Riya and Niyyah

Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the intention(Niyyah) when starting to do an act of worship such as praying etc., do we need to utter it verbally, such as saying, “I intend to pray, I intend to fast”? 

He (may Allah have mercy on him) replied: 

“The intention of purifying oneself by doing Wudu, Ghusl or Tayammum, of praying, fasting , paying Zakah, offering expiation and other acts of worship does not need to be uttered verbally, according to the consensus of the Imams of Islam. Rather the place of intention is the heart, according to the consensus among them. 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. 

Hadith mentioned: Hadith 6, 40 Hadith Qudsi

Dua mentioned: 

اللهمَ اجْعَلْنِى خَيْرًا مِمّا يَظُنُونَ

O' Allah, make me better than what they think of me,

وَاغْفِرْ لِى مَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

And forgive me for what they do not know about me,

وَلَا تُوَاخِذْنِى بِمَا يَقُولُون

And do not take me to account for what they say about me.

>The Prophet (SAW) said: Shall I not teach you something which if you
say will eliminate minor or major shirk (polytheism)?
الَّلهُمَ إنَّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أشرِكَ بِكَ وأنا أعلَمُ وأستَغْفِرُكَ لما لا أعلَمُ 

Allahumma inni a udhu bika an ushrika bika wa ana a lamu wa
astaghfiruka lima la a lamu (O Allah I seek refuge in You from knowingly associating partners
with You, and I seek Your forgiveness for that which I do not know)
Al-Adab al-Mufrad 716 (Sahih- al-Albani)

Surah verse mentioned: 2:264