Changing the Intention During Prayer
Issue No.697- If a person engages in prayer with the intention of the ẓuhr prayer, and during the prayer, he recollects that he has already offered ẓuhr prayer, he is not allowed to change the intention to the ‘aṣr prayer and his prayer is void in this case, and the same rule applies to maghrib and ‘ishā’ prayers. However, if he makes the intention for ‘aṣr prayer and during the prayer he recollects that he has not offered ẓuhr prayer yet, he can change the intention to ẓuhr prayer, regardless of where he remembers such. Similarly, if one has started offering ‘ishā’ prayer and during the prayer, recollects that he has not offered maghrib prayer, if he recollects before the rukū‘ of the fourth rak‘at, he is allowed to change the intention to maghrib prayer, but if it is after the fourth rukū‘, he should complete the prayer with the intention of ‘ishā’ and thereafter he should offer the maghrib prayer and as an obligatory precaution, should also redo the ‘ishā’ prayer.
