Anytime a Muslim is making a decision, he or she should seek Allah’s guidance and wisdom. Allah alone knows what is best for us, and there may be good in what we perceive as bad, and bad in what we perceive as good. If you are ambivalent or unsure about a decision you have to make, there is a specific prayer for guidance (SalatlIstikhara) that you can do to ask for Allah’s help in making your decision. Should you marry this certain person? Should you attend this graduate school? Should you take this job offer or that one? Allah knows what is best for you, and if you are not sure about a choice that you have, seek His guidance. WAY TO PERFORM ISTIKHARA: First pray Two raka' of ritual Prayer (nafl) such that in the first raka' after Surah Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah alKafirun (Chapter 109) and in the second raka' after Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah alIkhlas (Chapter 112). After finishing prayer recite this (supplication/dua'): Dua in Arabic Recite Durood Ibraheem (Salawaat) before and after the dua. Dua:
َ ﺍﻟ َﻌ ِﻈﻴﻢ َ ﻣ ْﻦ ْ ِﻚ َ ﻓ ْﻀﻠ َ ﺑ ُﻘْﺪ َﺭﺗ ِ ﻭﺃَ ْﺳَﺘ ْﻘِﺪ ُﺭ َﻙ ﱠ ﺃَ ْﻋَﻠ ُﻢ ﻭ َﻻ ِ ﻭﺃَ ْﺳَﺄُﻟ َﻚ َ ﻭَﺗ ْﻌَﻠ ُﻢ َ ﺃَ ْﻗِﺪ ُﺭ ﻭ َﻻ َ َﺗ ْﻘِﺪ ُﺭ ﻓِﺈﱠﻧ َﻚ َ ِﻚ َ ﺑ ِﻌْﻠ ِﻤ َﻚ ِ ﻴﺮ َﻙ ُ ﺃَ ْﺳَﺘ ِﺨ ﺇﱢﻧﻲ ِ ﺍﻟﻠ ُﻬ ﱠﻢ ِ َْ ﻫَﺬ َ ﺃَ ْﻣﺮ َﺔ ُﻮﺏ ﱠ ْ ﻋﱠﻼ ُﻡ َ ﺍﻷ ْﻣ َﺮ ﺍ ُ ﺇ ْﻥ ِ ﺍﻟﻠ ُﻬ ﱠﻢ َ ﺃَ ﱠﻥ َﺗ ْﻌَﻠ ُﻢ ﻛْﻨ َﺖ َ ﻭﺃَْﻧ َﺖ ﻟِﻲ ُﻓ ْﺎﻗُﺪ ْﺭﻩ ﻱ ِ ﻭ َﻣ َﻌ ِﻲ ِ ﻓ ﻟِﻲ ْﺮ َ ﺎﺷ َ ﺩﻳﻨ ِﻲ َ ٌ ﺧﻴ ِ ِ ﻭ َﻋﺎ ِﻗﺒ ﻲ ِ ﺍﻟ ُﻐﻴ َْ ﻫَﺬ َ ﺃَ ْﻣﺮ َﺔ ُ َ ﺍﻷ ْﻣ َﺮ ﺍ ُ ﻭِﺇ ْﻥ َ ﺃَ ﱠﻥ َﺗ ْﻌَﻠ ُﻢ ﻛْﻨ َﺖ َ ﺎﺻ ِﺮ ْﻓ ُﻪ ﻋﱢﻨﻲ ِ ﻭ َﻣ َﻌ ِﻲ ِ ﻓ ﺷ ﱞﺮ ِ ﻓ ﻟِﻲ َﺎﺭ ْﻙ ْ ﻓ ﻱ َ ﺎﺷ َ ﺩﻳﻨ ِﻲ َ ِﻴﻪ َ ﻭﻳ ﱢ ِ ِ ﻭ َﻋﺎ ِﻗﺒ ﻲ ِ ﺑ ﺛ ﱠﻢ ﻟِﻲ َُﺴ ْﺮﻩ ُ ﺣﻴ ْ ِﻲ َ ْﺚ َ ﻛ َ ﺍﺻ ِﺮ ْﻓﻨ ﺑ ِﻪ ِﻲ َ ْﺮ َ ﻋْﻨ ُﻪ ِﻲ ْ َﻭ ْ ﺛ ﱠﻢ ُ ﺎﻥ َ ﺍﻟ َﺨﻴ َ ﻟ ﻭ ْﺍﻗُﺪ ْﺭ ِ ﺍﺭ ِﺿﻨ
Transliteration:
‘Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi’ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa as’alaka min fadlika al-’azlm Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta’lamu Wala a’lamu, Wa anta ‘allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta’lam anna hadha-l-amra Khairun li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri Faqdirhu wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hadha-l-amra shar-run li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or fi’ajili amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al-khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi.’ (At both Hadha-l-Amra mention your request) Translation:
(O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this matter is good for my religion and my subsistence and in my Hereafter–Then You ordain it for me and make it easy for me to get, And then bless me in it, and if You know that this matter is harmful to me In my religion and subsistence and in the Hereafter–(or said: If it is worse for my present and later needs)–Then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, And make me satisfied with it). Sahih AlBukhari – Book 21 Hadith 263
NOTES When to perform Salatul Istikhara? After Zuhr, Maghrib and Isha How many times? It depends. Sometimes it takes only once to get the answer and sometimes it takes longer. It is better to do istakhara seven (7) times. If you have received an answer, stop doing istikhara. You do not have to continue to do istikhara for 7 days. It is better that right after reciting the supplication, given above, sleep with ablution (people who cannot keep the ablution for longer times due to health problems do not have to worry about ablution before falling asleep) facing the direction of the Qibla (facing the Qibla is not required but it is a Sunnat of our beloved Prophet Peace Be Upon Him). It is better to recite salutations (durood/ salawat) on the Prophet Allah's Grace and Peace be upon him before and after the above Dua (supplication). When making the dua The actual matter or decision should be mentioned instead of the words “hathalamra” (“this matter”). What needs to be noted is Allah facilitates and unfolds events for an individual after he or she genuinely strives to do what is best.Take the most effective means, which includes consulting those whose knowledge and wisdom one has confidence in, and place your trust in Allah. * Some misconceptions concerning istikhara One is not looking for signs after they've completed istikhara One should not be looking for a particular dream to be the answer to istikhara, those are two completely separate issues. One is not looking for a particular feeling concerning something in order for it to be answered. When one makes istikhara, they should simply live their life, and continue to pursue whatever decision they thought to be the best decision, and Allah will simply guide them to what is best. One should also have firm belief that Allah swt will answer their istikhara. Lastly, one needs to be patient in terms of receiving the answer to their prayers. Remember the words of our Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam, “The supplication of everyone is granted as long as he does not show haste and does not say that he made a supplication but it was not accepted.” [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah] www.facebook.com/halaalSL www.twitter.com/halaalSL Type FOLLOW HALAALSL and sms to 40404