Introduction to Salaat al-Istikharah
A spiritually immense prayer, endowing the Muslim with tranquility and
restfulness. A prayer in which a servant if concerned with an affair or is
faced with a worldly problem or intends to do something recommended or
obligatory in which he has a choice, or when two recommended or obligatory
actions conflict each other. Which one should he do? Which one should he put
forward?
He should pray two Rakaahs of al-Istikharah prayer, then make a Duaa specified
by our noble Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), seeking guidance form his
Lord and seeking the counsel of his Creator and by it actualizes his servitude
to Him, built upon the truthfulness of his certainty and his assurance in his
Lord.
Know that this great Duaa (Duaa of Istikharah) contains important issues,
Tawheed in Allahs Lordship, and humility in worship to Him, and Eeman in His
Names and Attributes, and the servant fulfilling servitude to His Lord, firm
reliance upon and seeking Allahs help, asking and pleading in His Knowledge,
and Power, for His Blessings, and then contentment in what is decreed for him.
So, if al-Istikharah contained nothing more than the realization of these
great meanings it would be enough in goodness. Verily, how Perfect He is, who
prescribed for His servants the good of this world and the Hereafter. What is
Salaat al-Istikharah?
Linguistically al-Istikharah comes from the verb Istikharah which means
seeking / requesting guidance in what is good. So, al-Istikharah is the noun
for request or action. While in the Islamic terminology al-Istikharah means
that a servant seeks guidance from his Lord upon the manner described by the
Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) by praying two rakaahs of supererogatory
prayer, then supplicating with the specific Duaa for al-Istikharah for doing
an action which is mubah (action which neither brings about reward if
performed nor brings about punishment if abandoned - allowed) or for leaving
it, or in an obligatory or recommended action in which he has a choice.
Since, the servant is weak in his comprehension, ignorant of the unseen and
indecisive about his actions, Allah, the Most High and the Most Merciful,
ordained Salaat al-Istikharah for him whenever he faces an obstacle or is
concerned about an affair: he consults his Creator and seeks His guidance with
regard to it because Allah Alone is the Knower of Ghaib (unseen), He Alone is
the most knowledgeable about the reality of the affairs and their results,
their benefits from their harms, their good from their evil, in this world and
the Hereafter:
"And with Him are the keys of Unseen, none know them but He. And He knows
whatever is there in the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but by His
knowledge; there is not a grain in the darkness (or the depth) of the earth,
nor any flesh or dry (green or withered) but is written in a Clear Record." [Soorah
al-Anaam (6): 59]
Hence, when the servant is concerned about an affair or decided upon a matter,
or a problem arises in his mind and he wishes to act upon it, then he should
seek guidance form his Lord before embarking upon it according to the manner
prescribed in the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam).
What is Salaat al-Istikharah?
Linguistically al-Istikharah comes from the verb Istikharah which means
"seeking / requesting guidance in what is good. So, al-Istikharah is the noun
for request or action. While in the Islamic terminology al-Istikharah means
that a servant seeks guidance from his Lord upon the manner described by the
Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) by praying two rakaahs of supererogatory
prayer, then supplicating with the specific Duaa for al-Istikharah for doing
an action which is mubah (action which neither brings about reward if
performed nor brings about punishment if abandoned - allowed) or for leaving
it, or in an obligatory or recommended action in which he has a choice. Since,
the servant is weak in his comprehension, ignorant of the unseen and
indecisive about his actions, Allah, the Most High and the Most Merciful,
ordained Salaat al-Istikharah for him whenever he faces an obstacle or is
concerned about an affair: he consults his Creator and seeks His guidance with
regard to it because Allah Alone is the Knower of Ghaib (unseen), He Alone is
the most knowledgeable about the reality of the affairs and their results,
their benefits from their harms, their good from their evil, in this world and
the Hereafter: "And with Him are the keys of Unseen, none know them but He.
