Salat al-Istikharah
Salat al-Istikhaara (صلاة الاستخارة), which translates as Prayer of Seeking Counsel, is a prayer recited by Muslims who seek guidance from God when facing a decision in their life. The prayer, known as salah in Arabic, is performed in two units of prayer or raka'ah followed by the supplication of Salat al-Istikhaara. It was revealed as a permissible substitute of belomancy and augury, which is haram in Islam, and was common in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Quotes
[edit]- Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills—the choice is not theirs. Glorified and Exalted is Allah above what they associate ˹with Him˺!
- Quran 28:68
- Narrated by Hazrat Jabir ibn Abd-Allah al-Salami, he said, The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to teach us the rules of reciting Istikharah regarding our actions with the same importance as he would teach us a Surah of the Holy Quran. He used to say, "When one of you intends to do something (and is worried about its consequences), he should first pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, then supplicate thus: O Allah, I choose You with Your knowledge and I seek Your guidance with Your ability, and I ask You of Your bounty, for You are the Knower of the unseen, O Allah, if You know that this is الأَمْرَ تسم تسميه بعينه خَيْرا لِي فَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ قال او فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرهُ لي وَيَسِرهُ لي ثُمْ بَارِك لي فِيهِ, ALLAH وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّه شَرٌّ لي في ديني وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي أَوْ قَالَ في عَاجِلِ امري وَآجِلِهِ, فَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ عَنِّى], And He has ordained for me good, as He was, and then He has pleased me with it. Pronunciation: Allah-humma ibi astakhiruka biilmika a astakdiruka bi qudratika a asaluka min fazbalikal azeem, faynaka taqdiru ala aqdiru ata'lamu ala a'lamu a anta Allah-mul-guyub. Allah-humma in kunta talamu anna ha-zal amar ( ) khairul li li deeni a maashi a aqibati amri a a-jilihi a a-jilih, faqdurhu li, a yassirhu li, summa ba-rik li fih. O Allah! I ask You for goodness with Your knowledge. I ask You for strength and Your grace with Your power. For You have the power; I have no power. You know, I have no knowledge, and You are fully aware of the unseen. O Allah! In Your knowledge, this matter of mine (will list my needs) for my present and future life, or if it is good for my religion, livelihood, and actions, then decree it for me. Make it easy for me and bless it. O Allah! And if, in Your knowledge, this act of mine is harmful to my religion, my livelihood, my actions, or to my present and future, then turn me away from it and keep it away from me. Ordain for me good in all things and make me content with it.”
- Sahih Bukhari (6841)
- Good things must be asked of Allah with all diligence, bad things cannot be asked of, and in all matters that have the potential or possibility of both good and bad, one must make istikhara.
- Sulát-ul-Istikhára.—Prayers for success or guidance. The person who is about to undertake any special business, performs two rakʾat prayers and then goes to sleep. During his slumbers he may expect to have "ilhám," or inspiration, as to the undertaking for which he seeks guidance!
- Notes on Muhammadanism (1877) by Thomas Patrick Hughes[2]
- I didn't talk much to Dadajan. He used to listen to the news on the transistor all the time. Sometimes he would go to the residence of a Pir Saheb named Hamid Qutubi, three miles away. He became a disciple of this Pir. When he couldn't hear the transistor, he would chant the prayers given by the Pir Saheb. Dadajan was terrified. His terror increased every day. He couldn't sleep at night. He would sit on a wicker chair on the veranda all night. One night, to know the future, he made istikhara. During istikhara, he saw a huge white bird with bright red eyes, come down from the sky, bite my hair and fly up into the sky. I was screaming, save me! save me! Dadajan, save me. Dadajan took a helicopter to save me. That helicopter was again being flown by a Pakistani pilot. He was shooting the bird with a pistol, as if he was flying a helicopter. No bullet hits the bird. It hits Avanti's cheek. Dadajan's Pir Hamid Qutubi interpreted the dream. Dadajan did not tell me what the interpretation was, but he became even more restless. All sorts of terrible news started coming from all sides. The military was bringing gunboats, burning houses, killing people indiscriminately, taking away young girls, all this. At one point, the military came to our area....
- Deyal, Humayun Ahmed
- Miru put the sari on Auntie's head. Sultana said in a choked voice, will you marry Nasser? There is no need to say yes. If you remain silent, I will understand that you do not agree. - Auntie, sleep. So you have an opinion? Alhamdulillah. Miru said, you said if you remain silent, you will understand that I have an opinion. But I did not remain silent. I spoke. I said, Auntie, sleep. Sultana said, whether you like it or not, you will marry Nasser. I got this thing by praying Istikhara. - How did you get this thing? - Praying Istikhara. A method of knowing the future in dreams by reading prayers. - What did you see in your dream? In your dream, I saw you two eating rice from one plate. A big plate made of Chinese clay. - Does eating rice from one plate mean marriage? - Dreams of praying come like symbols. Symbols have to be interpreted. This is what comes in my interpretation. What is your interpretation? - My interpretation is that you sincerely want me to marry Nasser Sahib. You saw this thing in your dream because you want it. Wishful thinking to wishful dreaming. Aunty, did you fall asleep? Sultana did not answer. She really fell asleep.
- Rodonbhora Ey Boshonto (this spring is full of tears), Humayun Ahmed
- There is a way to ask the dead. This is called Istikhara. You have to go to sleep after reciting prayers and supplications. You have to sleep in the north-south direction, keeping your face pure. Your face should be turned towards the Kaaba.
- Lilua Batas (Soothing breeze), Humayun Ahmed
- Sobahan's father arrived the day after his son's wedding. There was no way to recognize him. A full beard and moustache. Long Babri hair reaching to his neck. When he combed it with a comb, lice would fall out from there. The size of those lice was also huge. He became very enthusiastic about killing lice. He started keeping track of exactly how many lice he had killed. For example, one day, a total of seventy-seven lice had died. This was the biggest record. He shared this news with a smile, as if it were his. A great success. He also expressed great enthusiasm about the marriage of his eldest son. He kept saying countless times that the girl was a very auspicious sign. He is said to have come running after learning about this marriage by praying for blessings. He was seen chatting with his daughter-in-law from time to time. He stayed for almost a year, then left again and was never found again. Farid Ali passed IA. He got admitted to the BA class and failed the BA exam on time. Sobahan passed the IA. He started trying to get a job in Dhaka city. He got admitted to college and eventually passed the BA without any further studies.
- Aranya (Forest), 'Humayun Ahmed
- The emperor is busy preparing for war. Royal envoys are going with the emperor's letters to the allied kings seeking help. He is holding frequent meetings with his brothers. Mirza Kamran has promised, placing his hand on the Holy Quran, that he will work as the emperor's right hand with his army. The emperor had a slight apprehension about Mirza Kamran. That apprehension has been proven unfounded. The royal astrologers have been asked to find out the auspicious time. The emperor himself has prayed Istikhara. After performing ablution after Istikhara, when he falls asleep, instructions come in a dream. Everything that is seen in a dream is symbolic. Most of the time, it is difficult to decipher the meaning of this symbol. The emperor saw in a dream. A white buck sitting on a tree. It is eating the leaves of the tree. The dream interpreters have interpreted the dream in this way - the buck is carnivorous. It catches and eats live fish and insects. In the dream, he changes his nature and becomes a herbivore and eats leaves of trees. Symbolically, the buck is Sher Shah. Because he roams from one place to another like a bird. Just as the buck is white, the turban of Sher Shah's head is also white. The full meaning of the dream is that the buck has changed his nature. That is, Sher Shah has changed his nature. This change will be due to defeat in the war. Everyone in the royal court expressed satisfaction with the interpretation of the dream. Only Acharya Harishankar remained silent. The emperor said, Acharya Harishankar, why are you silent? Do you have anything to say about this interpretation of the dream? Acharya Harishankar said, I have something to say. But I want to remain silent. Speaking in front of the wise means spreading your foolishness by beating drums. Humayun said, I want to hear your speech. Harishankar said, I think this buck is the emperor himself. The emperor's heart is very pure. The color of purity is white. The goat is also white. The goat is eating leaves instead of fish because it has changed its strategy. The emperor is being asked to change its strategy through a dream. Humayun said, I have considered your explanation seriously. You will accompany me on the war journey. Harishankar said, whatever the emperor orders will be done. However, my presence is inauspicious for you. It will be auspicious for you to leave me in the capital. Seeing the auspicious day, Humayun set out on a war journey to defeat Sher Shah. At