and, in another ḥadīth, “Gabriel came to me and told me: ‘Command your Companions to raise their voices with the ihlāl,’” that is, the talbiyah—and a command, by its nature, denotes obligation.

I say: This is a sound position, supported by strong evidence, and—praise be to Allah—the entire Muslim community has acted upon it. You will not see a single pilgrim in consecration except that he repeats it throughout his rites, some doing so sparingly, others frequently.

Benefit:
Shaykh al-Islām, in summary, said: With regard to intention (niyyah) in ḥajj and ʿumrah, there is no dispute among the Muslims that neither is valid without it. The intention required for acts of worship consists of two elements: intending the act of worship itself and intending the One who is worshipped. This foundation is indicated by the verse, “They were not commanded except to worship Allah, devoting the religion sincerely to Him” (98:5).

Intending the act of worship means resolving to perform a specific deed—such as fasting, ḥajj, or anything else—by which one seeks his Lord’s pleasure. This is the intention discussed in the later books of fiqh. Through the first element a person who seeks the harvest of the Hereafter is distinguished from one who seeks the harvest of this world, and a Muslim from a disbeliever; through the second, the various kinds of worship are distinguished from one another.

He also said: A man does not become a muḥrim merely by what is in his heart of resolve and intention for ḥajj, for that resolve has been present ever since he left his home. There must be a verbal declaration or an outward act by which he actually enters the state of ihram. Removing tailored clothing is obligatory for ihram but not a condition of its validity; therefore, if he assumes ihram while still wearing his garments, the ihram is valid according to the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and by consensus of the leading scholars, though he must then take off the prohibited clothing.