Question about making Niyyat (Intention)?

[Jalal~]

:sl:
When you make niyyat for anything (i.e. prayer, wudu, reading Qu'ran, etc), do you have to say some special, specific dua, or do you just have to think about it in your head that you want to do this for Allah? If there is any Quranic evidence or hadiths, please post! Jazakallah Khair

[nuub]

Good question, I've always wondered about this.
Look forward to the answers :D

[Hamza Asadullah]

:sl:
When you make niyyat for anything (i.e. prayer, wudu, reading Qu'ran, etc), do you have to say some special, specific dua, or do you just have to think about it in your head that you want to do this for Allah? If there is any Quranic evidence or hadiths, please post! Jazakallah Khair

Asalaamu Alaikum, jazakallahu khayr for the question. Niyyah is affirmed in the heart so therefore one is not required to make niyyah by the tongue but if it will help you affirm the niyyah in the heart then it is better to make the niyyah with the tongue before a specific act of worship as proclaiming it with the tongue may help one clarify one's intentions and also may help one to focus on a specific act of worship.

Remember the more good niyyah's one makes in ones heart regarding a specific act of worship then the more good deeds one will gain from that act of worship.

So make niyyah with the tongue if you think it will help you affirm it in the heart and then make other good intentions in your heart as to why you are doing the good act and you will gain even more good deeds for that act of worship.

And Allah knows best in all matters