the last moment, Mirza Kamran backed out. Because he had eaten a fish from the river and had developed a stomach ache. He was unable to even get up from his bed. In this condition, he could not go on a war journey. However, he sent five hundred horsemen. They went some distance and returned to the Punjab. Perhaps such were the instructions they had. Humayun sent a letter to his brother and continued his advance. The letter read – Brother Kamran, I am saddened to hear the news of your illness. My pain has become more intense because you could not see the defeat of the bandit named Sher Shah with your own eyes. On the battlefield, I will imagine you are by my side. The power of imagination is no less than reality. My main hope is you, the imagination, and the two chief masters of artillery, Ahmad Rumi and Husain Khalifa. Only these two can disintegrate Sher Shah's army with their cannons. I wish you a speedy recovery. I hope you will build a torana and wait to welcome your victorious brother. If you recover quickly, you will come to Kannauj to help your elder brother. - Your elder brother, Humayun Mirza." The emperor did not write this letter as the emperor. The letter from his brother went to his brother. The emperor's seal was not read on the letter. Kamran Mirza pretended to be sick. Great healers started coming and going to him. The healers announced that Kamran Mirza had been poisoned. Efforts were made to find out who had done this heinous act. Suspicion was directed towards the inner court. The women of the royal family began to spend their days in fear. Humayun did not take any female members of the royal family with him in this war. On Kamran's orders, they were all placed under house arrest. Kamran Mirza began to hold secret meetings with the amirs while lying on his bed. He did not call all the amirs together for the meeting, but separate meetings. Acharya Harishankar was called to one of the meetings. He had come to Lahore from Delhi to inquire about the physical well-being of the ailing Mirza Kamran. - Mirza Kamran said, I have heard that my Your elder brother is a social worker with fine intellect and knowledge. - Harishankar said, Emperor Elephant, I am a little mouse. - Elephants die on the battlefield. Nothing happens to the mouse. - Harishankar said, the death of an elephant is a matter of concern, but the death of a mouse is not a matter of concern, so the mouse is not a matter of concern. - What do you think? Will the emperor be able to defeat Sher Shah? - Shall I fearlessly express my opinion? - Of course. - The emperor will be defeated miserably. - The reason? - The main reason is you. His morale has been broken due to your absence. Morale plays a huge role in the battlefield. Mirza Kamran said, Acharya Harishankar! The emperor has marched with a huge army. He has a huge artillery force. - A huge artillery force will not be able to stand against Sher Shah's cunning, Humayun will be defeated and killed. - Killed? - He was lucky to survive the first time. Luck does not help again and again. - What will happen to the throne of Delhi if the emperor is defeated? - It depends on your actions. If you lie in bed, pretending to be ill, then the throne of Delhi will go to Sher Shah. And if you get up and start gathering troops, then the throne of Delhi will be yours. - Are you willing to be one of my viziers? - No. - Why not? - "As long as the Emperor is alive, I am a loyal servant of the Emperor. If the Emperor dies for any reason, I will consider your proposal. Not before that." Mirza Kamran got out of bed after the Asr prayer. He announced that he had recovered from the disease by the infinite mercy of Allah. He took a bath and prepared to offer the Maghrib prayer. On the occasion of recovery, all the royal concubines received gifts. Those who were under house arrest were released. The general public received three thousand silver coins. The emirs received entertainment. Acharya Harishankar was given a jeweled phojali.
- Badshah Namdar (Famous Emperor), Humayun Ahmed
- Istikhara (prayer for guidance) led me to Arsenal.
- Shadab’s family sent the proposal, and it all happened in few days since I had decided to marry off my daughter early according to the religious teachings. Shadab’s mother came with marriage proposal and said she won't leave my house until I say yes and that even if someone is a beggar or a king, he has to find his daughter's match and get her married; it is also Allah's will. You do Istikhara (seek guidance from Allah through prayers) and I will also do Istikhara. Besides, Shadab always offers his prayers five times a day. I had closely observed him. He used to gather all of us for namaz, It took me two days to decide and I said yes to them within two days and the rest is history. I consider myself fortunate because I solemnized my daughter’s Nikah and that too on the day when there was complete blackout in Pakistan.”
- Imran did not woo the lady with romantic words or gestures like a conventional proposal. Reham was quite taken aback when Imran asked her what her parents names were and explained that he would like them to read the Istakhara or the special prayer before their wedding.
