Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

as-salaam-alaikum ,

i want to know regarding istekhara namaz,actually some people think that we should offer istekhara before marriage or before starting any new business or joining any job as ALLAH-TALA will show us signals but some say that all those r illussions istekhara is the prayer offered when we r confused ALLAH-TALA will guide us and releif us from our difficulties but this signals are all illussions,i actually want to know about the istekhara namaz and the prayers offered when there is some diffculty or problem please help me to overcomming my problem.

MASALAM6

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Answer:

Determine result of Istakhara

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Hadrat Saad ibn abi-Waqas (r.a.) reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "Istikharah (seeking guidance from Allah) is one of the distinct favors (of Allah) upon man, and a good fortune for the son of Adam is to be pleased with the Judgment of Allah. And a misfortune of the son of Adam is his failure to make ‘istikharah’ (seeking Allah's guidance), and a misfortune for the son of Adam is his displeasure with the Judgment of Allah."

Your Question: istekhara is the prayer offered when we r confused ALLAH-TALA will guide us and releif us from our difficulties but this signals are all illussions,i actually want to know about the istekhara namaz and the prayers offered when there is some diffculty or problem.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) had to make any important decision regarding any affair, he would seek the guidance of Allah Subhanah and pray the two-rakah prayer of ‘Istikharah’. ‘Istikhara’ in Shariah terminology 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 any number of permissible alternatives. What it signifies is that the person accepts his ignorance and weakness in the Presence of his Majestic Lord, believes that whatever is going to happen to Him will happen with the Permission and Will of his All Mighty Lord, and he declares his absolute humility and submission in the Presence of his Merciful Lord and begs Him to guide him to the right decision.

And that is the basic message of the supplication one does when praying the salaat of ‘istakhara’:

Translation of supplication of ‘istakhara’ as taught by the Messenger of Allah (saws):
O Allah! I seek Your guidance (in making a choice) 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.
O Allah! If in Your knowledge, (this matter) is good for my religion, my
livelihood and my affairs; immediate and in the distant, then ordain 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 distant, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And
ordain for me the good wherever it be and make me pleased with it.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not as if whenever one performs ‘istakharah’, one will get an immediate answer from the Merciful Lord in one’s dream (although it may happen!), or something tangible; but what happens is, if one completely puts his trust in Allah Subhanah and makes a choice between the permissible alternatives, one will easily be able to recognize the permissibility of his choice made.

If the choice made is right, Allah Subhanah will make the option easily available and clear all the difficulties in the path of obtaining that good option; and as one sees the ease with which the option is carried out, he/she will realize that this is indeed the right choice and the result of the istakhara was in the affirmative.

But if the choice is wrong and detrimental in the future, Allah Subhanah will make the happening of the option difficult and one will experience blockages and difficulties in the way of achieving that option; and at some stage, when after trying everything in one’s power the option is still not coming to a conclusion, one will realize that this was not the right choice and the result of the istakhara was negative.

The most important aspect while performing ‘istakharah’ is to recognize that All Strength and Power belongs to none except Allah Subhanah Alone; if the powers of the whole world got together and tried to give one something which Allah Subhanah has not Willed and Permitted, know it for sure that it can never happen! And if all the powers of the world got together and tried to take something which Allah has beenPleased and Permitted one with, they would not be able withhold His Mercy! Thus one should know for sure, that everything, absolutely everything happens only with the Will and Permission of Allah Subhanah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan