Question
Is uttering the intention before prayer considered an innovation according to some scholars? And if it is not an innovation, should the worshiper say: I intend to pray the obligatory Asr prayer, for example?
Answer
I say, and with God's help: expressing the intention verbally is recommended, and the claim that it is an innovation is incorrect; it is an odd opinion held by those who abandon the practice of the jurisprudential schools, and God knows best.