And He knows whatever is there in the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls
but by His knowledge; there is not a grain in the darkness (or the depth) of
the earth, nor any flesh or dry (green or withered) but is written in a Clear
Record." [Soorah al-Anaam (6): 59]
Hence, when the servant is concerned about an affair or decided upon a matter,
or a problem arises in his mind and he wishes to act upon it, then he should
seek guidance form his Lord before embarking upon it according to the manner
prescribed in the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam).
Is there any Proof for Salaat al-Istikharah?
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "From the prosperity of
an individual is his seeking guidance from his Lord and his contentment with
what He has ordained and from the misfortune of an individual is his
abandoning seeking guidance form his Lord and his displeasure after what is
decreed (for him) comes to pass" [Saheeh at-Tirmidhee, Ahmad, al-Haakim and
other]
As for the proof for the permissibility of Salaat al-Istikharah then Imaam al-Bukhari
narrates in his Saheeh that Mutraf bin Abdullah Aboo Musab narrated to us that
Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abee al-Mawaal narrated to us from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir
from Jaabir (radhi allahu anhu):"the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)
used to teach us al-Istikharah (seeking of guidance) in all of our affairs,
like he would teach us a Soorah of the Quraan saying:
"If any of you is concerned about an affair, then let him pray two rakahs
other then the obligatory prayers after which he should supplicate: "O Allah,
I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and I seek Your assistance by Your Power
and I ask You from Your immense favor, for verily you are able while I am not,
and verily You know and I do not, and You are the knower of the unseen. O
Allah if You know this affair is to be good for me in relation to my religion,
my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then decree and
facilitate it for me and bless me with it. And if You know this affair to be
detrimental (harmful) for me concerning my religion, my life and end (or he
said my present and my future), then remove it from me and remove me from it
and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with it.
And he mentions his need"
[Ahmad (3/344), al-Bukharee (eng. trans. Vol.2, no.263), Aboo Dawood eng.
trans. Vol.1, no. 1533, an-Nisaee (no. 3253), at-Tirmidhee (no.480) and Ibn
Majah (no. 1383)] Explanation of the Meaning of the Duaa al-Istikharah
"O Allah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge" Meaning I request You that
You choose good for me and help me in this need of mine and I seek a means of
approach to You by Your knowledge which encompasses everything in the heavens
and the earth."
Seeking help by the Absolute Knowledge of Allah and seeking a means of
approach by it, is very appropriate, since the need of seeking guidance is
connected with the Unseen and Allah Alone is the one, with Eternal knowledge
that extends over everything and nothing escapes from it and verily, He knew
all that which occurred, what will occur and all that which did not occur:
"Verily, Allah is All-Knower of everything" [(8): 75]
And Indeed, nothing escapes His Knowledge:"And that Allah surrounds
(comprehends) all things in His Knowledge" [(65): 12]
And "With Him are the keys of Ghaib (all that is hidden) none knows them but
He. And He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea; not a leaf
falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor
anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record." [(6): 59]
==================================
"And I seek Your assistance by Your Power and I ask you from Your immense
favor, for verily you are Able and I am not"
Meaning I request from You in that which You have decreed for me, and I seek
means of approach to You by Your Power.
Here, the slave of Allah requests His Lord to make Him content with His choice
by His Power, Ability and Immense Favor, since, the slaves ability is from the
Ability and Power of Allah, otherwise he is weak. Making matters easy is from
the Ability of Allah and the Great Favor from Him that He has bestowed upon
His slaves, if He doesnt make things easy for His slave, they will turn
difficult and he may dislike what Allah chooses for him, unaware of the good
that is placed in it for him. So, he requests Allah from His immense Favor
keeping in view the following statement of Allah:
"And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you
like a thing which is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not." [Soorah
Baqarah (2): 216]
One of the manifestations of this great fact is the treaty of Hudaybiyah. The
year of Hudaybiyah, when the pagan Arabs of Quraish tribe prevented the
Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) and his Companions (radhi allahu anhu)
from entering Makkah to perform Umrah. Instead of the severe conditions
imposed by the Mushriks and great dislike of the treaty by his Companions,
Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) accepted them, being confident
that Allah would not abandon him and that He will grant him victory. Allah
knew that the treaty of al-Hudaybiyah was the beginning of victory. On the way
back to Madinah Allah revealed the verse:
"Verily! We have given you (O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)), Fathan
Mubeen, a manifest victory." [(48): 1]
And indeed, due to the treaty, many good things regarding the manifestation of
Deen and retreat of Kuffr took place. People came nearer and entered
discussions with each other, Muslims could speak about Islam with proofs and
evidences. There came in the fold of Islam as many people as the people who
entered before. And regarding this treaty Allah says in His Book:
"He knew what you knew not, and He granted besides that a near Fathan
(victory)." [(48): 27]
====================
"And verily You know and I do not, and you are the Knower of unseen"
"Say: None in the heavens and the earth know the unseen except Allah." [Soorah
an-Nahl (27): 65]
So not a soul knows anything from the Ghaib (unseen), except by His
permission:
This permission is of two types:
1. Permission through Revelation " Particular to the Prophets and Messengers:
"(He Alone) the All-Knower of the Ghaib, and He reveals to none His Ghaib.
Except to a Messenger whom He has chosen (He informs him of unseen as much He
likes), and then He makes a band of watching guards (angels) to march before
him and behind him." [Soorah Al-Muzzammil (73): 26-27]
And similar was the case with the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi
wa-sallam), the information of the future in his prophecies were the little
that he was told of the future through the Angel Jibreel (alaihis-salaam) and
not a result of his own knowledge. Allah made him manifest to this when He
said: "Say: I have no power to bring good to myself nor avert harm, but it is
only as Allah wills. If it were that I know the unseen, I would have
multiplied the good and no evil would have touched me." [Soorah al-Araf (7:
188]
2. Permission through the creation of the universe " Knowledge of the way
Allahs creation operate and its scientific discoveries " whatever a believer
or a disbeliever comes to know from the knowledge that was previously unknown,
like the discovery of electricity etc"¦
========================
"O Allah if You know this affair to be good for me in relation to my religion,
my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then decree and
facilitate it for me and bless me with it. And if You know this affair to be
detrimental for me concerning my religion, my life and end (or he said my
present and my future), then remove it from me and remove me from it and
decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with it."
Here, the slave asks Allah for His Blessings in his affair because if Allah
guides him due to His Knowledge, helps him due to His Ability and Power, then
he needs Allahs help to preserve it and His Blessings in it so that his matter
becomes firm and grows.
Precisely, Istikharah is dependant on three things:
1. The Absolute Knowledge of Allah
2. Allahs Ability and Power of decreeing
3. Allahs Blessings, which does not diminish, and His generosity, which is not
repelled.
For theses reasons, it is appropriate to start the Duaa with seeking a means
of approach by His Knowledge in choosing what is good for him, then follows
that which is required for his choice to be attained, by seeking help through
His Power " the ability to enact the action. Then, because the affair
requires the blessing of Allah and His favors so that the choice is blessed
and so is the benefit from it " it is appropriate that he asks Allah for His
blessings, which encompass everything.
Then, since the slave is short-sighted, his affairs unsettled, not being
pleased with what is given to him and not content with what is ordained for
him, it is appropriate that he should end his Duaa by asking for contentment
in what will be ordained for him. Wisdom and Benefits behind seeking Guidance
from Allah, the All-Knower: Apart from the great blessing that Allah, the
Exalted grants by answering the Duaa (supplication) and fulfilling the
request, there are many more benefits in performing this beautiful prayer.
