Istikharah: Prayer For Guidance

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to say, "If anyone of you intends to do something, he should offer a two rakat prayer other than the compulsory prayers, and after finishing it, he should say: O God! I consult You, for You have all knowledge, and appeal to You to support me with Your Power and ask for Your Bounty, for You are able to do things while I am not, and You know while I do not; and You are the Knower of the Unseen. O God! If You know that this matter (name your matter) is good for me both at present and in the future, (or in my religion), in this life and in the Hereafter, then fulfill it for me and make it easy for me, and then bestow Your Blessings on me in this matter. O God! If You know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, in this life and in my coming Hereafter (or at present or in the future), then divert me from it and choose for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me be pleased with it." (Bukhari: Volume 9, Book 93, Number 487) The Prophet encouraged Muslims to seek God's guidance, as mentioned above, through istikharah, in any matter of concern, but perhaps no time is as important to seek God's guidance than when we are deciding on a marriage partner. After all, you are making a serious choice that will effect us you for the rest of your life. Istikharah underscores our relationship to God, who knows and sees all, while we God's humble servants lack such knowledge and vision. For: "Verily, God is All-Knower of everything" (Qur'an 8: 75) And Indeed, nothing escapes His Knowledge:"And that God surrounds (comprehends) all things in His Knowledge" (Qur'an 65: 12) And "With Him are the keys of al Ghaib (the Unseen) 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." (Qur'an 6: 59) The noun istikharah comes from a verb that means to seek/request guidance in what is good. When we perform istikharah prayer we are putting our trust in God to guide us to what is right. As such, one wishing to perform istikharah should come to the prayer with a clear mind and open heart; that is, s/he should not have already made a decision about the matter. Note that the desire to put the matter in God's hands does not preclude investigating the prospective spouse thoroughly, pondering the issue carefully and seeking the advice of trustworthy others before you pray istikharah. It was, after all, the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to seek the counsel of his companions and his wives in important matters (for example, he did so regarding the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of the Ditch). Leaving the outcome in the hands of God after fully utilizing all the means at one's disposal is the true meaning of trust in God. Trust in God, but tie your camel. Praying istikharah is relatively simple. One prays two rakaats of nafl prayer and then says the dua of istikharah as follows: Translation: O God! I consult You, for You have all knowledge, and appeal to You to support me with Your Power and ask for Your Bounty, for You are able to do things while I am not, and You know while I do not; and You are the Knower of the Unseen. O God! If You know that this matter (name the issue here) is good for me both at present and in the future, (or in my religion), in this life and in the Hereafter, then fulfill it for me and make it easy for me, and then bestow Your Blessings on me in this matter. O God! If You know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, in this life and in my coming Hereafter (or at present or in the future), then divert me from it and choose for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me be pleased with it In Arabic: Transliteration: Allaahumma 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 ghuyoob. Allaahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna haadhal-amr khayrun liy fiy deeniy wa-ma'aashiy wa-aaqibat amriy, fa'qdruhliy wa-yassirh liy thumma baarik liy feehi. Wa in-kunta ta'lamu anna haadhal amr sharrun liy fiy deeniy wa-ma'aashiy was-'aaqibat amriy. Fa asrifh annee wa-srif 'anhu. Wa aqdurh liyal khayr hayth kaana thumma a-rdhiniy bihee A common misconception is that istikharah can only be prayed at night after witr. Actually, salaatul istikharah can be performed at any time of day. There is no favored time nor any specific surah that must be recited during the nafl rakaat of the prayer. One can, however, choose to perform it during the times in which dua are more likely to be answered since istikharah is a dua. As with other salaat prayers one's clothes must be clean and free from impurities, one's body must be in a state of purity, the place of prayer must be clean and free from impurities, one's awrah (the areas of the body that should remain unseen) must be covered, and one must face the qiblah (the direction of Mecca). Also crucial to the prayer is stating your intention to perform it. Consult a prayer guide for more details on the conditions for and specifics of the prayer. After performing the istikharah prayer, one should firmly resolve to do that which s/he thinks to be correct, after placing his/her trust in God, the All-Knowing: "Then when you have taken the decision, put your trust in God." (Qur'an 3: 159) Many people assume that the guidance of istikharah must take the form of a dream. This is not the case. The results of istikharah can take many forms. The most common is a feeling or conviction that the matter of concern is either more favorable than it was before you made the prayer or less so. It is also common to notice that things have been decided for you now, in the sense that an option you had before has disappeared or a door that was closed before is now open. Finally, some people are blessed with dreams that guide them in their decision. As you have asked God for guidance and He has now given it you must now do that which appears to you to be correct without hesitation, sadness or trepidation. Whether you like the outcome or not, the matter has now been decided for you by God. For God 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. God knows but you do not." (Qur'an 2: 216) "And whosever puts his trust in God, He is sufficient for him…" (Qur'an 65: 3)