Asalaamu 'alykum warahmatulahi wabarakatuh.
What is Istikharah?
Many times you be stuck in some sort of situation and you hear brothers and sisters shouting out 'do istikharah!' You've never heard of that word before, or you've heard of it but you've never known how to perform it?
You have questions in your head but you might feel too embarassed to ask, or you may not have the right person to ask.
You think to yourself; -
What is istikharah? What is the proper method of performing it? Is it true that for Istikharah to be valid, one must experience some kind of a dream indicating the proper course of action to follow?
Insha Allaah (God willing) you will learn abit more about istikharah and how to perform it. By the end of reading this article, if you still need a deeper understanding - then please dont be afraid to ask or voice your opinion. Learning is an important factor in islam so please dont be afraid to ask. Jazak Allaah khayr.
Istikharah Prayer
Istikharah prayer is a two-rak`ah non-obligatory Prayer by which one seeks Allah's guidance when he is confused or can't choose between permissible alternatives. In this case, the Muslim should pray to Allah the Almighty to guide him to whatever He sees fit for him and make his heart satisfied with the decision.
In the Prayer, one asks Allah to facilitate the matter if it is good and turn it away if it is not. Thus, after praying Istikharah, one should decide on a course of action, and trust that if the matter does not work out, it is because it was not good for him. One should not then feel disappointed if things did not go as hoped.
Istikharah is only prescribed for matters deemed permissible by the Shari`ah and not for any issue that plainly opposes Allah subhanahu wa ta'aala's Laws. It is when you have two permissible options and you do not know which is better for you that you should resort to Allah the Almighty to seek His guidance.
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
“Istikharah means, "seeking the best course of action." In Islam, it is used for approaching Allah through Prayer for guidance in a case when one cannot make up his mind. It should, however, be pointed out, that Istikharah applies strictly to cases that are halal (lawful or permissible), since there cannot be a question of choice concerning matters that are considered haram (unlawful or impermissible).
When faced with important decisions in life, a believer is persuaded to use all of his Allah-given resources, as well as to consult people who are known for their knowledge, piety and sound opinion. After having done so, he can turn to Allah for guidance.
Humans are limited in knowledge, and Allah alone possesses perfect knowledge. Allah has told us that He alone possesses the keys to all that is good. He has also promised to help us if we turn to Him earnestly and sincerely.
We see around us people doing all sorts of things for confirmation when faced with important decisions in their life. The Pre-Islamic Arabs resorted to the practice of divining with arrows or the stirring of birds. In modern times, even some of the most prominent people consult astrologers, psychics, gurus or so called spiritual masters. Islam teaches that since Allah alone knows the unseen realities, and He alone is aware of what is good for us in an absolute sense, we must seek His help.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him) taught us how to do so. He told us that if we are faced with decisions in life and are unable to make up our mind, we must approach Allah through Prayer. This Prayer is called Prayer of Istikharah. It is a Sunnah or a highly recommended act. The specific method of doing it, is as follows:
First, one must offer a Prayer of two rak`ahs with the intention of seeking guidance from Allah. Then he should offer the following supplication:After having done so, he should follow the decision that he is strongly inclined to. If he feels no such inclination, then he should choose one of the options; he can rest assured that Allah will guide his steps. It has been reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "One who asks Allah for guidance in choosing the best course of action will never be a loser."
"Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi`ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika al-azim, fa'innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wa ta`lamu wa la a`lamu, wa anta `allamu-l-ghuyub.
Allahumma, in kunta ta`lamu anna hadhal-amra [here mention your case] khairun li fi dini wa ma`ashi wa `aqibati 'amri (or 'ajili amri wa`ajilihi) faqdurhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li fihi.
Wa in ta`lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma`ashi wa `aqibati 'amri (or `ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu `anni was-rifni `anhu, waqdur liya al-khaira haithu kana thumma 'ardini bihi.”
(O Allah, I seek Your help in finding out the best course of action (in this matter) by invoking Your knowledge; I ask You to empower me, and I beseech Your favor. You alone have the absolute power, while I have no power. You alone know it all, while I do not. You are the One Who knows the hidden mysteries. O Allah, if You know this thing (I am embarking on) [here mention your case] is good for me in my religion, worldly life, and my ultimate destiny, then facilitate it for me, and then bless me in my action. If, on the other hand, You know this thing is detrimental for me in my religion, worldly life, and ultimate destiny, turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree what is good for me, wherever it may be, and make me content with it.)
It is not at all necessary for a person to have visions or dreams following Istikharah. However, if a person does experience a vision or dream, and he feels strongly about it, he should follow it.” (Source: www.islam.ca)
Imam An-Nawawi (may Allah bless his soul) adds:
“After making Istikharah, a person must do what he or she is wholeheartedly inclined to do and feels good about doing and should not insist on doing what he had desired to do before making the Istikharah. And if his or her feelings change, he or she should leave what he or she had intended to do, for otherwise he or she is not leaving the choice to Allah, and would not be honest in seeking help from Allah's power and knowledge. Sincerity in seeking Allah's choice means that one should completely abandon what one desired oneself.”
