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The complete guide to Istikhara

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    ZeeshanParvez's Avatar Full Member
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    The complete guide to Istikhara

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    This thread is the complete guide to the Istikhaara prayer. I will be posting relevant material here from a wide range of reliable and authentic sources.

    Muslims really need to concentrate on this prayer. It brings the best for you in this world and the next.

    Feel free to contribute to the thread but please do not paste links to other websites without writing anything. Do not make this forum into a link farm. That is the worst thing you can do. Everyone knows how to use Google. They can google the links you paste here. You are not doing anyone any good by simply posting links. And you are hurting the SEO of the forum.

    So, if you want to contribute well and good but please do not turn this thread and the entire forum into a link farm.
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    ZeeshanParvez's Avatar Full Member
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    Re: The complete guide to Istikhara

    First, let's look at the evidence for Istikhaara. The evidence is the following authentic hadiith


    The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to teach his companions to make istikhaarah in all things, just as he used to teach them soorahs from the Quraan.


    He said: If any one of you is concerned about a decision he has to make, then let him pray two rakahs of non-obligatory prayer, then say:

    Allaahumma inni astakheeruka bi ilmika wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika wa asaluka min fadlika, fa innaka taqdiru wa laa aqdir, wa talamu wa laa alam, wa anta allaam al-ghuyoob. Allaahumma fa in kunta talamu haadhal-amra (then the matter should be mentioned by name) khayran li fi aajil amri wa aajilihi (or: fi deeni wa maaashi wa aaqibati amri) faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma baarik li fihi. Allaahumma wa in kunta talamu annahu sharrun li fi deeni wa maaashi wa aaqibati amri (or: fi aajili amri wa aajilihi) fasrifni anhu [wasrafhu anni] waqdur li al-khayr haythu kaana thumma radini bihi

    (O Allaah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allaah, if in Your knowledge, this matter (then it should be mentioned by name) is good for me both in this world and in the Hereafter (or: in my religion, my livelihood and my affairs), then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge it is bad for me and for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs

    (or: for me both in this world and the next), then turn me away from it, [and turn it away from me], and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it.


    The authentic Hadiith has been narratd by Imaam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) and a similar report has been narrated by Imaam al-Tirmidhi (may Allaah have mercy on him), Imaam al-Nasaa'i (may Allaah have mercy on him), Imaam Abu Dawuud (may Allaah have mercy on him), Imaam Ibn Maajah (may Allaah have mercy on him), and Imaam Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him).



    Just reading this hadith alone shows you the importance of the prayer. It was taught just like the Suurahs of the Qur'aan were taught.

    And it was taught for all things.



    This shows the immense importance of this prayer. We also come to know that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) taught this prayer to the Companions (may Allaah be pleased with all of them). He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not pray it for them. He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) did not pray it on their behalf.

    He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) taught them how to pray it.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Based on the hadiith presented, all of the Jurists agree that the Istikhaara prayer is a Sunnah.


    The four Madhaahib agree that Istikhaara is done for a matter in regards to which a person does not know what the right perspective is. As for matters in regards to which it is known that they are evil or good such as matters of worship like fasting and praying or matters of disobedience, then there is no need for an Istikhaara in regards to those matters.


    The exception is when the person is not sure if the time is right to undertake the matter. For example, take the matter of Hajj. Hajj is a good act without a doubt. There is no need for an Istikhaara for it. However, it is possible that the year you want to perform the Hajj in is not a good year because in that year fitnah may occur. So, you can do an Istikhaara for performing Hajj in that year. Here the Istikhaara is not for the Hajj but for the year in which one wants to perform it.


    Based on this Istikhaara is only done in matters which are permissible or recommended. It has no place in matters which are obligatory, haraam, or makruuh.


    Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Fiqh
    Volume 3 Page 242

    - - - Updated - - -

    The manner in which Istikhaara is done


    There are three ways in which Istikhaara can be done.



    The first way is the one upon which all four Madhaahib agree. This entails that a person prays two Rak'ah non-obligatory prayer with the intention of praying the Istikhaara prayer, and then makes the dua which has reached us in the authentic hadiith mentioned above.



