Relevansi Niat dalam Peribadahan pada Kehidupan Kontemporer

Abstract

Intention (niyyah) is one of the fundamental elements in worship and plays an important role in determining the validity and spiritual value of an act. Differences of opinion among the scholars of the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence regarding the concept of intention demonstrate the richness of the treasury of Islamic fiqh that needs to be understood comprehensively, especially in facing the development of contemporary worship practices. This study aims to analyze the concept of intention according to the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools, identify their similarities and differences, and examine its relevance in present-day worship practices. This study uses a library research method with a qualitative approach and comparative analysis. Data were obtained from fiqh works of the four schools, books, and scientific journal articles relevant to the research theme. The results show that the four schools agree in placing intention as an important element in worship that functions to distinguish worship from habit and to determine the purpose of an act. However, there are differences in the aspects of the status of intention, the time of its performance, and its verbal utterance. The Shafi’i school places stronger emphasis on intention as an essential pillar (rukn) in several acts of worship, while the other schools have different legal details according to their respective methodologies of istinbath. In the contemporary context, the concept of intention remains relevant in various modern worship practices, such as digital zakat, electronic waqf, and technology-based religious activities. Therefore, understanding the concept of intention according to the four schools can help Muslims perform worship more correctly, remain tolerant of differences of opinion, and preserve sincerity in facing the challenges of modern life