Sunnah is My Style!

Salat ul Istikhara (Prayer for seeking Guidance)

                    In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w), his blessed descendents and noble companions.

                                             -Aameen. 

Salat ul ISTIKHARAH

(Prayer For Seeking Guidance)

S.1 Whenever one intends to do something, one should take guidance from Allah. To seek such guidance from Allah is called “Istikharah”.

This has been exhorted in a number of traditions. The Prophet (S.A.W) has said that not to seek guidance from Allah through “Istikharah” is nothing but bad luck and wretchedness. So before taking a decision on a proposal for marriage or before setting out on a journey or undertaking any other important assignment, one should seek guidance from Allah througn Salatul- Istikharah.

S.2 The manner of Salatul-Istikharah as appearing in a tradition reported by Hazrat Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) is that when one intends to do something one should perform two rak‘ats of Nafl prayer with Sala ul Istikhara as intention and then recite the following du‘a:

Allahumma Inni Astakhiiruka Bi 'ilmika, Wa-astaqdiruka bi-qudratika,

Wa-as’aluka Min Fadlikal-‘azeem, Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala-aqdiru,

Wata‘lamu Wala-‘alamu, Wa ’Anta ‘Allamul-ghuyoob, Allahumma

In Kunta Ta‘lamu ’Anna Hadhal-amra KhairunLii Fee Deeni Wa

Ma‘aashi Wa-‘Aaqibati ’Amri, Faqdirhu Lii, Wa Yassirhu Lii, Thumma

Baarik Lii Feeh. Wa-’in Kunta Ta‘lamu ’AnnaHadhal-’amra SharrunLii

Fee Deeni Wa Ma‘aashi Wa 'Aqibati ’Amri,  Fasrifhu ‘Anni Wasrifnii 'Anhu

Waqdir Liyal-khaira Haithu Kaana Thummar-zheeni Bihi.

"O Allah! I beg You for the good through Your knowledge and Ability through Your power;

I beg (Your favours) out of Your Infinite bounty: for You have power and I have none,

You know and I know not, and You are the great knower of the hidden things.

O Allah! If in your knowledge this matter is good for my religion, for my livelihood and for the consequence of my affairs then ordain it (decree it) for me and make it easy for me and bless me therein;

But if in Your knowledge this matter is bad for my religion, for my livelihood, and for the consequence of my affairs then turn it away from me and turn me away from it and ordain for me the good wherever it be, and cause me to be pleased with it.”

S. 3 When one utters the words:

’Anna Hadhal ’Amra.

which means “this matter” one should contemplate the matter about which guidance is sought. After that one should lie down in a state of purity on a neat and clean bed with his face towards the qiblah.

Whatever comes firmly in his mind on waking up is his best course of action and should be adopted.

If nothing comes to one’s mind on the first day and the anxiety and indecisiveness continues, one should repeat such act the next day and so on for a week. By the Grace of Allah, he will come to know the good or evil of the matter (in respect of which he seeks guidance).

If one intends to go for Hajj, which is fard, one should not perform the Salat-ul Istikharah as to whether he should go or not. Instead he should seek guidance through Istikharah for the day on which he should set out on the joumey for Hajj or the mode of transport to be used etc.

A/N :)

So a most beautiful Salah through which we can easily consult Allah SWT on all those perplexing and weighty issues which requires profound thought and discussion etc. before we take the major step...don't you agree it is absolutely Awesome consulting the Lord of the Worlds Himself about all our  matters?! 

Whenever I do Istikhara I become all solemn like though my heart would be beating crazily, for the pure blissful thought that am consulting my Ar Rahman is enough to turn one's head in madness ;)))) 

With Duas and Salaam (Prayers and Peace),

          abdurRahman (Gudi :))