If tarawih prayer is performed by saluting after every four rak'ahs, is it necessary to intend after each salutation?

We intend to perform tarawih prayer in congregation and perform four rak'ahs. Is it necessary to intend again in order to follow the imam for the remaining rak'ahs of tarawih prayer or is the intention at the beginning enough?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Hanafi fiqh scholars disagreed about the answer to the question, “Is it necessary to intend separately for each four rak'ahs of tarawih prayer?” Ibn Abidin explains the disagreement and the fatwa about the issue as follows:

The following answer is given in “Khulasa: ‘According to the sound view, it is necessary to intend at the beginning of every four rak'ahs because each four rak'ahs is a separate prayer.’

The following answer is given in Haniya: ‘According to the sound view, it is not necessary because the whole tarawih is regarded as one prayer.'

The same thing is written in Tatarhaniya.’

If the apparent aspect is taken into consideration, the disagreement is about the essence of the intention. In my opinion, the former is sound because when a person who performs tarawih prayer salutes, he exits the prayer. Therefore, it is necessary to intend again to start the prayer.”(Ibn Abidin - Raddu’l Mukhtar, III/90)

As it is known, it is not necessary to intend through the tongue for the prayer. To know that one is going to perform a prayer is also regarded as intention. Therefore, in tarawih prayer or other prayers, to know what prayer to perform means intention. 

Besides, it is possible to act based on the following view so as not to have delusions: "It is not necessary to intend for tarawih prayer before each two-rak'ahs because tarawih prayer that consists 20 rak'ahs is regarded as a single prayer. Therefore, the intention at the beginning of the prayer is enough."

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