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Chapter 97
ةروﺎﺸﻤﻟاو ةرﺎﺨﺘﺳﻻا بﺎﺑ
Istikhara (Seeking Guidance from Allah), and Consultation
Allah, the Exalted, says:
"And consult them in the affairs.''
(3:159)
"And who (conduct) their affairs by mutual consultation.''
(42:38)
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لﺎﻗ ﻪﻨﻋ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا َﻲﺿر ٍﺮِﺑﺎﺟ ﻦﻋ
:
َةَرﺎَﺨِﺘْﺳﻻا ﺎَﻨُﻤﱢﻠَﻌُﻳ ﻢﱠﻠَﺳو ِﻪْﻴَﻠَﻋ ُﷲا ﻰّﻠَﺻ ﻪﱠﻠﻟا ُلﻮﺳر َنﺎآ
ﺎَﻬﱢﻠُآ رﻮُﻣُﻷا ﻲﻓ
، ﺮﻣﻷﺎﺑ ْﻢُآُﺪَﺣَأ ﱠﻢَه اذِإ ُلﻮُﻘَﻳ ، ِنﺁْﺮُﻘﻟا َﻦﻣ ِةَرﻮﱡﺴﻟﺎآ
ْﻞُﻘﻴﻟ ﻢﺛ ِﺔَﻀﻳِﺮﻔﻟا ِﺮْﻴَﻏ ْﻦِﻣ ِﻦْﻴَﺘﻌآَر ْﻊآﺮَﻴﻠَﻓ
:
ﻲﻧِإ ﻢُﻬﱠﻠﻟا
َﺗ َﻚﱠﻧِﺈﻓ ، ﻢﻴِﻈَﻌﻟا َﻚِﻠْﻀﻓ ْﻦِﻣ َﻚُﻟَﺄْﺳَأو ، ﻚﺗِرْﺪُﻘﺑ َكُرِﺪﻘﺘﺳأو ، َﻚِﻤْﻠِﻌﺑ َكُﺮﻴِﺨَﺘْﺳَأ
، ُﻢَﻠْﻋَأ ﻻو ُﻢَﻠْﻌﺗو ، ُرِﺪْﻗَأ ﻻو ُرِﺪْﻘ
ِبﻮُﻴُﻐﻟا ُمﱠﻼﻋ َﺖﻧَأَو
.
يِﺮْﻣَأ ِﺔَﺒِﻗﺎَﻋَو ﻲﺷﺎَﻌَﻣَو ﻲﻨﻳِد ﻲﻓ ﻲﻟ ٌﺮْﻴَﺧ َﺮﻣﻷا اﺬه ﱠنَأ ُﻢَﻠْﻌﺗ َﺖْﻨآ ْنِإ ﱠﻢُﻬﱠﻠﻟا
« َلﺎﻗ ْوَأ
: »
ْكِرﺎَﺑ ﱠﻢﺛ ،ﻲﻟ ُﻩْﺮﱢﺴَﻳَو ﻲﻟ ُﻩْرُﺪْﻗﺎﻓ ، ﻪﻠِﺟﺁَو يِﺮْﻣَأ ِﻞِﺟﺎَﻋ
ﻲﻨﻳِد ﻲﻓ ﻲﻟ ﱞﺮﺷ َﺮْﻣَﻷا اَﺬه ﱠنَأ ُﻢﻠْﻌﺗ َﺖْﻨُآ نِإَو ، ِﻪﻴِﻓ ﻲﻟ
يِﺮَﻣَأ ِﺔﺒﻗﺎَﻋَو ﻲﺷﺎﻌَﻣَو
« لﺎﻗ وَأ
: »
َﺮْﻴَﺨﻟا ﻲﻟ ْرُﺪﻗاَو ،ُﻪﻨَﻋ ﻲﻨﻓﺮْﺻاَو ، ﻲﻨَﻋ ُﻪﻓِﺮْﺻﺎﻓ ، ِﻪﻠِﺟﺁو يﺮﻣَأ ﻞِﺟﺎَﻋ
ِﻪِﺑ ﻲﻨﱢﺿَر ﱠﻢُﺛ ، َنﺎآ ُﺚْﻴَﺣ
« لﺎﻗ :
ﻪﺘﺟﺎﺣ ﻲﱢﻤﺴﻳو
.
يرﺎﺨﺒﻟا ﻩاور
.
718.
Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to teach us the Istikharah
(seeking guidance from Allah) in all matters as he would teach us a Surah of the Qur'an. He used to say:
"When one
of you contemplates entering upon an enterprise, let him perform two Rak`ah of optional prayer other than Fard
prayers and then supplicate: "Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi `ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, wa as-'aluka min
fadlikal-`azim. Fainnaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta`lamu wa la a`lamu, wa Anta `allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in
kunta ta`lamu anna hadhal-`amra (and name what you want to do) khairun li fi dini wa ma`ashi wa `aqibati amri, (or
he said) `ajili amri ajilihi, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fihi. Wa in kunta ta`lamu anna hadhal `amra
(and name what you want to do) sharrun li fi dini wa ma`ashi wa `aqibati amri, (
or he said)
wa `ajili amri wa ajilihi,
fasrifhu `anni, wasrifni `anhu, waqdur liyal-khaira haithu kana, thumma ardini bihi.'' (O Allah, I consult You
through Your Knowledge, and I seek strength through Your Power, and ask of Your Great Bounty; for You are
Capable whereas I am not and, You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allah, if You
know that this matter (and name it) is good for me in respect of my Deen, my livelihood and the consequences of my
affairs,
(or he said),
the sooner or the later of my affairs then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for
me. But if You know this matter (and name it) to be bad for my Deen, my livelihood or the consequences of my
affairs,
(or he said)
the sooner or the later of my affairs then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and
grant me power to do good whatever it may be, and cause me to be contented with it). And let the supplicant specify
the object.''
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary:
Literally Istikharah means seeking goodness from Allah through a particular prayer. This Hadith lays
emphasis on it and displays its significance. We should, therefore, practise Istikharah regarding every important
matter. However, it is imperative only in cases where one is ignorant of good and evil. Yet, with regard to obligatory
and indisputable rules, practices of the Prophet (PBUH) and commendable deeds, no Istikharah is allowed.
Similarly, commands and prohibitions of the Shari`ah are categorical and nobody is allowed to seek further guidance
by performing Istikharah prayer. Moreover, to set aside the example of the Prophet (PBUH) of Istikharah, and to
trust astrologers, palmists and soothsayers seeking the knowledge of future events is sheer ignorance and
unpardonable error. The knowledge of the Unseen
(or Ghaib)
is the domain of Allah Alone and man is supposed to
seek His Blessings. Only Allah is Omnipotent and humans must turn to Him to seek inspiration and strength,
trusting everything to His Care.
Istikharah prayer can be offered at any time except in the forbidden hours for prayer because the performance of two
Rak`ah is a prerequisite to it. Some people think that the right time for it is before going to bed. This is not true. This
supplication (Du`a) can be offered even after performing the two Rak`ah of Istikharah prayer, or before Taslim (i.e.,
saying Assalamu `Alaikum to conclude the prayer) after Tashahhud or in the state of prostration. If somebody does
not know this Du`a by heart, he can, after performing the prayer, read it from some prayerboo
k.
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