Also, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former head of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and member of the Fiqh Council of North America, states:
“Doing Istikharah does not mean that one should not use one's reason or experience. Allah the Exalted has commanded us in the Qur'an that we should use our intellect and seek knowledge. If we do not know something, we should ask those who know. But human reason has limitations. We do not know everything; only Allah does know all things. When we are faced with a dilemma then we should turn to Allah to seek His guidance.
After offering Istikharah, you may do whatever is best in your understanding or whatever convinces you. You may repeat the du`a' of Istikharah several times if you are still hesitant. It is not necessary to dream about anything and you do not have to wait for an answer in your dreams.
Most of the hadiths on this subject do not talk about any dream. However, the famous Hanafi jurist Ibn `Abdeen has suggested in his Hashiyah that one should make the Istikharah Prayer before sleeping, and should sleep after having performed Wudu'. The face should be towards Makkah. If one sees something white or green in one's dream, then the answer is yes, but if one sees something dark or red then the answer is no.
Other jurists of Shafi`i, Maliki, Hanbali and Ja`fari schools say that one should do that which is most convincing. According to Imam Malik, other people can also perform Istikharah on behalf of someone.
There is nothing strange about dreams. If you did not see any dreams, then it does not mean that dreams do not occur. After the Istikharah Prayer, some people may see a dream and some may not. We know that some of our dreams become true. Some time we see something in a dream and it happens exactly the same way later. As there are good dreams and bad dreams, so there are also true and false dreams. The interpretation of dreams is a special knowledge that some people have. In the Qur'an many dreams are mentioned. Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) saw in his dream that he was sacrificing his son. Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) had dreams and Allah also gave him the knowledge of interpreting dreams. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) also sometimes interpreted the dreams of his Companions.”
Allah Almighty knows best.
Source.
Other Questions.
Salatul Istikharah: Any Sign of Response?
Istikharah Prayer: Rules & Signs of Response
more info:
Question #11981: Istikhaarah prayer.
Question #2217: How to pray istikhaarah.
Audio Lecture on Istikhaarah:
Inner Dimensions of Istikharah - Part 01. [Abdul Bary Yahya]
Inner Dimensions of Istikharah - Part 02. [Abdul Bary Yahya]
source: http://www.audioislam.com/?whatsnew
To download:
Right Click - Save Link As/Save Target As
Last edited by - Qatada -; 07-21-2007 at 03:25 PM.
JazakAllah Akee brother for that. I did a different version of istakhara. I'm still confused, so inshaAllah will pray this tonite and see what happens. Oh and as you're the Mod, can I request you close my thread on the 'Marriage in Islam' Board plz. It's titled 'Dear brothers and sisters Please advise me'.
JazakAllah
wa alykum as Salaam warahmatulahi wabarakatuh.
jazak Allaah khayr. insha Allaah i'll ask another member to do that because i dont have any power in that section.. by the way i read through that thread and it was really powerful subhan Allaah.. we all will remember you in our prayers insha Allaah.
wa Salaam o 'alykum warahmatulahi wabarakatuh.
Ok bro, tnx. JazakAllah khair for your prayers-May Allah ta ala bless you too, inshaAllah. Ameen.format_quote Originally Posted by akhee
salam
jazakallah bro for sharing that
wasalam
Salam
I was wondering, is there any difference between someone else performing istikhara for you and you performing it yourself? Is it better if you do it yourself?
Wassalam
format_quote Originally Posted by Unique
Its recommended that you do it yourself sister, because if its a decision thats going to affect you, then its wiser for you to perform the istikharah.
This is because if the other person does it for you, they may do it and not ask for the answer willingly from their heart, therefore they might not get a response.
It could also be that the other person who performs the istikharah, they may have a dream which they may give the wrong meaning too. Therefore your decision is affected by a persons opinion of the dream instead of you experiencing the dream.
Sometimes a person may not even get a dream, and may just experience a feeling after they have performed it, so if someone did it on your behalf and told you they experienced that feeling - it cant really be 100% reliable.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Anas, when you intend to do some important things, then seek the good (seek Istikharah) from your Lord seven times and then do that to which your heart (or mind) is inclined, because the good is in it."
Therefore, its better to perform the istikharah by yourself, perform it seven times and then do what your heart or mind is inclined to, because you've turned to Allaah Almighty for guidance.
wa Allaahu a'lam. (and Allaah Almighty knows best.)
yeah you would rather do it yourself but maybe in the situation where your heart is so set on one answer you may ask others to also do it........
