Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions.
Istikharah is one of Allah's greatest blessings upon His servants. It is a door of reliance upon Allah and showing one's need of Him, which the Muslim turns to when intending a permissible worldly matter or something that requires weighing and choosing. In it, the servant shows his inability, acknowledges the perfection of Allah's knowledge and power, and recognizes that all good is in His hand, glorified is He.
Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to teach us istikharah in all matters just as he would teach us a surah from the Quran" narrated by al-Bukhari. The full text of the hadith will come in the description of the prayer and du'a.
This hadith shows the great status of istikharah, and that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, paid clear attention to teaching it to his companions.
Istikharah means seeking the best choice from Allah, glorified is He. It means that the servant asks his Lord to choose for him what contains good and to turn away from him what contains harm, because He knows what we do not know and is able while we are not able.
Istikharah is not merely a supplication that is said. Rather, it is an act of worship that combines prayer, du'a, reliance upon Allah, and having good thoughts of Him.
Istikharah is prescribed when a Muslim wants to proceed with a permissible matter or a matter in which he is unsure, such as marriage, travel, work, partnership, a project, or an important decision in his life.
As for obligatory matters, one does not pray istikharah about whether to do them in the first place, because the obligation is required by the Sharia. Likewise, one does not pray istikharah about leaving something forbidden, because the forbidden must be avoided. Istikharah is only for permissible matters, or for choosing between two options within matters that are legislated.
Salat al-Istikharah is two rak'ahs other than the obligatory prayer, after which the Muslim says the known du'a of istikharah.
The Muslim intends in his heart that he will pray two rak'ahs of istikharah for Allah, and he does not need to pronounce the intention.
He prays two voluntary rak'ahs, reciting whatever he wishes from the Quran after al-Fatihah. No specific surah is established as required for this prayer.
After finishing the two rak'ahs, he says salam from the prayer, then makes the du'a of istikharah. It is prescribed for the Muslim to praise Allah and send blessings upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, before du'a, following the general etiquettes of supplication. However, no specific wording for that is established in the hadith of istikharah, so it should not be made a condition for the validity of istikharah.
The full description of Salat al-Istikharah and its du'a is reported in the hadith of Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:
"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to teach us istikharah in all matters just as he would teach us a surah from the Quran. He would say: When one of you intends a matter, let him pray two rak'ahs other than the obligatory prayer, then let him say: O Allah, I seek the best choice from You by Your knowledge, and I seek ability from You by Your power, and I ask You from Your great bounty. For You are able and I am not able, You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair, or he said: in the immediate and later part of my affair, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair, or he said: in the immediate and later part of my affair, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, decree good for me wherever it may be, and then make me pleased with it. He said: and he names his need."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
Arabic wording of the du'a:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، أَوْ قَالَ: عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ.
Meaning in English:
O Allah, I seek the best choice from You by Your knowledge, and I seek ability from You by Your power, and I ask You from Your great bounty. For You are able and I am not able, You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair, or in the immediate and later part of my affair, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair, or in the immediate and later part of my affair, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, decree good for me wherever it may be, and then make me pleased with it.
Then he names his need in the place of: "this matter".
What is most well-known among many scholars is that the du'a of istikharah is after finishing the two rak'ahs, as indicated by the wording of the hadith: "then let him say."
Whoever says it during the prayer before salam, there is no blame according to some scholars, but acting according to the apparent wording of the hadith is better, which is to say it after finishing the prayer.
After istikharah, the Muslim takes the means, consults people of religion and experience, then proceeds with what appears to be better while relying upon Allah. It is not a condition that he sees a dream, nor that he necessarily feels a special sense of expansion in his chest.
Many people think istikharah must be followed by a dream, and this is incorrect. Ease in the matter or its being turned away may be among the effects of what Allah chose for the servant, but the Muslim should not make every passing ease a definitive proof of good, nor every temporary obstacle a definitive proof of harm. Rather, he looks at the overall causes and outcomes, and proceeds with what Allah decrees for him without attachment to illusions.
