Salathul "Istikhara"
"Istikhara" means to seek goodness from Allah (Exalted is He), meaning when one intends to do an important task they do istikhara before the task. The one who does the istikhara is as if they request Allah Almighty that, O the Knower of Unseen (Exalted is He) guide me if this task is better for me or not?
According to Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21, Number 263:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah :The Prophet (Sallal Laho Alaihi Wasallam) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara, in all matters as he taught us the Suras of the Quran. He said, "If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two Rakat prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer):
اللَّهُم إِني أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بعِلْمِكَ ، وأستقدِرُكَ بقُدْرِتك ، وأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فضْلِكَ العَظِيم ، فإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ ولا أَقْدِرُ ، وتعْلَمُ ولا أَعْلَمُ ، وَأَنتَ علاَّمُ الغُيُوبِ . اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كنْتَ تعْلَمُ أَنَّ هذا الأمرَ خَيْرٌ لي في دِيني وَمَعَاشي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي » أَوْ قالَ : « عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِله ، فاقْدُرْهُ لي وَيَسِّرْهُ لي، ثمَّ بَارِكْ لي فِيهِ ، وَإِن كُنْتَ تعْلمُ أَنَّ هذَا الأَمْرَ شرٌّ لي في دِيني وَمَعاشي وَعَاقبةِ أَمَرِي » أَو قال : « عَاجِل أَمري وآجِلهِ ، فاصْرِفهُ عَني ، وَاصْرفني عَنهُ، وَاقدُرْ لي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كانَ ، ثُمَّ رَضِّني بِهِ »
Transliteration:
Allahumma inni astakheeroka bi ilmik. Wa'astaq-diroka biqodratik. Wa'as'aloka min fadlikal-azeem. Fa'innaka taqdiru wala aqdir. Wata lamo wala-a lam. Wa'anta-allamul ghuyoob.
Allahumma in kunta ta lamu anna (hathal-amra*) khayul-lee fi deenee wama ashi wa ajila amri wa'ajilah, faqdorho lee, wayassirho lee, thomma-barik lee fih. Wa'in konta ta lamo anna (hathal-amra*) sharrul-lee fi deenee. Wama ashi. Wa ajila amri. Wa'ajilaho. Fasrifho annee. Wasrifnee anh. Waqdur leyal-khayr haytho kan. Thomma ardini bih.
Translation:
Oh Allah! I seek Your guidance 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.
Oh Allah! If in Your knowledge, (this matter*) is good for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge, (this matter*) is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
WAY TO PERFORM ISTIKHARA:First pray Two Cycles (raka') of ritual Prayer (nafil) such that in the first raka' after Surah Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah al-Kafirun (Chapter 109) and in the second raka' after Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112). After finishing prayer recite this (supplication/dua')
* When making the du'a, the actual matter or decision should be mentioned instead of the words "hathal-amra" ("this matter").
According to Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21, Number 263:
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah :The Prophet (Sallal Laho Alaihi Wasallam) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara, in all matters as he taught us the Suras of the Quran. He said, "If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two Rakat prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer):
اللَّهُم إِني أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بعِلْمِكَ ، وأستقدِرُكَ بقُدْرِتك ، وأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فضْلِكَ العَظِيم ، فإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ ولا أَقْدِرُ ، وتعْلَمُ ولا أَعْلَمُ ، وَأَنتَ علاَّمُ الغُيُوبِ . اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كنْتَ تعْلَمُ أَنَّ هذا الأمرَ خَيْرٌ لي في دِيني وَمَعَاشي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي » أَوْ قالَ : « عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِله ، فاقْدُرْهُ لي وَيَسِّرْهُ لي، ثمَّ بَارِكْ لي فِيهِ ، وَإِن كُنْتَ تعْلمُ أَنَّ هذَا الأَمْرَ شرٌّ لي في دِيني وَمَعاشي وَعَاقبةِ أَمَرِي » أَو قال : « عَاجِل أَمري وآجِلهِ ، فاصْرِفهُ عَني ، وَاصْرفني عَنهُ، وَاقدُرْ لي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كانَ ، ثُمَّ رَضِّني بِهِ »
Transliteration:
Allahumma inni astakheeroka bi ilmik. Wa'astaq-diroka biqodratik. Wa'as'aloka min fadlikal-azeem. Fa'innaka taqdiru wala aqdir. Wata lamo wala-a lam. Wa'anta-allamul ghuyoob.
Allahumma in kunta ta lamu anna (hathal-amra*) khayul-lee fi deenee wama ashi wa ajila amri wa'ajilah, faqdorho lee, wayassirho lee, thomma-barik lee fih. Wa'in konta ta lamo anna (hathal-amra*) sharrul-lee fi deenee. Wama ashi. Wa ajila amri. Wa'ajilaho. Fasrifho annee. Wasrifnee anh. Waqdur leyal-khayr haytho kan. Thomma ardini bih.
Translation:
Oh Allah! I seek Your guidance 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.
Oh Allah! If in Your knowledge, (this matter*) is good for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge, (this matter*) is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
WAY TO PERFORM ISTIKHARA:First pray Two Cycles (raka') of ritual Prayer (nafil) such that in the first raka' after Surah Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah al-Kafirun (Chapter 109) and in the second raka' after Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112). After finishing prayer recite this (supplication/dua')
* When making the du'a, the actual matter or decision should be mentioned instead of the words "hathal-amra" ("this matter").
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