1. The first of the benefits is the realization of the meaning of worship for
Allah " comprising of humility to Him, expressing ones weakness and lowliness
to Him, manifesting ones need and dependence upon Him, imploring Him, asking
for the best of Him. Realization of Tawheed of Worship " a necessary aspect
of eeman and the reason behind the creation of mankind: "I did nor create Jinn
and mankind, except for My worship" [Soorah Adh-Dhariyat (51): 56]
2. Realization of the Tawheed of Allahs Lordship and Tawheed of Allahs Names
and Attributes by affirming that in His Hands are the keys of the affairs and
He knows the Unseen matters of the heavens and the earth and He loves good for
His slaves and He chooses that which benefits them.
"And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses"¦" [Soorah al-Qasas
(28): 68]
"And with Him are the keys of Unseen, none know them but He. And He knows
whatever is there in the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but by His
knowledge; there is not a grain in the darkness (or the depth) of the earth,
nor any flesh or dry (green or withered) but is written in a Clear Record." [Soorah
al-Anaam (6): 59]
3. Assurety of Allah and pleasure with His decree before and after the
Istikharah, reliance upon Him, and resigning the affairs to Him, thus removing
the confusion, hesitation and anxiety which weakens the self, wearing down the
body, giving way to distress and sorrow.
4. The fourth benefit is that Allah grants the request of one who makes al-Istikharah.
Allah grants him two favors who makes al-Istikharah: the first that Allah
answers the Duaa of His servant and this is a great benefit and an evidence of
the servants piety or him gradually achieving it.
The second is the ability to enact the affair for which he sought guidance and
choosing the good for him, turning and directing him towards it rather than
abandoning him and leaving him astray. How to perform the Salaat al-Istikharah?
First " Fulfill all the conditions of supererogatory prayer " which are the
same conditions of the obligatory prayer except the condition of the entering
time for that particular prayer. The conditions of prayer are:
a) The clothes being clean and free of any impurities
b) The body being in the state of purity
c) The place of prayer being clean and free of any impurities
d) Covering of the awwrah (that which individual men and women must cover)
e) Entering of the time for that particular prayer
f) Facing the Qiblah (The Kabah in Makkah)
g) Intention [Refer to Fiqh books for a detailed explanation on these points]
Second " Praying two rakahs of supererogatory (Nafl) prayer with the
intention of al-Istikharah (Seeking Guidance).
The prayer does not have any particular time before which one must make al-Istikharah
for a particular affair. Neither does it have a favored time [1] nor any
specific Soorah is prescribed for this prayer. But there is nothing wrong if
one strives to perform it in times in which a duaa is more likely to be
answered, since al-Istikharah is a duaa. [For more information about the times
in which duaa is more likely to be answered, refer to our forthcoming articles
Duaa]
It should bear born in the minds that al-Istikharah is made after concern and
when one has made the intention and resolve to do something according to the
saying of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam): "When one of you is
concerned about an affair"¦"
Then he should turn over towards Allah with heart, humiliation and submission.
Third " After the completion of two rakaahs prayer (i.e. after the salaam)
particular for Istikharah, he should make the following supplication and it
should be born in minds that it is necessary to stick to this specific Duaa:
Translation
"O Allah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and I seek Your assistance by
Your Power and I ask You from Your immense favor, for verily you are able
while I am not, and verily You know and I do not, and You are the knower of
the unseen. O Allah if You know this affair is to be good for me in relation
to my religion, my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then
decree and facilitate it for me and bless me with it. And if You know this
affair to be detrimental for me concerning my religion, my life and end (or he
said my present and my future), then remove it form me and remove me from it
and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with it."
Fourth " He should have a strong assurance in his Lord and truthful reliance
upon his Lord, being sure of guidance, waiting for the answer.
Fifth " Avoid all obstacles that prevent the supplication from being answered
Al-Istikharah is a Duaa, so one should adhere to the etiquettes of Duaa and
avoid all obstacles and barriers that prevent a Duaa from being answered, they
being: -
(a) Haraam Earnings
(b) Requesting something, which is sinful or involves oppression
(c) Abandoning the act of enjoining what is good and forbidding the evil
(d) Exceeding the limits in making Duaa
(e) Being heedless of Allah and the Deen in the times of ease
(f) Contradicting some Shariah Ruling
And the prohibited times are, as Uqbah bin Naafee (radhi allahu anhu) said:
"There are three times in which Allahs Messenger (sallalahu alaihi wa-sallam)
forbade us to pray or bury our dead; when the sun begins to rise until it is
fully up, when the sun is at its highest at midday till it passes over the
meridian, and when the sun draws near to setting until it sets." [Saheeh
Muslim (eng. trans) vol.2, no.1811] What should be done after al-Istikharah?
After performing the Istikharah prayer, one should firmly resolve to do that
which he thinks to be correct, after placing the trust in Allah, the
Al-Knower: "Then when you have taken the decision, put your trust in Allah." [Soorah
Aal Imraam (3): 159]
"And whosever puts his trust in Allah, He is sufficient for him"¦" [Soorah at-Talaaq
(65): 3]
One should be truthful in his intention, sincere in the actions in which he
sought the guidance, while he does that which appears to him correct without
hesitation and sadness, sluggishness or fear, whether his heart is happy or
not about the affair, because the affairs are not determined by the
constriction of the heart, but rather it is determined by Allah granting and
making the affair easy for him. As He says:"And it may be that you dislike a
thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which is bad for you.
Allah knows but you do not." [Soorah Baqarah (2): 216]
And since, none of the creation whoever it may be, can prevent good if Allah
intends it for him, nor can they turn away evil if Allah " the Most High "
decreed it for him: "And if Allah touches you with hurt, there is none who can
alleviate but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can
repel His favor, which he causes to reach whomsoever of His slave He wills.
And He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Soorah Yunus (10): 107]
Question " Does the one making al-Istikharah also seek the council of
People (Istikharah)?
Answer " Yes! The one making al-Istikharah should also seek help from those
whom he knows to be righteous and who can give the appropriate advice and it
makes no difference whether this is before al-Istikharah or after it. For
there is no contradiction whatsoever between al-Istikharah and Istiharah
(seeking the advice of the people) because al-Istikharah is from Allah and
Istiharah is from the people.
Istikharah is an action based on ones Eeman whereas Istiharah is an action
whereby one seeks means " so there is no contradiction between two. Reliance
is an action of the heart, whereas, seeking means is an action of the limbs,
which Allah created in order to achieve goals, and this " combining actions
of the heart and the actions of the limbs " is what is legislated in the
Religion of Islam.
As for abandoning the means naming it to be "Tawakkul in Allah " then this
is something, which Islam rejects and it is not reliance upon Allah. As for
depending on means besides Allah is Shirk with regards to these means. Allah
says in the Quraan: "And consult them in the affair. Then once you have taken
the decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put
their trust (in Him)" [Soorah al-Imran (3): 159]
So the Most High " in this verse, combines both seeking the means, which is
taking consultation, and the obligation to have reliance on Allah, which is an
action of eeman and from the complete characteristics of a believer.
And similar is reported in a narration, when a man asked him (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) concerning his riding beast; should he tie it and rely upon
Allah, or should he leave it and rely upon Allah? So the Prophet answered him
saying: "Tie it and rely upon Allah" [At-Tirmishee, Ibn Khuzaimah, at-Tabari
and others]
And this was the practice of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam),
he used to consult his Companions (radhi allahu anhu) and even sometimes his
wives " so he sought their counsel at the Battle of Uhud, he sought their
counsel at the battle of Ditch and he also sought their counsel with regards
to the prisoners of the Battle of Badr and in many other situations.
Consequently, the stages of al-istikharah are: -
1. Being concerned about an affair
2. Making al-Istikharah and asking for advice
3. Reliance upon Allah
4. Then the one making al-Istikharah acting according to what he considers to
be correct Is Istikharah related to Dreams?
