followers, and Ahmad and his followers.

Rather, the scholars differed over whether quietly verbalizing the intention is recommended, holding two views.

A group of the followers of Abū Hanīfa, al-Shāfiʿī, and Ahmad said: “Verbalizing the intention is recommended, but not saying it aloud. Neither verbalizing it nor saying it aloud is obligatory.”

A group of the followers of Mālik and Ahmad, along with others, said: “Rather, verbalizing the intention is not recommended, either quietly or aloud, just as it is not obligatory by agreement of the imams. For the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and his Companions did not verbalize their intentions, either quietly or aloud.” This is the correct view, supported by the Sunnah.