The Opinion of the Ḥanbalī Madh`hab on Complete Severance

If a person completely severs or hesitates to sever the intention of prayer during ṣalāh, then according to the Ḥanbalī madh`hab, his ṣalāh is invalidated.

For example: A man stands and begins performing supererogatory prayer. Then he remembers that there is a matter that requires his attention. So he severs the intention of prayer.

His ṣalāh is undoubtedly invalidated by this as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Actions are only judged by their intentions, and every man shall be accountable for only what he intended”. This person intended to sever his performance of ṣalāh and, as such, his ṣalāh should be considered severed.

The Opinion of the Ḥanbalī Madh`hab Regarding Hesitancy

As for hesitancy regarding whether to sever prayer or not, an example could be:

A praying person hears someone knocking on his door. So he hesitates over whether he should stop praying and address this person, or continue. The author has taken the stance that this hesitancy stipulates invalidation of his ṣalāh. This is because he views that one’s resolution to pray being continuous throughout the ṣalāh is a prerequisite.

The Opinion of Shaykh Ibn ʿUthaymīn (رحمه الله) Regarding Hesitancy

Other scholars say that hesitancy does not invalidate the prayer. This is because, fundamentally, his original intention of ṣalāh remains. Hesitancy alone is insufficient to invalidate this existing intention. This opinion is correct. As long as this person has not made a firm resolution to sever his performance of the prayer, he is considered to be upon his original intention. We are not able to say: Your ṣalāh is invalid due only to your hesitancy in severing it.

[Q]: What if a person makes a firm resolution to engage in an action that would invalidate his ṣalāh, but subsequently chooses not to? For example, he decides to speak to someone while praying, but then does not. Or to invalidate his wuḍūʾ while praying, but then he chooses not to.

[A]: Some scholars say: His ṣalāh is invalid because holding a firm resolution to engage in an invalidator is the same as harbouring firm resolution to stop praying. Harbouring a firm resolution to stop praying invalidates it. The opinion of the Ḥanbalī madh`hab is that the ṣalāh is not invalidated by harbouring firm resolution to engage in an invalidator while praying except if the person actually engages in it. This is because invalidation is connected to engaging the invalidator itself. Here, he has not actually done the act. This is the correct opinion.

Likewise, if a fasting person decides to eat but does not actually eat anything, and does not cut his fasting [by engaging in any other invalidator], his fasting will not be invalidated.

[Q]: Are all other acts of worship also invalidated by harbouring firm resolution to stop the act?

[A]: Yes, except for Ḥajj and ʿUmrah which are not invalidated even if a person intends it. Even if he was to explicitly state it saying: “I have stopped my performance of its rites”, it will not be severed even if it was supererogatory. Rather, he must continue its performance, and the act remains valid. This is among the specific attributes of Ḥajj and ʿUmrah that they are not invalidated by severing of their intention as Allāh—the Most High—said:

وَأَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَالْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ

“And perform properly (i.e. all the ceremonies according to the ways of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)), the Ḥajj and ʿUmrah (i.e. the pilgrimage to Makkah) for Allāh.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:196)

If a person was to attach the severing of the act to a prerequisite, saying for example: “If Zayd speaks to me, then I will sever my intention” or “I will invalidate my ṣalāh”, then this act of worship is invalidated according to (some of) the jurists. The correct opinion in this issue, however, is that it is not invalidated. This is because he may hold firm resolution that if Zayd speaks to him, he will respond but he also may choose not to afterwards.

In summary, there are four iterations of this issue:

1. Complete and absolute severing of one’s intention while praying. This person’s ṣalāh is undoubtedly invalidated by this.
2. A person attaches his severing of the act of worship to a prerequisite. According to the Ḥanbalī madh`hab, this invalidates the act.
3. A person hesitates whether he should stop the act or not. According to the Ḥanbalī madh`hab, this invalidates the act. Although the correct opinion in this and the preceding iteration is that it does not.
4. A person harbours firm resolution to engage in an invalidator but ultimately chooses not to. This will not invalidate the act as invalidation is connected to actual engagement in the invalidator which is, here, absent.

Source: Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ 2:297-299
Translated by: Riyāḍ al-Kanadī