ahya.org > English Resources

      Fiqh - Islaamic Rulings

Salaah al-Istikharah - The Prayer for seeking Guidance

Page 4 of 10 | << PREVIOUS | NEXT >>

Is there any Proof for Salaat al-Istikharah?

Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “From the prosperity of an individual is his seeking guidance from his Lord and his contentment with what He has ordained and from the misfortune of an individual is his abandoning seeking guidance form his Lord and his displeasure after what is decreed (for him) comes to pass” [Saheeh at-Tirmidhee, Ahmad, al-Haakim and other]

As for the proof for the permissibility of Salaat al-Istikharah then Imaam al-Bukhari narrates in his Saheeh that Mutraf bin Abdullah Aboo Mus’ab narrated to us that Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abee al-Mawaal narrated to us from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir from Jaabir (radhi allahu anhu):‘the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) used to teach us al-Istikharah (seeking of guidance) in all of our affairs, like he would teach us a Soorah of the Qur’aan saying:

“If any of you is concerned about an affair, then let him pray two rakahs other then the obligatory prayers after which he should supplicate: ‘O Allah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and I seek Your assistance by Your Power and I ask You from Your immense favor, for verily you are able while I am not, and verily You know and I do not, and You are the knower of the unseen. O Allah if You know this affair is to be good for me in relation to my religion, my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then decree and facilitate it for me and bless me with it. And if You know this affair to be detrimental (harmful) for me concerning my religion, my life and end (or he said my present and my future), then remove it from me and remove me from it and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with it.’ And he mentions his need”

[Ahmad (3/344), al-Bukharee (eng. trans. Vol.2, no.263), Aboo Dawood eng. trans. Vol.1, no. 1533, an-Nisa’ee (no. 3253), at-Tirmidhee (no.480) and Ibn Majah (no. 1383)]

» It hurts us to see people die on Shirk «