Salaam
the point of this thread - can anyone please explain the method of Istikhara? and when it should be done? and why it is done? also if you have anything useful to say regarding it
i only knew about Istikhara about a year ago, prior to that i'd never heard of it. ive been asked by a friend to perform it for them.....how tho is the question!! lol
also....can you perform it for other people? or are there certain grounds?
out of interest now......what kind of decisions can Istikhara be performed for? the person who introduced me to the concept a year ago uses it for pretty much everything
W/salaam
deleted
salaam
below are a set of q & A on istikhara by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, this should answer your questions:
[b]
Istikhara or prayer of guidance[/b]
Concerning the ritual prayer for guidance in choosing the best option [Salat al-Istikhara],and the prayer of supplication [dua] appropriate to it
According to a traditional report transmitted on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, it was Jabir ibn 'Abdi'llah (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father) who said:
"Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to teach us how to seek guidance in choosing the best option available in a practical enterprise [al-istikhara fi 'l-amr], just as he would sometimes teach us a Chapter [Sura] from the Qur'an. :
"'If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two cycles of ritual prayer [rak'atain], not as an obligatory observance [farida], but voluntarily. Then he should say:
'"O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.
Allahumma inni astakhiru-ka bi-'ilmi-ka wa astaqdiru-ka bi-qudrati-ka wa as'alu-ka min fadli-ka 'l-'azim fa-inna-ka taqdiru wa la aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu wa Anta 'Allamu 'l-ghuyub
O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.
Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha 'l-amra khairun li fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati wa 'aqibati amri wa 'ajili-hi wa ajili-h :fa-'qdir-hu li wa yassir-hu li thumma barik li fi-h
If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be, and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.'"
wa illa fa-'srif-hu 'an-ni wa yassir liya 'l-khaira haithu kana ma kuntu wa raddi-ni bi-qada'i-ka ya Arhama 'r-rahimin
[b]More questions on how to perform isthikhara[/b]
[b]Question: I have prayed isthikhara numerous times and never get clear dreams or feelings. I sometimes get a good or bad feeling, but they are not usually consistent. Several people I know are confused on the topic of salatul-Istikhara. Is it meant to be prayed several days in a row until a decision is made, or only once? Is it meant to be prayed after one has pretty much made up their mind, or when someone hasn't really figured out what to do? Are their various valid opinions?[/b]
Answer:
When one is not clear about the result of the istikhara, the fuqaha mention that it is recommend to repeat it, upto seven times if necessary (usually done on separate occassions). [cf: Radd al-Muhtar]
It is not necessary that you get a dream or even a "feeling." Rather, the istikhara is a prayer that Allah guide you towards that which is best (khayr) for you. If you do the prayer of guidance (istikhara) with the proper manners, the most important of which is to truly consign the matter to Allah and suspend your own inclinations, then Allah will make events unfold in the direction that is the best for your worldly and next-worldly affairs.
In general, when it is not possible to perform the istikhara prayer itself (such as when one is out on the road, or in one's menstrual period), it is recommended to simply read the dua itself. [Radd al-Muhtar]
The istikhara prayer may be made for a specific matter or be made for a general seeking of all that is best. Some scholars, including Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha`rani and Ibn `Arafah before him saw this kind of istikhara prayer as being superior. Others, including Shaykh Ibn al-Arabi, recommended performing a general istikhara prayer for all that is good every day, ideally at the time of the Duha prayer (after sunrise).
Imam al-Nawawi mentioned that before the istikhara prayer, one should seek advice (istishara) from those whose knowledge, wisdom, and concern one is confident. Ibn Hajar al-Haytami and others mentioned that one of the benefits of this is to further distance oneself from the desires of one's own egotistic inclinations.
It is recommended to open the dua of istikhara [below], with praise of Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), and to close it in this manner, too.
Like other duas, it is recommended that one face the qibla.
It is disliked to 'hasten' in seeking the answer to one's istikhara, like other duas, because the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, "Your prayers are answered, unless you hasten, saying, 'I prayed, but no answer came.'"
One should be pleased with what Allah chooses for one, and not seek to follow one's whims after the answer to one's supplication becomes clear.
Answered by Sidi Faraz Rabbani of the Hanafi fiqh list.
[b]Someone else wants to do istikhara for me
Question: There is a pious lady in our community who has offered to pray istikhara for me to help me make a decision for marriage...[..] my question to you is if you know if this idea of relying on someone else's istikhara is a good idea and compatible with the teachings of Islam on how to make dua and decisions. Should I follow her advice (according to her dreams and feelings) to me on this issue or not?[/b]
Answer:
This is one means you can take: to seek the istikhara of a pious person. The permissibility of this was mentioned explicitly by the Malikis and Shafi`is. The Hanafis do not appear to have discussed this issue [al-Mawsu`a al-Fiqhhiyya, Kuwait], but there is nothing in it that would indicate its impermissibility. Rather, it is merely the taking of a means, which is permitted as long as one knows that the one who gives and takes, benefits and harms is Allah alone.
In such cases, though, one should not leave doing the istikhara oneself.
Answered by Sidi Faraz Rabbani of the Hanafi fiqh list.
