Wrong intention

[S.Ali786]

Salams, if you have made a wrong niyyat for salah is it still valid? For e.g you made intention for 4 Rakat Sunnat Mookadda but you was actually praying 4 Rakat Fardh but noticed halfway through it and carried on.

Jazak'Allah Khair

[*charisma*]

Assalamu Alaikum

In your case, it's not valid:

So the principle is:

Changing from one specific thing to another is not valid; changing from something general to something specific is not valid; changing from something specific to something general is valid.

So from fardh (eg. 'Asr) to fardh (eg. Dhuhr) = not valid; Sunnah to fardh= not valid; fardh to sunnah = valid

Read more here

[S.Ali786]

@*charisma* Thanks, i was referring to the Isha prayer. If you mistakenly made intention verbally for 4 Rakat Sunnah Mookadda but in your heart were planning on reading 4 Rakat Fardh but realized halfway.

[*charisma*]

Oh ok, so you're asking about verbal niyyah vs nonverbal. Sorry I misunderstood.

I thinkk you're good on your prayers being valid:

If a person utters something by mistake that goes against what is in his heart, then what counts is what he intended, not what he said.

Source

Allah knows best. Inshallah someone more knowledgable can reply in case I've made any mistake.