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Does Quran approves sunnah of salat- ul-Istikharah /Istikharah Prayers ?

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muslima
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« on: April 22, 2013, 06:14:55 pm »

 BismEm

 salamem

 Hope every one doing good inshallah Smiley





Another topic brought by the crops of tradition. I am trying to understand, correct me if am wrong please throw some light and help me .Followings of some traditional practices as religious habits or as sunnah is always overlooked but it shouldn't be i wonder how do people get trapped in such things, in last evening gettogether few brothers and sisters were sharing their experience that how they were trapped , they didn't want but they were pressured to take decision according to the result of istikharah , some of don't blame the weried practice of istikharah and those who forced them  for such act or decision they sitll regretting rather they straight away put all blame on  Allah ,I felt and would say they are wrapped from head to toe in sheets of believer and label themselves pious  muslim who trust Allah but keeps some bad feelings somehow by saying !!( why the result , decision  of istikharah was not into my favour if Allah have power ,? why  Allah has put in to this situation by wrong advise) :@   Contrary to popular belief, i feel it is quite sensitive issue in depth  Istikharah Prayer is not compulsory upon Muslims, but  preferred While praying for guidance in itself is not wrong  all prayers are for guidance anyhow, but it's what people attach to it that is of concern.
 
According to Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 21, Number 263:

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah :The Prophet (Sallal Laho Alaihi Wasallam) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara, in all matters as he taught us the Suras of the Quran. He said, "If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two Rakat prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer)
 
 
 
 
وَيُذْكَرُ ذَلِكَ عَنْ عَمَّارٍ وَأَبِي ذَرٍّ وَأَنَسٍ وَجَابِرِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ وَعِكْرِمَةَ وَالزُّهْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ.
وَقَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَنْصَارِيُّ مَا أَدْرَكْتُ فُقَهَاءَ أَرْضِنَا إِلاَّ يُسَلِّمُونَ فِي كُلِّ اثْنَتَيْنِ مِنَ النَّهَارِ.
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:
The Prophet () (p.b.u.h) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara (Istikhara means to ask Allah to guide one to the right sort of action concerning any job or a deed), in all matters as he taught us the Suras of the Qur'an. He said, "If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two rak`at prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer): -- '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 () added that then the person should name (mention) his need.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الْمَوَالِي، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعَلِّمُنَا الاِسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الأُمُورِ كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ يَقُولُ ‏"‏ إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْفَرِيضَةِ ثُمَّ لِيَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي ـ أَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ ـ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي ـ أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ ـ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ ـ قَالَ ـ وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَهُ ‏"‏‏.‏

Reference    : Sahih al-Bukhari 1166
In-book reference    : Book 19, Hadith 45
USC-MSA web (English) reference    : Vol. 2, Book 21, Hadith 263
 
 
Istikharah is well known mindset practice amongst muslims shia ,sunni both perform istikharah prayers as sunnah ,to do for anything that u can't decide for urself. Regarding a marriage proposal , divorce , starting new business, choosing profession ,job move, property deals , studying abroad or not etc  if one is confused in following matters here with the label of sunnah ulmas come up with hadith prescription called ''salat- ul- istikharah /  Istikharah prayers ... Istikharah !! The divine guidance/ Seeking guidance from Allah BEFORE in any decision that he/she takes ,the actual meaning of the word Istikharah is to seek the best from Allah in one's affairs which is not only commendable but is also highly recommended. Acording to ulma's and scholars there are verious type of Istikharah which has been continuously mentioned in the ahadith is in actuality , Although this practice  highlight the seeking of Allah 's guidance but actually it is a practice in which one tried to know the outcome of his/her decision  , dua istikharah highlights that we have no knowledge of feature but it's all about expecting the feature result of decision making or choice .Like ! what would happen if i do this or that  i mean how could u know, even try to know that business benefits u or destroy u in feature ? Or marriage will be long life succeed or not ? how could we trap our faith like that  ????
 
