Prayer: Permissible Cases for Changing Intention During Obligatory Prayer

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Prayer: Permissible Cases for Changing Intention During Obligatory Prayer

English:

Question #339:

In your esteemed opinion, what are the instances for changing the intention, i.e. to change one’s prayer, during obligatory prayer?

Answer #339:

Changing one’s intention is obligatory in the following instances:
i. From `aṣr to ẓuhr prayer before the special time for the `aṣr prayer when one realizes during prayer that they have not performed the ẓuhr prayer.
ii. From ‘ishā’ to maghrib prayer before the special time for the ` ishā’ prayer when one realizes during prayer, and before passing the point for changing one’s intention, that one has not performed the maghrib prayer.
iii. When one is obligated to perform two qaḍā’ prayers that are to be performed in order (like the qaḍā’ of ẓuhr and aṣr prayers of a single day), but forgetfully begins with the latter before performing the former.

Changing one’s intention is permissible in the following cases:
i. From an obligatory daily (adā’) prayer to an obligatory qaḍā’ one (however, it is an obligatory caution, if they owe just one qaḍā’ prayer, to shift to the qaḍā’ one, especially if it is of the same day).
ii. From an obligatory prayer to a mustaḥabb one for the purpose of joining congregational prayer and getting its reward.
iii. From an obligatory prayer to a nāfilah on Friday noon if one forgets reading the sūrah of Jumu`ah (Friday), starts reading another sūrah and reaches the middle of it or passes the middle.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Prayer