Hearts of Faith

13

Istikhara = seeking guidance to the right decision

Note: Istikhara is a special prayer made when seeking guidance between the best of two options or in making a choice. You just pray some extra units and make a specifically worded dua, adjusting it to your situation, and it can be repeated every night until you are certain which option to choose between.

Some people say they have a dream after making this prayer. While they may have, this is not necessarily an answer to the prayer, and could even be influenced by their own preference to what they want the answer to be. An open mind is needed. Really, the answer may not be in a dream or feeling although it can be as small as just having certainty in what you want between the two options and contentment in the decision you finally make. But after making Istikhara, then after consulting people, thinking and reflecting deeply, then you must act on your choice. If you have chosen something that is not meant for you, then, of course, Allah will block it from you. 

Istikhara is also not done for things which do not need to be deliberated upon, for example, something that is haraam or something that is obligatory to perform.

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Zinneera greedily gulped down her coffee, wiping stray droplets lingering on her mouth with her sleeve. This would have to do as her source of energy for the day.

Yesterday evening she made Istikhara then spent the early night awake and decided that if she and her friends were not allowed to attend the council meetings, a matter she would be finding out tomorrow, then she would leave to find an active shelter and put in the effort to fight these bandits. Not only to find her family but to stop them from wreaking havoc on the rest of Al-Hafah. She knew that if she asked Safiyya, her dear friend, sister, would agree immediately. But Zinneera did not want to endanger Maha, nor did she want to drag Ismael out of the safe city as the young woman certainly would not trust anyone else with his care, so she would have to leave them behind.

Now she eyed the knight waiting for her in the doorway to her room with apprehension, wondering if the Ameer had called upon her in order to give her the verdict before the meeting tomorrow.

"So you do not know if my friends have been called too?" She asked the knight as she followed him down the winding corridor.

"I am afraid not."

But Zinneera had her answer in a few minutes, as she arrived at the Ameer's office, Safiyya and Maha waiting outside with differing expressions on their face.

"Why so anxious Safiyya?" Amara walked toward her friend.

"Is it not obvious?"

"She thinks we are going to be executed." Maha rolled her eyes, her annoyed expression flickering to amusement for a second.

"I do not." Safiyya glared. "But nothing good can come of this for certain."

"What are you talking about?"

"We saw Hamid enter a short while ago," Maha answered, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the door.

Realisation dawned upon Zinneera and she wished she had drank another cup of coffee for some extra sustenance. Patience and self-control were expensive in regard to energy demands.

This could only mean that they had been called upon because of what happened the day before.

"I doubt anything terrible will happen." She mused. "Perhaps the worst he will do is throw us out the city. Although at this point, I think that is not necessarily a bad thing."

"Or," Safiyya stressed. "We will be locked up again."

"At least we would not have to see any of their cheery dispositions from down there." Maha eyed the closed door of the office as she spoke.