Regarding the Istikharah process,Istikharah prayers /Salat-ul-Istikharah it is prefarable two rakah unit of a non-obligatory prayer ,  immediatly after u have competed the 2 rakah recite mentioned Istikharah Dua and mention ur task/issue/situation and people believe that u should sleep after offering salatul -istikharah ,there are some signs in dream which will tell u about positive or negative outcome most of the hadiths  do not talk about any dream. However, the famous Hanafi jurist Ibn `Abdeen has suggested in his Hashiyah that one should make the Istikharah Prayer before sleeping, and should sleep after having performed Wudu'. The face should be towards Makkah. If one sees something white or green in one's dream, then the answer is yes, but if one sees something dark or red then the answer is no. Other jurists of Shafi`i, Maliki, Hanbali and Ja`fari schools say that one should do that which is most convincing. According to Imam Malik, other people can also perform Istikharah on behalf of someone.  One difficult part of istikharah is to interpret the dream u see as a result , Sometimes there's No dream, No sign in that case if  one is still hesitant then one may repeat the process of Istikharah several times ,repeating istikharah continuously 3 or 7 days is advisable from ulma's. So when a person performs the istakharah prayer,people says one surely sees a definitive sign to his/her answer,regardless of whether the response of the ‘istikharah’ was positive or negative, one should wholeheartedly accept whatever transpires with the absolute conviction that what did transpire after they performed the istikharah was the best decision and acceptable and pleasing to their Lord  and then does not act upon it, maens he/she is in effect defeating the whole purpose of the istikharah prayer in the first place, and is preferring his/her own opinion over that of Allah’s so It is not allowed to go against the outcome of the Istikharah , Even if the outcome is unexpected,one must get convinced that it was not good for us, rather than going on regretting the negative outcome and blaming ourselves or someone else for the same  better to Put all blame on Allah ! As condition of one can't turn back from Allah's decision? i feel accepting result of Istikharah forcefully or as the fear of sin by rejecting Allah's Advice is against the free will of decision making which we have been given by Allah Almighty , i don't know about people who regularly do istikhara  and are always satisfied with the outcome. On the other hand, we can also see many people who can never stop regretting lost opportunities or bad deals or if things go wrong in life they just simply blame Allah ? that it was Allah's Advice  and if I could have done such and such, instead of Istikharah   then this wouldn't have happened to me .such authentic blame and hypocrisy is out of my grasp i haven't found any prescribed ,ritualised istikharah prayers/ salatul Istikharah  in the Quran.? prayer is open to one at any time if we constantly think of Allah, we are constantly engaging with Him to show us the right way and to assist us to make the right decisions for our life in this world and hereafter in any decision we make, there should be complete trust in our Lord that precedes it. Allah has granted humans with the faculty of reasoning, do dicuss with some people close to u, parents and who u trust and who can understand the situation, and then choose a course of action from the discussion/advice simple prayrs folllow  what u feel better  there is no need to make istikharah  one should take  all necessary steps  to weigh up all the advantages and disadvantages of a given situation and pray sincerely to their Allah that if the outcome of the decision is in one's favour, then to make the action easy and if not, to remove any such inclination and give peace and satisfaction to the mind and heart. Allah says in Quran !
 
And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him).3:159


Simply tawakul /trust in Allah and anything after this is good for u in some way or another even if not apparent -if things go wrong it is a test from Allah just do ur best that's it ? no need to make istikharah with such rules to blame Allah , there may be suggestions and hints that one may experience such as in feelings, or dreams etc but signs may come through many other unexpected ways  but No particular method should become the basis of the interpretation of a sign as  to restricting Allah .In Quran Allah mention the simply story of youth in the cave. They had no knowledge of their outcome or what would happen to them. Their prayer simply was !!
 
When the young men fled for refuge to the Cave and said: Our Lord! Give us mercy from Thy presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight.(18:10 surah Al Kahf )
 
 what's ur opinion i want ur advice what u all say ?
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Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. Who fulfilleth His covenant better than Allah? Rejoice then in your bargain that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.9:111

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Heba E. Husseyn
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« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2013, 11:35:25 pm »

Walaikum As-salam dear sister Muslima. 

Thanks for this interesting information on Istikhara.   While I never knew of all these details, I do know that different Muslim traditions have introduced various types of Istikhara prayers and made the whole process a very complicated ideology.  I also know that Istikhara has its origin from Hadith.

I see it in a very simple manner.

First I'll mention what I understand by it .. very basically.

When we are undecided and feel confused about making a decision, whatever decision that maybe, we ask Allah for help.  We pray to Allah to grant us what is best for us, to be able to perceive for ourselves what's best or right for us and consequently give us the courage to step forward and make a decision accordingly.  This is basically what I see as Istikhara.  It is preceded by 2 rakats of nafl prayers and then the Istikhara supplication (a specifically worded dua in Arabic) is recited after the completion of 2 nafl rakats.  And then one simply has to wait.  Some folks may presume that a door concerning their problem will automatically open, and whether or not they like it, they should walk in, i.e. decide to go ahead with the possibility made available to them.  This is generally interpreted as the answer from Allah of their Istikhara prayer.  However, in all such cases, whether Allah's response is specifically to the Istikhara offered by that person or whether it is connected to some other reason is only known to Allah alone. 

Now here is how I see it.  As you rightly mentioned, making dua to Allah and asking Him for help, whatever kind of help that may be, including asking for help to enable us to make decisions, is a very good and positive step.  Dua, if offered sincerely with full trust in Allah, has the power to work wonders by the will of Allah.  From that perspective, Istikhara is fine as it seems compatible with this general outlook. 

However, we need to get rid of all the complicated traditional formalities.  We need to remember that it's a dua, not a ritual.  We don't necessarily have to give it a label or a specific name.  Instead of calling it 'Istikhara' one can just call it 'dua.'  Also, Istikhara has its own separate dua.  Here again, we can offer dua to Allah for whatever kind of help we need in our own words and in our own language.  In fact, if we make dua in our own words and own language, we can be more specific and concentrate better.  Of course, Allah knows what's in our hearts, so no matter how our duas are worded, Allah will know exactly what we want and what we're asking him for. 

