Salatdua

ISTIKHARA

Being human, we have limited understanding and are helpless in this realm of existence. Thus, why don't we pray to Allah and ask for His flawless assistance whenever we need it? After all, we aim to please Allah, and He answers the call of His servant when he seeks for guidance. Asking Allah for guidance is the purpose of the Salat-al-Istikhara, also known as the istikhara dua. The literal meaning of Istikhāra is "to seek that which is good." It is carried out when a person finds it difficult to decide what is best. For instance, it feels fantastic for someone looking for work to receive two job offers at the same time. In order to avoid confusion when deciding which occupations to accept, it is preferable to offer istikhara prayers.

Rasulullah stated this SAW in a hadith narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah r.a which means:

Interpretation In English

Rasulullah SAW taught us istikhara in all matters, such as teaching us surahs from the Quran. He said: “When one of you wants to do something that is not clear, he needs to pray two rak’ahs that are not obligatory, then dua.”
Interpretation In Arabic

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمَكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ، وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ- خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي- عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ- فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي- عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ- فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ

Allaahumma 'innee 'astakheeruka bi'ilmika, wa 'astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa 'as'aluka min fadhtikal-'Adheemi, fa'innaka taqdiru wa laa 'aqdiru, wa ta'lamu, wa laa 'a'lamu, wa 'Anta 'Allaamul-Ghuyoobi, Allaahumma 'in kunta ta'lamu 'anna haathal-'amra-[then mention the thing to be decided] Khayrun lee fee deenee wa ma'aashee wa 'aaqibati 'amree - [or say] 'Aajilihi wa 'aajilihi - Faqdurhu lee wa yassirhu lee thumma baarik lee feehi, wa 'in kunta ta'lamu 'anna haathal-'amra sharrun lee fee deenee wa ma'aashee wa 'aaqibati 'amree - [or say] 'Aajilihi wa 'aajilihi - Fasrifhu 'annee wasrifnee 'anhu waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kaana thumma 'ardhinee bihi

Right Time To pray Ishtikhara

Dua or Supplications Istikhara, Tahajjud, and repentance prayers (Tawbah Prayer) are best performed at night (qiamullail). If not, it can be done at a time other than Tahrim, which is the period during which prayer is prohibited.
Say the Istikhara prayers three or seven days in a row, depending on how important they are. InsyaAllah, you will be inclined or compelled to make the appropriate decision.

Niyyah For Ishtikhara is:

Interpretation In Arabic

Usolli Sunnatal Istikharati Rak’ataini Lillahi Ta’ala

Interpretation In English

I pray sunnah istikhara two rak’ahs because of Allah Ta’ala

Offering Of Rakats

You can offer two rak'ahs of istikhara prayers, or up to 12 rak'ahs with six salam.

Salaat-ul-Istikhara (Prayer for Guidance) is a non-obligatory prayer consisting of just two rakats that can be said at any time of day and concludes with a particular dua. You should be thinking about the situation you would need advice on while reciting the dua, with sincere intentions and from the bottom of your heart. Furthermore, according to Allah, a heart that he directs correctly can never be mistaken. After then, one of your alternatives should make you "feel good." You should choose the choice that feels best to you after you pronounce the dua. You can try again if you're still not sure.

How To Perform Ishtikhara?

1. Make Wudu or Ablution.

Make sure you're clean by performing Wudu before beginning prayer. After centering your mind, wash and rinse your hands, mouth, nose, face, and lower forearms three times. Wash your ears and head once, and then, beginning with the right foot, wash your feet three times.[1]

After then, you can raise your right index finger to the heavens and say, “Ash-hadu al laa ilaaha illALLAHu wahdahuu laa shariikalahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhuu wa rasuuluh.”

The translation in English is, “I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah alone; He is One; He has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is His (chosen) servant and (true) Messenger.”

2. Quite Place To Sit

Set up your area for prayer. Make sure the area you use for prayer is sufficiently clean. To maintain cleanliness, lay a mat on the ground. Make sure you and the mat are facing Mecca, or the Qibla.

3. Begin Your Prayers

To begin, focus your attention on your intention. To begin your prayers, rise up, raise your palms to your ears, and declare, "Allah Akbar," which means, "Allah is the Greatest." Next, recite the opening prayer, Isteftah Dua, and then the Ta'awwuz and Tasmiah.
"Subhana Kal-lah hum-ma wabi hamdika wata-baara kasmuka wata'ala jad-duka wala ilaha ghyruk," is the Isteftah Dua. "Glory be to you, O Allah, and all praises are due unto you; blessed is your name, high is your majesty, and none is worthy of worship but you," is how this is translated.

The Ta'awwuz is transliterated as "A'udhu bil-lahi minash Shayta-nir-rajeem," which means "I seek Allah's protection from the accursed Satan." Ta'awwuz just needs to be said once.

"Bismillah hir-Rahma nir-Raheem," or "In the name of Allah, the most Kind and the most Merciful," is how the Tasmiah is transliterated. Before reciting any Surah, or chapter of the Quran, you should say Tasmiah.

4. Quranically recite Surah Fatiha.

Commence with two rak'ah (prayer cycles), beginning with the Surah Fatiha, prior to offering the Salat-al-Istikhara. As you begin each Surah, don't forget to say, "Bismillah hir-Rahma nir-Raheem." Every rak'ah includes the recitation of Surah Fatiha.

