Salaat-ul-Istikhaarah

Salaat-ul-Istikhaarah is the prayer for guidance in choosing the best option, and it has a specific supplication (Du'aa). When a problem confronts us and we are not able to decide how to resolve it, we should turn to our Lord. We should ask Him to set us in the right direction. After all, no one can be closer to us than He is! Remember that astrology, palmistry, numerology, feng shui (a system for deciding the right position for a building and for placing objects in order to make people happy) etc, have no place in Islam. Faint-hearted people who are weak in their faith turn to astrologers, palmists, numerologists and tarot readers. (Tarot denotes a set of special cards with pictures on them, used for telling somebody what will happen to them in the future) Looking for short-cuts and easy answers, these people become victims of deceivers who are self-proclaimed holy men.

War against Superstitions and Myths

A class of deceivers known as soothsayers (those who are believed to be able to tell the future) or diviners, existed in the Arab society before and during the Prophet's time. They pretended to know the events of the past and the future through their contact with Jinn or through other hidden sources. Allah's Messenger SAWW declared war against this deception, which had nobasis in divine guidance. Allah says, 'Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah.' (27: 65)

Believing in those who Foretell the Future Constitutes an Act of Kufr

Islam's campaign was not confined to the soothsayers and diviners. It also included all those who go to them, seek their help and believe in their superstitions and utterances. Allah's Messenger SAWW said, 'The prayer of one who goes to a soothsayer, asks him something, and believes in what he says will not be accepted for forty days.' (Muslim) 

He also said, 'Whoever goes to a soothsayer and believes in what he says has denied what was revealed to Muhammad.' (Ahmad; and it is saheeh)

Allah, Most High, has liberated His believers from all such ridiculous behaviour by giving them the gift of Salaat-ul-Istikhaarah through His Final Messenger.

Salaat-ul-Istikhaarah

The expression Istikhaarah denotes to seek the better choice. Muslims have practised Istikhaarah from the earliest time. Istikhaarah is the prayer of a man who has not yet made up his mind regarding an intended enterprise, a journey, marriage, etc.

Istikhaarah means to ask Allah to guide one to the right kind of action concerning any matter or task. It is to seek guidance from Allah by offering the prayer of supplication. We should practise the supplication of Istikhaarah in regard to every significant matter where one is ignorant of the good or evil outcome of intended enterprise.

The Prayer for Guidance and the Du'aa

According to a hadeeth transmitted on the authority of Jaabir ibn Abdullaah RA who said, 'Allah's Messenger SAWW used to teach us how to seek guidance in choosing the best course of action available in a practical enterprise, just as he would sometimes teach us a surah from the Qur'an, "If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, he should perform two unit of prayer (raka'atayn), other than an obligatory prayer, but voluntary." Then he should say, 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمَكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ، وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ- خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي- عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ- فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي- عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ- فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ

'Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa as'alaka min fadlika Al-'azlm Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta'lamu Wala a'lamu, Wa anta 'allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta'lam anna hadha-lamra Khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati 'Amri (or 'ajili 'Amri wa'ajilihi) Faqdirhu 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.' 

(O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this job is good for my religion and my subsistence and in my Hereafter--(or said: If it is better for my present and later needs)--Then You ordain it for me and make it easy for me to get, And then bless me in it, and if You know that this job is harmful to me In my religion and subsistence and in the Hereafter--(or said: If it is worse for my present and later needs)--Then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, And make me satisfied with it). The Prophet (ﷺ) added that then the person should name (mention) his need.

[Saheeh al Bukhari]

Salaatul-lstikhaarah is a Sunnah of the Prophet SAWW . There is nothing authentic regarding any specific surah that is to be recited in the prayer (means any particular surah), nor is there any authentic report concerning how many times one should repeat it. 

lmaam an-Nawawee said: 'After practising the istikhaarah, a person should do what he is wholeheartedly inclined to do, and feels good about doing. If his feelings change, then he should leave what he has intended to do.'

The istikhaarah prayer can be performed at any time except in the forbidden hours for prayer. Times when the prayer is forbidden are:

1. From sunrise until the sun is a spear's length above the horizon;

2. From the time the sun is at its highest point in the sky until it moves on;

3· From when the sun yellows, before sunset until after it has set;

4· After praying the current dawn prayer; and

5. After praying the current mid-afternoon prayer (al-'Asr)

Some people think that the right time for the performance of Salaat-ul-Istikhaarah is before going to bed. This is simply not true. It is, however, allowed. One may offer it at that time if one desires to do so. The supplication (Du'aa) can be recited after performing the two units of prayer or even before tasleem (i.e. the final greeting 'Assalaamu alaikum' to conclude the prayer) after tashahhud. In order to enjoy these delightful moments, you will have to memorize the Du'aa of istikhaarah. If, however, someone does not know this Du'aa by heart, he can read it.