If I'm not mistaken, some traditionalists also claim that Istikhara can be offered a maximum of 4 time or 6 times .... something like that .. can't remember .. but there is some maximum number for it.  That again is senseless.  Dua is the communication and talk of each individual with Allah.  We can turn to Allah any number of times .. even a hundred times a day.  No one can stop that and nor is anyone entitled to limit it. 

The concept of offering 2 rakats before offering Istikhara is also a tradition.  We can definitely decide that our own way.  I may like to offer 8 rakats before I turn to Allah to make a long and heartfelt dua for something very important .. call it Istikhara or whatever.  The name doesn't matter to Allah.  What Allah sees is our intent and what we are asking Him.  If He considers it good for us, He may grant it to us.  If He has any other plans for us, He may make us wait.  It's all up to Him.  Calling the dua "Istikhara" will not make Allah change His decisions. 

Therefore, to be honest, I don't go according to the traditional 'protocols.'  Rather, I offer my daily duas everyday, and special duas as and whenever required.  I may make a special supplication after my daily Isha, Maghrib, Asr, Dohr or Fajr prayer.  Or I may offer some nafl rakats prior to it.  It depends on the circumstances and my schedule.  But what I make sure is that whenever I offer any dua, I am fully focused on Allah with the utmost of sincerity. 
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« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2013, 12:10:30 am »

Walaikum Salaam sister Muslima Smiley  Thanks for informing us of all those heaps of traditions surrounding Istikhara.  I see Istikhara as any other deep and sincere dua.  Begging and imploring Allah for His help and mercy is the most important need of all believing hearts.  Traditionalists have literally bogged down people with the rules of Istikhara in such way that they cannot even reach out to Allah whenever they want if they aren't able to perform all the formalities that they have put with Istikhara dua.  I haven't studied its source in detail, but yes, I know it's prime origin is Hadith which explains why it contains so many specific and unexplainable formalities.

Sister Heba, you have articulated it well too.  If I recall correctly, you had put up an article on Istikhara some time ago, I think a couple of years back, that was a very neat summary of Istikhara and it ought to be seen.  I'll try to find the link and put it up here. 

Thanks again dear sisters.  Allah bless.
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« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2013, 12:14:13 am »

Yeah sister Zeynab.  I had posted that article almost 5 years ago Smiley  How time flies!   Here is the link.

Istikhara prayer:
http://muslimvilla.smfforfree.com/index.php?topic=979.msg2634#msg2634
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« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2013, 12:18:43 am »

Yes .. this is the one I meant Smiley 

wow!  it's been more than 5 years, almost 6 .. you posted it in 2007 !!  Indeed time flies like a bullet
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« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2013, 02:31:41 pm »

U are welcome sisters & jazak Allah khair my sister's for ur time and positive, satisfying feedback .I too was not aware of this additional traditional muck but personal experience of few brother's and sister's have exposed it, i have also read sis heba's post on istikharah  it benefits me . I am sorry sis i didn't know that this topic has already been discussed .I am also against the language restrictions, dua in own language is always clear and extracondensed our language differences does not matter to Allah, He is The Best knower what's in our heart  however's good to learn in arabic But one should know what he/she reciting and the meaning of dua in his/her own language also..Exactly that's My actual question  regarding the senseless rules and condition of outcome following it's annoying me .well yes i agree with both of u  dua istikharah itself nice dua but introduced method with such ruling on rekha units, must sleep after performing it and then dreams signs, red ,green colours ,max limit of 7 times repeating same method if one is not satisfied . If u see same sign 3 or 7 times then u are obliged to do whether u he/she is happy or not , agree or not, satisfied or not .whole life regret and blaming Allah for own weakness is so horrible  completely unacceptable rules .such traditional innovations have made religion a psychological issue in which people lose self confidence and their faith as well .I got the point bunch of thanks sisters ,i agree with u guys there is no ruling, no fixed timings for worship Allah and seeking His mercy, help and guidance we can do it any time only one manner must be keep in mind one should not break the limits in blind following of traditions .

(O mankind!) Call upon your Lord humbly and in secret. Lo! He loveth not aggressors.7:55
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Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. Who fulfilleth His covenant better than Allah? Rejoice then in your bargain that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.9:111
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« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2013, 02:49:12 pm »

Dear Sister Muslima, salam again.  I'm glad you posted this in addition to the earlier topic on Istikhara .... because you have provided us with a lot of information involved with traditions which the previous post I put up does not contain.  It's useful for people to know all the 'traditional muck' as you rightly called it, in order to understand the downside of traditional formalities and subsequently avoid them.  Many thanks again for the nice read, sis Smiley  Your follow-up comments are also helpful.
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« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2013, 05:50:57 pm »

Jazak Allah khair my dear sis heba  Smiley

wsalam & peace Allah bless u
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Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur'an. Who fulfilleth His covenant better than Allah? Rejoice then in your bargain that ye have made, for that is the supreme triumph.9:111

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