Bismillah ir Rahman nir Raheem.
Assalamalaikum wa rehamtullahi wa barakatuh!
"Istikhara (Arabic) means to ask Allah to guide one to the right thing concerning any affair in one’s life, especially when one has to choose between two permissible alternatives, e.g. a career choice, getting married, etc." It is a Sunnah prayer in which one asks Allah for guidance is any matter. The matter does not necessarily have to be a life-changing situation, in fact it can be anything from which college may be best for you to or some decision regarding a project, something big or something small. We are constantly faced with decisions and this prayer, this dua, is a very powerful tool that many neglect and abandon. We should always seek Allah's guidance and this is a great way to do it!
Preparation: Perform Ablution, face the Qibla, and:
Method: Pray two Ra’kah nafl prayer. After performing these two ra’kah’s, praise Allah and recite salutations such as Durood upon the Prophet (pbuh). Then, recite this Dua:
Dua:
On the authority of Jaabir Ibn ˜Abdullah he said: The Prophet (S) would instruct us to pray for guidance in all of our concerns, just as he would teach us a chapter from the Qur'an. He (S) would say "if any of you intends to undertake a mater then let him pray two supererogatory units (two rak'ah naafilah) of prayer and after which he should supplicate:
"‘Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi’ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa asaluka min fadlika al-’azim Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta’lamu Wala a’lamu, Wa anta ‘allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta’lam anna hadha-l-amra Khairun li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or ‘ajili amri wa’ajilihi) Faqdirhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa ma’ashi wa’aqibati amri (or fi’ajili amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al- khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi"
Translation:
["O Allah! I seek goodness from Your Knowledge and with Your Power (and Might) I seek strength, and I ask from You Your Great Blessings, because You have the Power and I do not have the power. You Know everything and I do not know, and You have knowledge of the unseen. Oh Allah! If in Your Knowledge this action ------------------------------------------------ (which I intend to do) is better for my religion and faith, for my life and end [death], for here [in this world] and the hereafter then make it destined for me and make it easy for me and then add blessings [baraka'] in it, for me. O Allah! In Your Knowledge if this action is bad for me, bad for my religion and faith, for my life and end [death], for here [in this world] and the hereafter then turn it away from me and turn me away from it and whatever is better for me, ordain [destine] that for me and then make me satisfied with it."]
After: Once reciting this dua with sincere intentions, praise Allah and send more Daroord or salutations upon the Prophet (pbuh). You may not receive the answer at once, and you may pray Istikhara again. There is really no limit to the amount of times one may pray Istikhara according to the Fiqh-us-Sunnah. After performing the supplications above, it is recommended to sleep in the state of ablution.
Answer: The answer to your prayer may or may not come in the form of a dream. If the latter occurs, it does not mean that the Istikhara "didn't work". Sometimes you will notice events unfolding before your eyes that will lead you into the direction of what Allah wills and what is best for you. The whole importance of Istikhara is leaving the matter up to Allah and putting your faith and trust in Allah, in that whatever events unfold or whatever happens, we must be satisfied and content with what Allah has chosen for us. The outcome may not always be the one that we it to be, or one that seems to be right at the time, but you must remember that Allah is all knowing, Most gracious and Most merciful.
Jazakallahkhair!
-Razz :)
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