Question Summary:
What is the ruling with regards to salāh with the wrong intention, breaking one’s salāh and mixing the order of the postures in salāh

Question Detail:

I have two questions that I hope you could answer for me, in accordance with the Hanafi madhab:

          1. If we start our salah with the wrong intention (i.e. intention to pray Maghrib when it is 'Asr that we are supposed to be praying), then can we change our intention in prayer or do we break our salah, and start again? Or is there another option? Is there a difference if you are praying behind an Imam or not? And what is the correct method of breaking salah. I have seen people saying salaam to the right shoulder only, but I have also seen people just come out of prayer. Is there a difference if you break it due to different levels of need, such as; your parents calling in need or due to passing wind, etc.
          2. What do we do if we mix the order of postures in salah? I.e. If we go down to sujood before we bow for ruku. I have read that there are differences in opinion in each of the madhabs, but I am not sure what opinion the Hanafi Ulama hold. Do we break our salah, or continue from the last correct posture (from just before we missed a posture)?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
If one commenced his salāh with the wrong intention, he cannot change his intention during the salāh.  He will have to recommence the salāh with a new intention and repeat the takbīr tahrīmah.[i]
Likewise, if one has an intention which is different to that of the imām, then his following of the imām will not be correct.  He will have to recommence his salāh with an intention which is identical to that of the imām to be part of the imām.  For example, if the imām was performing Dhuhr, and the person following made the intention of performing Asr, his following will not be correct.  He will have to make the intention of performing Dhuhr and re-do the takbīr tahrīmah.[ii]
The method of breaking the salāh is by performing one salām to the right.[iii]  The fuqahā mention that the demands of breaking one’s salāh will depend on the strength of the cause for breaking it. 
It will be:
1)     Harām (impermissible) if one breaks his salāh without any reason.
2)     Mubāh (permissible) if you fear your wealth is at stake.
3)     Mustahab (preferable) to break the salāh to join the jamā’ah.
4)     Wajib (mandatory) to break one’s salāh when somebody’s life is at risk.[iv]
If a person goes into prostration (sajdah) instead of rukū’, he must get up from the sajdah and perform the rukū’.  At the end of the salāh, he will have to perform sajdah sahw as he delayed his rukū’ from its original position.[v]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Faraz ibn Adam,
Student Darul Iftaa
Leicester, United Kingdom
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net