[b]Follow-up question on istikhara
Question: I received an email regarding istikhara and I had further questions regarding it if you could please clarify. I too have attempted to do istikhara regarding marriage and was unable to get some sort of dream or "feeling" as people commonly say. You had responded that one should do istikhara 7 times. Is this 7 times in a row? Also when is an appropriate time to perform istikhara? Some places I have read after isha, others after fajr. What is advisable? Must one also memorize the duaa or is it ok to read it from a book? It would be very helpful to me if you could perhaps provide elaboration on the correct manner in which to perform istikhara.[/b]
Answer:
1. 7 times on separate occasions. When possible, on separate nights (e.g. for big non-urgent issues);
2. Any time, but after isha, before sleep is best.
3. After fajr??? It is not permitted to pray anything after the fard of fajr except makeup prayers until sunrise. And after fajr time comes in, one only prays 2 rakats of the sunna of fajr. All other prayers (including the prayer of greeting the masjid) are disliked, besides the fard of fajr itself, until sunrise.
4. It is best to memorize the dua, and to actually be ASKING Allah with it, not just reading it out or merely SAYING it. Allah's turning to one is commensurate to one's turning to Him.
5. The best way to know how the istikhara prayer works is to pray it regularly, for big and small specific matters and for general guidance. It becomes a knack, the scholars say.
And Allah alone gives success.
[b]
Answered by Sidi Faraz Rabbani of the Hanafi fiqh list.[/b]
Muhtarama you are placing too much on me, I am only a student and not a very capable one at that.
I think Muhtarama's post is as much as I could say aswell.
A thing to note. Those who do not perform 5 times salah with regularity and at their prescribed times; for them it is better to establish their 5 obligatory prayers and make sincere dua for guidance on the issue under consideration.
Being irregular in obligatory salah, and going around reading istikhara every night for guidance is foolish and not very effective according to the experience of ulama.
Hence for those who dont fulfill the obligation prayers, they should establish those and constantly make dua after the prayer for guidacne this will inshaALLAH be more effective.
Ya ALLAH Madad.
Haq Chaar Yaar
so the questions answered by shaykh farazz rabbani were not of any use? did it not answer hader's questions. i know you cant stand me, but give credit to the shaykhs answers.
For the information of the readers, my post was in reply to Muhtarama's mentioning me in her post. Now how that means I dont place any importance or any significance to the Shaykhs response is beyond me.
Ya ALLAH Madad.
Haq Chaar Yaar
lol....thanx for the Answers Ed
great help, you too sis Yash
Med....i aint speakin 2 you lol
The Lover is ever drunk with love;
He is free, he is mad,
He dances with ecstasy and delight.
Caught by our own thoughts,
We worry about every little thing,
But once we get drunk on that love,
Whatever will be, will be.
ɐɥɐɥ
i love reading yashmaki and med your posts....
mashallah u have alot of knowledge on alot of subjects
and never have i felt to disagree on anything u've said
mr eds views are different but sm points to be considered
I cannot comment on others behalf but in regards to me any good in me is due to my parents upbringing and my Teachers lessons.
If you feel even slightly positive about my posts then may I humbly request you make dua for my parents and for my teachers.
Regarding Muhtarama Yashmaki, yes I agree she makes some very good posts; it is due to this that I wished to make contact with her husband. I advise the muslim ladies here to make strong friendship with Muhtarama she explains things to the ladies in a way that I cannot.
Ya ALLAH Madad.
Haq Chaar Yaar
hmm its to late to be readin all that!! so if the question below is answered forgive me.
can you do istikara on behalf of someone?
yes, my views are different to you, yashmaki and medieval. But i do back every post with enough evidence, but that doesnt count for nothing on this forum.
i still respect your views and sister yashmakis.
[b]Someone else wants to do istikhara for me[/b]
Question: There is a pious lady in our community who has offered to pray istikhara for me to help me make a decision for marriage...[..] my question to you is if you know if this idea of relying on someone else's istikhara is a good idea and compatible with the teachings of Islam on how to make dua and decisions. Should I follow her advice (according to her dreams and feelings) to me on this issue or not?
Answer:
This is one means you can take: to seek the istikhara of a pious person. The permissibility of this was mentioned explicitly by the Malikis and Shafi`is. The Hanafis do not appear to have discussed this issue [al-Mawsu`a al-Fiqhhiyya, Kuwait], but there is nothing in it that would indicate its impermissibility. Rather, it is merely the taking of a means, which is permitted as long as one knows that the one who gives and takes, benefits and harms is Allah alone.
In such cases, though, one should not leave doing the istikhara oneself.
Answered by Sidi Faraz Rabbani of the Hanafi fiqh list.
lol but i am not pious, i'll rephrase that, can an ordinary person like moi do an istikara on behalf of sum1?
jazakallah ed, mashallah u do put alot of work into giving alot of evidence on certain topics...then thats where i get confused....u just dnt know what to believe in....normally within topics where theres ikhtilaafs. coz of the strong points..then again its how u brought up to believe in what
zaroor med will i make dua for your ustaads and parents inshallah
as for istikhaarah its permissable for some pious person to carry it out for you..
my mum just got my dads qari (may allah grant him a long life) to do istikhaarah for my brothers marrige..out of 2 choice of girls qari saab told us which one to get him married to....
alhamdulillah its such a good way to seek help from...
but what signs does a person get to see it correct...sm say they see a colour red or green and sm say they feel whats correct?