The idea behind performing al-Istikharah is that the matter is determined by
Allah making the affair easy and Him granting it. So, having a dream or not
makes no difference, rather if assumed that one has a dream how does he know
that the dream is from the Most Merciful or from shaytaan or from talking
souls:
Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Dreams are of three types; glad
tidings from Allah, whispering of the soul or frightening thoughts from
Shaytaan" [Saheeh al-Bukharee (eng. trans.) vol.8, no.595 and Saheeh Muslim
(eng. trans) vol.4, no.6404]
Unfortunately, contrary to the instructions of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam), Muslims today depend entirely on the prayer to make their
decisions. That is they make the prayer and supplication prior to making any
decision, and rely on dreams to provide the answers for them. The prayer is
often repeated before sleeping for a set number of days and dream books are
consulted to interpret symbols in their dreams. All this has no basis in the
methodology taught by the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). However, this
is not to say that a good dream may not be acted upon as a confirmation of a
decision, about which istikharah was made. What are the Affairs in which one
can make al-Istikharah?
One can make al-Istikharah only in those affairs that are allowed (Mubah:
action which neither brings about reward if performed nor brings about
punishment if abandoned) like worldly affairs for e.g. traveling, the modes of
transport, business dealings, trade, places and time in which one has a choice
etc.
Al-Istikharah cannot be made in obligatory, recommended, disliked and
forbidden actions, since obligatory actions are forbidden to leave and
forbidden actions are obligatory to leave, for e.g. performing obligatory
Hajj, abandoning of alcohol or other acts of disobedience. Rather, he can make
al-Istikharah in those obligatory and recommended affairs in which there is a
choice e.g. marriage is obligatory but since he has a choice with respect to
whom he should marry, he may seek guidance (i.e. perform al-Istikharah) with
regard to a particular women, and a women may seek guidance in regard to a
particular man " but not in marriage itself.
Also al-Istikharah can be made if one is faced with two obligatory duties or
conflicting recommended duties, e.g. the case of marriage and Hajj for the one
who only possesses enough money for either of them.
Thus, al-Istikharah can be made in all these affairs, whether one is sure of
them or not, since the purpose of al-Istikharah is asking Allah, the guidance
and ability to do something, and having resolve to do something does not
contradict making al-Istikharah.
Question: Can al-Istikharah be made in those affairs whose result is known?
Answer: Yes, since Allah alone knows the reality of Affairs and their
consequences and the saying of Allah should be enough for us: "And it may be
that you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which
is bad for you. Allah knows but you do not." [Soorah Baqarah (2): 216]
Duaa Prescribed After Being granted that which he has asked for
The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "If one of you buys a
maid-servant then he should say: "O Allah, I ask of You her good and the
goodness within her and the goodness that You have made her inclined towards.
And I take refuge with You from the evil within her and the evil that You have
made her inclined towards, and he should ask for blessings. And if one of you
buys a camel then he should touch the top of its hump and supplicate for
blessings and say likewise." [Aboo Dawood v.2, no. 2155, Ibn Majah and al-Haakim]
And in another narration: "If one of you marries a woman or buys a
maid-servant, he should touch her forelock and mention Allahs Name " the
Mighty and Sublime " and pray for the blessings."
Therefore, it is prescribed to put ones hand on the front of what he has
acquired, mentioning Allahs Name and then praying for blessing with the
afore-mentioned Duaa, and likewise on similar matters such as buying a car and
other than that.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Nawafil prayer like al-Istikharah, salaah entering the masjid are
generally not allowed in times of prohibition. However, the scholars differ
regarding this issue. Therefore, if one were to leave performing Salaat al-Istikharah
in theses prohibited times, then that would thereby avoid difference of
opinion and it would be more helpful to him in attaining tranquility, since
verily, the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Leave that which you
doubt for that which you do not doubt" [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee, an-Nisaee]