Opening of the heart may happen for some people, but it is not a necessary condition for the validity of istikharah or for its result. The greatest aim is that the servant entrusts the matter to Allah, then observes what Allah decrees for him of facilitation or turning away.
If the matter is not clear to the Muslim, or he remains hesitant, there is no problem with repeating istikharah. No specific number for repeating it is established in the Sunnah, so he should not commit to three or seven times as though that is Sunnah, nor turn repetition into a door of waswas and delaying decisions.
Istikharah does not replace consultation. Rather, what is prescribed is that the Muslim combines istikharah and consultation: he seeks the best choice from his Lord and consults those whose religion and experience he trusts.
Allah says: {And consult them in the matter} [Al Imran: 159].
The believer combines showing need of Allah with taking the lawful means.
Yes. In fact, it is one of the most important situations in which a Muslim needs istikharah, because marriage is one of the greatest decisions in life and has a major effect on religion and worldly life.
Whoever wants to proceed with marriage should pray istikharah, consult righteous and experienced people, and carefully consider religion and character.
Yes. This is among its greatest situations, because istikharah was legislated when one intends a matter and is uncertain about it.
Severe confusion is not required. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "When one of you intends a matter." So it is prescribed when the Muslim intends a permissible or legislated matter and its outcome is hidden from him, even if he leans toward it. He then combines istikharah with consultation.
Yes, but it is better for the Muslim to specify the matter for which he is making istikharah so that his du'a and presence of heart are more complete.
The prescribed default is two rak'ahs followed by the du'a. But if a person is unable to pray for an excuse, such as a menstruating woman, there is no problem with making du'a to Allah seeking the best choice without prayer.
Yes. Whoever has not memorized the du'a may read it from a paper or phone after the prayer. It is better to learn it and be present with its meanings.
The apparent meaning of the hadith of Jabir is that the Sunnah is for the du'a to be preceded by two rak'ahs other than the obligatory prayer. So the obligatory prayer itself should not be made the two rak'ahs of istikharah. Whoever asks Allah for the best choice after an obligatory prayer has made a generally prescribed du'a, but he has not performed the complete form mentioned in the hadith until he prays two rak'ahs other than the obligatory prayer.
The scholars differed about this. A group permitted making the du'a of istikharah after a regular Sunnah prayer or the greeting of the mosque if he intended istikharah before the prayer, while others held that he should pray two separate rak'ahs. The more complete and safer way from disagreement is to pray two specific rak'ahs for istikharah whenever that is possible.
The Sunnah is that the person concerned with the matter prays and supplicates for himself, because the hadith says: "When one of you intends a matter." It is not established that he appoints someone else to pray istikharah for him, but another person may make general du'a for his success and good.
No. It is not required to sleep after it, nor to wait for a dream, vision, or specific sign. The Muslim takes the means, consults, and then proceeds with what appears better while relying upon Allah.
If the matter can be delayed, he waits until the prohibited time ends. If the matter would be missed by delaying the prayer, a group of scholars allowed praying istikharah then because it is a prayer with a reason. Whoever wants to be cautious and cannot pray may make du'a to Allah for the best choice until a permissible time enters.
Yes. The two rak'ahs of istikharah are a voluntary prayer, so they require what prayer requires, including purity, facing the qiblah, and covering the awrah. As for mere du'a for someone unable to pray, wudu is not required, though making du'a in a state of purity is better.
If the matter becomes clearly difficult after istikharah, that may be Allah turning it away from you. But not every temporary obstacle is a final ruling to leave it. Reconsider the means, consult people of experience, and if the barriers remain or the matter is turned away, be pleased with what Allah decreed and think well of Him.
Istikharah is a great act of worship. It shows truthful tawhid, complete need of Allah, and good reliance upon Him. Whoever is guided to it has been guided to a great door of tranquility and reassurance.