    The second way
    is to only make the dua which has reached us without praying the two Rak'ah when one is in a situation where it is not possible for him to pray the two Rak'ah and make the dua both together. This view is held by the Hanafi, Shaafi'i, and Maaliki schools of thought.



    The third way has only been explicitly stated by the Maaliki and Shaafi'i schools of thought. They have said that one can make the dua of Istikhaara at the end of which ever prayer one prays with its intention, and this is the best, or without its intention as in the case of saying the dua of Istikhaara after praying two Rak'ah of tahiyyat al-masjid (“greeting the mosque”).



    Ibn Qudaamah, who is from the Hanbali school of thought, has not mentioned any way except for the first one which comprises of both the prayer and dua of Istikhaara together.




    Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Fiqh
    Volume 3 Page 243
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    Re: The complete guide to Istikhara

    The time for Istikhaara


    Those who hold the opinion that one can attain the Istikhaara merely by means of the dua - without the two Rak'ah prayer - say that one can make dua at any time because there is no time when dua is forbidden.


    As for when the Istikhaara is done with the prayer and the dua together, then the four Madhaahib forbid praying the two Rak'ah during the times when prayer has been forbidden. The Maaliki and Shaafi'i schools have explicitly stated this.


    The Shaafi'i school has made an exception. They have allowed the two Rak'ah prayer for Istikhaara during the forbidden times at the Haram at Makkah. They have done this based on a Qiyaas that since one is allowed to pray the two Rak'ah of the Tawaaf based on the hadiith presented below, one can also pray the two Rak'ah of Istikhaara:




    The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

    "O Banu 'Abd Manaf, do not prevent anyone from circumambulating this House and praying at any time he wants of night or day."

    [Jaami al-Tirmidhi]



    As for the Hanbali and Hanafi schools of thought, they have acted on the generality of the ahadiith which say a person is not to pray at the forbidden times.

    These include:




    Narrated `Umar:



    "The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) forbade praying after the Fajr prayer till the sun rises and after the `Asr prayer till the sun sets."

    [Sahiih al-Bukhaari]





    He said: Observe the dawn prayer, then stop praying when the sun is rising till it is fully up, for when it rises it comes up between the horns of Satan, and the unbelievers prostrate themselves to it at that time. Then pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended (by angels) till the shadow becomes about the length of a lance; then cease prayer, for at that time Hell is heated up. Then when the shadow moves forward, pray, for the prayer is witnessed and attended by angels, till you pray the afternoon prayer, then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of the devil, and at that time the unbelievers prostrate themselves before it

    [Portion of longer hadith in Sahih Muslim Hadith No. 832]



    Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Fiqh
    Volume 3 Page 245

    - - - Updated - - -

    Can you do Istikhaara for another?



    The asl is that a person is to do Istikhaara for himself because that is what has come in the authentic hadiith.



    Some scholars hold the opinion that you can do the Istikhaara prayer for another person. They have based this opinion of theirs on the following words of a hadiith


    He from among you who has the ability to help his brother, let him do so



    محمد الحطاب المالكي has said that whether a person can do Istikhaara for another or not is a point of contention. I have not come across anything in regards to it but I have seen some of the mashaayikh doing it.


    All in all, it is safer and closer to the Sunnah to do the Istikhaara for yourself. Do not ask others to do it for you. There is no saying of the Salaf which substantiates this opinion that someone else can do an Istikhaara for you.


    Had such been the case, the Salaf would have preceded us in this good. It is safest to stick to the ways of the best generation.
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    Re: The complete guide to Istikhara

    yes istakhara is best prayer that teach us our holy prophet (pbuh.
    The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to teach his companions to make istikhaarah in all things, just as he used to teach them soorahs from the Quraan.

    He said: If any one of you is concerned about a decision he has to make, then let him pray two rakahs of non-obligatory prayer,
    The complete guide to Istikhara

    27y9utc 1 - The complete guide to Istikhara
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