Alhamdul lil-lahi rab-bil 'alameen
Ar rahma nir-raheem
Maliki yawmid-deen
Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'een
Ihdinas siratal mustaqeem
Siratal Lazeena an'amta 'alayhim
Ghai-ril maghdubi 'alayhim
Walad dal-leen. Ameen.

In English, this translates to:

Praise is only for Allah, Lord of the Universe.
The most Kind, the most Merciful.
The master of the Day of Judgement.
You alone we worship and to you alone we pray for help.
Show us the straight way,
The way of those whom you have blessed.
Who have not deserved your anger,
Nor gone astray.[3]

5. Surah Al-Kafirun

Say the Surah al-Kafirun out loud. Proceed with your two rak'ah recitations of Surah al-Kafirun, which is chapter 109 of the Quran, after the Surah Fatiha. Remember to repeat, "Bismillah hir-Rahma nir-Raheem" at the beginning of each Surah.

Qul yaa-ai yuhal kaafiroon
Laa a'budu ma t'abudoon
Wa laa antum 'aabidoona maa a'bud
Wa laa ana 'abidum maa 'abattum
Wa laa antum 'aabidoona ma a'bud
Lakum deenukum wa liya deen.

Say : O ye that reject Faith!
I worship not that which ye worship,
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
Nor will I worship those whom you have worshipped;
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
To you be your Way, and to me mine.

6. Recite Surah Fatiha once again before moving on to Surah al-Ikhlas. Recite the Surah al-Ikhlas after repeating the Surah Fatiha. Tasmiah, or “Bismillah hir-Rahma nir-Raheem,” comes first.

Qul huwal laahu ahad
Allah hus-samad
Lam yalid wa lam yoolad
Wa lam yakul-lahu kufuwan ahad

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
And there is none like unto Him.

7. Istikhara Dua

Say the Istikhara prayer aloud. You are now prepared to recite the Istikhara supplication after making two rak'ah offerings.[6]

• The Salat-al-Istikhara transliteration is:

Allahumma innee astakheeruka bi ilmika wa-astaqdiruka biqudratika wa-as'aluka min fadhlika al-adheem. Fa innaka taqdiru walaa aqdiru. Wa ta'lamu walaa a'alamu wa anta allaamul ghuroob.
Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna haadhal-amr khayrun liy fiy deeniy wa-ma'aashiy wa-'aaqibat amriy, faqdur hu liy wa- liy thumma baarik liy feehi. Wa in-kunta ta'lamu anna haadhal amr sharrun liy fiy deeniy wa-ma'aashiy wa-'aaqibat amriy. Fa asrifhu 'annee wa-srifni 'anhu. Wa aqdur lial khayra haythu kaana thumma a-rdhiniy bihee.

• The English translation is:

O Allah! Behold I ask You the good through Your Knowledge, and ability through Your Power, and beg (Your favour) out of Your infinite Bounty. For surely You have Power; I have none. You know all; I know not. You are the Great Knower of all things.
O Allah! If in Your Knowledge this matter be good for my faith, for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs, then ordain it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless me therein. But if in Your Knowledge, this matter be bad for my faith, for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs, then turn it away from me, and turn me away therefrom, and ordain for me the good wherever it be, and cause me to please with it.

8. Repeat The Prayers

As many times and as many days as you choose, repeat the prayer. You can either keep saying the rak'ah or repeat the Istikhara supplication as many times as you'd like. Istikhara should be a regular part of your prayers till you have attained peace. Try it for seven days, but if you believe you have received a response during that period, stop.

(Why We Do Istikhara Prayer?

1. Every time you have to make a non-obligatory decision, you should perform istikhara. It's a potent prayer of direction to use if you're not sure what to do such as selection of a partner; choosing university or colleges; business decisions.

2. When one prays, they ask Allah to make things easier if they are good and to turn them away if they are not. Therefore, after saying the Istikhara prayer, one should choose a path of action and have faith that, should things not work out, it will be because it was not in his best interests. If then things did not turn out as planned, one should not be disappointed.

3. Istikhara is only advised for situations that the Shari`ah deems appropriate; it is not advised for situations in which Allah's laws are obviously violated. When faced with two options that are acceptable to you and you are unsure which is best for you, you should turn to Allah (SWT) to ask for His guidance.

4. You are beginning to lean one way, but you still need some persuasion and encouragement because you are a little confused. You sought out therapy and are searching for the confidence to follow through on the decision you arrived at by using critical thinking, applying your intelligence, and conducting some research. Although you are headed in the right direction, you still lack clarity and confidence. Istikhara enters the picture here.

Outcomes of Istikhara Prayers

• The main result of the istikhara is the mental clarity and assurance needed to make the crucial decision that I previously said. You are pleased with your decision and feel confident about it. Even though there is another option on the table and you were already leaning toward option A, you have much more confidence in option A—or perhaps you have already made up your mind about option A and are just lacking a little more assurance.

• The goal of the istikhara is to make you think about yourself, become a little more introspective, and assess whether or not you feel good and confident about the choice you have made.

• An Istikhara can have a variety of effects. Essentially, you follow your emotions, regardless of whether they are more positive right now. You might also notice that things have shifted, either in your favor or not. Keep in mind that if you don't act upon the outcomes of an Istikhara, you are effectively rejecting Allah's counsel after you have asked for it.

Additionally, you should first clear your head and not make up your mind before voluntarily following the outcomes.