Does God respond to what we say with our tongues or to what we intend in our hearts, and is what God fulfills what we intended within ourselves?
Allah's knowledge is comprehensive and does not require what is in the soul to be revealed. However, the Shari'ah obliges us to supplicate with the tongue, whether secretly, openly, or moderately between the two, based on His (the Almighty’s) saying: "And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and fear without the loudness in words in the mornings and evenings. And do not be among the heedless." Supplication in the Qur'an and Sunnah has always been expressed verbally, and mere intention is not considered supplication neither legally nor linguistically. Supplication must be continuous, and one must be patient in the face of affliction. There is no harm in unearned love, but one should not become attached to someone whose marital destiny is unknown. It is permissible to propose marriage to him under certain conditions.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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