The Role of Intention in Worships according to Islamic Denominations

Islamic scholars, both Shiite and Sunni, concur that intentions are integral to actions categorized as worship. However, there exist divergent perspectives regarding whether intentions contribute to the description of an action as a worship. The prevailing opinion asserts a direct correlation between intentions and acts of worship. Indeed, actions deemed "permissible" (mubāḥ), which are not inherently worshipful, can acquire such status through intentions. Conversely, Salafists, notably Ibn Taymiyya and his adherents, present an alternative viewpoint. They argue that an injunction—whether obligatory or recommended—from the divine legislator is indispensable for an action to be classified as worship. Accordingly, the designation of "worship" is reserved for actions endorsed as obligatory or recommended (mustaḥabb) by the divine legislator.This article explores the perspectives of Muslim scholars on this matter, contending that just as intention plays a crucial role at the "stage of affirmation" (maqām al-ithbāt) in the establishment of worship, it is equally significant at the "stage of subsistence" (maqām al-thubūt). Consequently, certain inherently non-worshipful acts attain the status of worship due to the intentions behind them. Moreover, confining the designation of worship solely to religiously obligatory or recommended actions contradicts Quranic verses, hadiths, and the pronouncements of early Muslim scholars.