Forged Ways Of Doing Salaatul Istikhaarah
By Sh. Mashhur Hasan Aal-Salmaan
The following paragraphs present some of these forged ways of doing Salaatul Istikhaarah:
[1] Believing in setting a condition prior to doing Salaatul Istikhaarah; that is if the matter one wishes to do is good one would see a green or a white colour in one’s dreams. And if the matter is evil one would see a red or a black colour.
[2] Using the rosary by the one who needs Allaah’s (swt) guidance or others make it for him. One holds the rosary and then presents one’s need secretly then gathers some of its beads in one’s hand and counts them. If the number of the beads is an odd one, one would not fulfill what he had intended to do. If the number is an even one, one would consider this as a good sign and would do what he had born in his intention.
Indeed, what is the difference between this way and that which the people of Jaahiliyyah used to practice, i.e. the Tiyarah, which is totally prohibited in our Shar‘.
[3] The cup way. A cup of coffee is made by a man or a woman for the one who needs the Istikhaarah. The later drinks the cup of coffee offered to him, then tips it over and after a while gives it to the former to “read” it for him. The former looks inside the cup after the leftover has made different shapes and lines -just like any liquid left over does! Then the “reader” starts making up different stories for the former and fills his head with legends!!
[4] Using necromancy [fortunetelling]. It is done by placing a cup full of water on a special person’s hand which has special lines. This process is done on a certain day of the week. Then the fortune-teller starts humming with unrecognized words calling some of the Jinns in order to bring the thief [as is usually done or tell him about the robery].
[5] Using the sand. It is done by drawing disconnected lines on the sand, then they are counted in a special mathematical way known to those who practice this way. At the end, the fortune-teller gets to know the person’s sign [of the zodiac] and picks out all the information about this sign from a certain book he brought for such a purpose. Then he tells the person about the latter’s past and future events -as he claims. Those people with similar signs are told the same thing.
[6] Using the palm. In this way the fortune-teller claims to have the ability of reading one’s palm through diagnosing and analysing its lines and starts telling others about their future.
[7] Using the Mushaf. One opens the Mushaf randomly, if one’s eyes fell on an Ayah that talks about mercy, he would do the thing he wishes, otherwise he won’t.
[8] Some people go to Shaikhs and righteous people to do the Istikhaarah on their behalf which is a mistake!!
No doubt that those of sound sense could easily realize that all these ways are part of the forbidden fortune telling believing in which is one of the grievous sins as the ‘Ulamah strongly stated.(1)
The prophet (saw) forbade it saying: ‘Whoever attends a fortune teller or a soothsayer and believes whatever he says [the former] has indeed disbelieved in that which was revealed on Muhammad (saw)’.(2)
He (saw) also said: ‘Whoever attends a fortune teller, asks him about any thing and believes him, his Salaat would not be accepted for forty days.’(3)
I wonder how could people seek such nonsense and falsehood and get away from the prophet’s (saw) guidance?!
It is worth-mentioning here that some people violate the manner in which Salaat is done such as: adding the du‘aa false statements or believing in the necessity of setting conditions before doing the Salaat: such as doing it in matter one is confused about, reciting the du‘aa while doing Sujud etc.
Another mistake people make after doing Salaatul Istikharah is saying: ‘We made Istikhaarah and got no benefit’ or other statements that indicate that one is not fully submitted to Allaah’s (swt) will. In his “Al-Fawaa’id” (p. 174), Ibn Al-Qayyim said:
‘The warm hearted father always does that which is best for his son; he would even cut one of his organs if necessary. And he would deprive him sometimes from money or desires if this is for his own good.
Allaah (swt) the All-wize and Most merciful who always showers His creatures with mercy when afflicting them with misfortune for their own good. Only those with deep faith in Allaah (swt) would understand and believe in this, unlike those who lack knowledge in Allaah’s perfect names and attributes and resorted instead to their deficient minds, such would gain nothing at all.
Those who believe deeply in Allaah (swt) and His perfect knowledge would feel content in this world and in the hereafter when they would live in Paradise. This what truly means to believe in Allaah (swt), and accept Islaam as one’s religion and Muhammad as our messenger’.
FOOTNOTES:
(1) See: “Al-Kabaa’ir”, Grievous Sin (no. 41) (p. 141).
(2) Narrated by: Ahmad in “Al-Musnad” (vol. 2 / pp. 408, 429, 476), Abu Daawud in “As-Sunnan” (vol. 4 / p. 15) (no. 3904), Ad-Daarimi in “As-Sunnan” (vol. 1 / p. 259), At-Tirmithi in “Al-Jaami‘” (vol. 1 / pp. 242-3) (no. 135), Ibn Maajah in “As-Sunnan” (vol. 1 / p. 209) (no. 639), Ibnil Jaarud in “Al-Muntaqaa” (p. 58), Al-Haakim in “Al- Mustadrak” (vol. 1 / p. 8) and Al-Baihaqi in “As-Sunnan Al-Kubraa” (vol. 8 / p. 135). Al-Haakim considered the Hadith as authentic in his “Al-Mustadrak” with which Ath-Thahabi agreed in his “At-Takhlis” and “Al-Kabaa’ir” (p. 141) and so did Al- ‘Iraaqi in his “’Amaali” -as reported in “Faydul Qadir” (vol. 6 / p. 23).
(3) Narrated by: Muslim in his “Sahih” (vol. 4 / p. 1751) (no. 2230).
[Extracted from his book "The Clarified Ruling Of Mistakes Done In Salaah]
Source:
http://theauthenticbase.wordpress.co...n-aal-salmaan/