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:

Assalamwalaikum, i have a a question regarding a dream which my husband saw while istakhara (after praying the 2 rakah's and dua).

This istakhara was regarding a job offer from Bahrain, which my husband got recently. My husband currenly lives in Dubai.  My husband lost his job 3-4 months ago, but then he got a job in a company which didn't pay the employees the salary on time and made them do unnecessary work and insult them, My husband was disheartened by all of this, but 2 days ago he got a job offer from Bahrain, so he did istakhara whether he should go or not.

He saw a dream that he was at the airport and was ready to leave for hajj and people asked him that why wasn't he in his ehraam and after this he woke up. And till now he hasn't gone for a hajj. We are unable to comprehend the meaning of this dream, it would be really helpful of you if you could just let us know what the dream would have meant and that now after this dream he should take the step to go to Bahrain or not. In Bahrain (for the offer) he isn't getting a salary that attractive, but he is hesitating a bit to take the risk of going there as he doesn't know anybody there.

I hope that you may reply as soon as possible as he has to reply the company in Bahrain

Jazakallahu Khair,

Allahhafiz

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Answer:

Job istakhara reply

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: ….We are unable to comprehend the meaning of this dream, it would be really helpful of you if you could just let us know what the dream would have meant

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.144 Narrated by Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "When the Day of Resurrection approaches, the dreams of a true believer will hardly fail to come true, and a dream of a believer is one of forty-six parts of Prophetism, and whatever belongs to Prothetism can never be false." Muhammad bin Sirin said, "But I say this." He said, "It used to be said, 'There are three types of dreams:

1. The reflection of one's thoughts and experiences one has during wakefulness,
2. what is suggested by the Shaytaan to frighten the dreamer,
3. or glad tidings from Allah.

So, if someone has a dream which he dislikes, he should not tell it to others, but get up and offer a prayer.'"

It is possible that the dream was a form of glad tidings from Allah Subhanah that your husband would perform Hajj in the near future; or it could merely be a reflection of his thoughts. Allah Alone Knows Best.

Your Question: ….it would be really helpful of you if you could just let us know what the dream would have meant and that now after this dream he should take the step to go to Bahrain or not.

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."

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 that 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; and it is the fulfillment of this option which is acceptable and pleasing to Allah Subhanah.

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.

Respected sister, if your husband has performed the Sunnah of Istakhara seeking the guidance of His Lord regarding whether or not he should seek his livelihood in Bahrain, he should keep his full trust and faith in His Lord Most Gracious and take tangible steps towards the move. If in the process of taking the steps one realizes that one’s heart is content, and everything just seems to be falling in place…then one should immediately realize that the answer of one’s ‘istakhara’ was in the affirmative. One should then be pleased with the choice they have made and never doubt it.

Alternatively, if during the process of taking the steps, one finds difficulty in every path, and no matter how much one tries the matter is just not coming to a conclusion….one should realize that the answer of one’s ‘istakhara’ is in the negative and one should trust their Lord and drop that option and never have regrets regarding it.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan