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 Rakaa'hs of al-Istikharah prayer, then make a Du'aa 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 Du'aa (Du'aa of Istikharah) contains important issues, Tawheed in Allah's 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 Allah's 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 Du'aa 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-An'aam (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 Du'aa 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-An'aam (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 Mus'ab 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 Qur'aan 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-Nisa'ee (no. 3253), at-Tirmidhee (no.480) and Ibn Majah (no. 1383)] Explanation of the Meaning of the Du'aa 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]
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"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 slave's 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 doesn't 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]
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"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-A'raf (7: 188]
2. Permission through the creation of the universe – Knowledge of the way Allah's 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…
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"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 Allah's 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. Allah's Ability and Power of decreeing
3. Allah's Blessings, which does not diminish, and His generosity, which is not repelled.
For theses reasons, it is appropriate to start the Du'aa 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 Du'aa 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 Du'aa (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 one's weakness and lowliness to Him, manifesting one's 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 Allah's Lordship and Tawheed of Allah's 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-An'aam (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 Du'aa 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 Ka'bah in Makkah)
g) Intention [Refer to Fiqh books for a detailed explanation on these points]
Second – Praying two rakah's 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 du'aa is more likely to be answered, since al-Istikharah is a du'aa. [For more information about the times in which du'aa is more likely to be answered, refer to our forthcoming articles Du'aa]
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 Du'aa:
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 Du'aa, so one should adhere to the etiquettes of Du'aa and avoid all obstacles and barriers that prevent a Du'aa 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 Du'aa
(e) Being heedless of Allah and the Deen in the times of ease
(f) Contradicting some Shari'ah Ruling
And the prohibited times are, as Uqbah bin Naaf'ee (radhi allahu anhu) said: "There are three times in which Allah's 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 one's 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 Qur'aan: "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]
Du'aa 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 Allah's Name – the Mighty and Sublime – and pray for the blessings."
Therefore, it is prescribed to put one's hand on the front of what he has acquired, mentioning Allah's Name and then praying for blessing with the afore-mentioned Du'aa, 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-Nisa'ee]
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