Salam
Ok, cool. When you perform it seven times...thats once every day right? lol, it might be obvious, but I want to be sure. Also I asked my previous question because I asked someone else to do it for me, but then they also did something else, they opened the quran and read the first ayah they saw to help give an answer. Ive never heard of doing this before, is this really a part of istikhara?
When the person did istikhara for me, they gave me an answer, but it was also influenced by them reading the quran...now im confused as I didnt know they were going to do that, does that mean their answer isnt valid?
Wassalam
Dont worry, its important to ask of anything your unsure about because it makes it easier to understand what you got to do.
From the hadith mentioned in the previous post, its been said that one has to do it seven times, so yeah - you should perform it for seven nights, "then do that to which your heart (or mind) is inclined, because the good is in it."
Referring to your second question - I cant really say whether the istikharah was reliable, this is because the proper way of performing istikharah is in a supplication form and performing a two raka'ah prayer. The prayer involves asking for guidance for that affair, and our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his beloved family) taught the sahabah (radhiAllaahu anhu) to perform it the following way:
First, one must offer a Prayer of two rak`ahs with the intention of seeking guidance from Allah. Then he should offer the following supplication:
"Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi`ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika al-azim, fa'innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wa ta`lamu wa la a`lamu, wa anta `allamu-l-ghuyub.
Allahumma, in kunta ta`lamu anna hadhal-amra [here mention your case] khairun li fi dini wa ma`ashi wa `aqibati 'amri (or 'ajili amri wa`ajilihi) faqdurhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li fihi.
Wa in ta`lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma`ashi wa `aqibati 'amri (or `ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu `anni was-rifni `anhu, waqdur liya al-khaira haithu kana thumma 'ardini bihi.”
(O Allah, I seek Your help in finding out the best course of action (in this matter) by invoking Your knowledge; I ask You to empower me, and I beseech Your favor. You alone have the absolute power, while I have no power. You alone know it all, while I do not. You are the One Who knows the hidden mysteries. O Allah, if You know this thing (I am embarking on) [here mention your case] is good for me in my religion, worldly life, and my ultimate destiny, then facilitate it for me, and then bless me in my action. If, on the other hand, You know this thing is detrimental for me in my religion, worldly life, and ultimate destiny, turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree what is good for me, wherever it may be, and make me content with it.)
So if the person never performed it the correct way, it may not be reliable. You also need to remember that performing istikharah by oneself will give more reliable results, because you'll experience everything first-hand instead of someone else performing it and feeling confused on what they dreamt about, or what feeling they experienced.
Even if the person got an answer, you may want to perform it yourself because one should do it seven times anyway, and you may want to see the results first-hand insha Allaah.
Salam
Ok, thanks alot brother, I will InshaAllah, perform it myself.
Wassalam
Masha Allah! excellent information brotha. Ive been wanting to find out some proper detailz about these types of prayers. i will definetly be praying those Insha Allah when in a dilemma and in need of guidance in a particular matter. Jazakallah khair for sharing.
Assalam aleikum.
First of all, thank you for sharing these very important informations about istikahara!
Sister Uniqe, you asked about opening the quran and finding the answer in an ayah. Well, I think this site/link might help you:format_quote Originally Posted by Unique
<Link Removed>
It has helped me alot, hopefully it will help you too and answer your questions.
Ma salama.
Confusedddddddddddd
Why are you confused?
Last edited by ------; 03-13-2006 at 08:32 PM.
excellent job, bro
jazakallah for the precise piece on istiqaara, i really think its one of the greatest blessings dat hav been given to the ummah...
though i wonder why our sis is confused wen its all clear...
n by the way that thing abt repeating it 7 times is only in the case when u do it once n r stil unclear abt ur course of action, den u repeat it again...n so on..
hop dat cleard up things a bit for sis.
i hav used istiqaara at every point in my li'l life wenever i was feeling overwhelmed... n believe me... the relief it gives u...its like talkin to Allah Himself!
format_quote Originally Posted by ridaa_islami hav used istiqaara at every point in my li'l life wenever i was feeling overwhelmed... n believe me... the relief it gives u...its like talkin to Allah Himself!
masha Allaah, i agree - especially in such big changes of ones life, like marriage. Most people would feel so stressed out when making such a big life changing thing like that, but getting your decision off the one who created you, and the whole universe makes you feel so secure.
At the same time, its a big imaan booster because you feel that Allaah Almighty is listening and accepting your prayer, and responding to it.
Alhamdulillah for islam.
Re: Istikharah Prayer - (asking Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aala for guidance.)
so true. it gives u an amazing sense of contentment, u know, becoz u've surrendered ur problem to Allah...n now u know He's going to solve it for u...format_quote Originally Posted by Fi_Sabilillah
Mashallah...
shukr alhamdulillah for islam.
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