| Fiqh - Islaamic Rulings |
Salaah
al-Istikharah - The Prayer for seeking Guidance
Page 7 of 10 | << PREVIOUS | NEXT >>
How to
perform the Salaat al-Istikharah?
First – Fulfill
all the conditions of supererogatory prayer – which are the same conditions
of the obligatory prayer except the condition of the entering time for that
particular prayer. The conditions of prayer are:
a)
The clothes being clean and free of any impurities
b)
The body being in the state of purity
c)
The place of prayer being clean and free of any impurities
d)
Covering of the awwrah (that which individual men and women must cover)
e)
Entering of the time for that particular prayer
f)
Facing the Qiblah (The Ka’bah in Makkah)
g)
Intention
[Refer to the books of
Fiqh for a detailed explanation]
Second – Praying
two rakah’s of supererogatory prayer with the intention of al-Istikharah
(Seeking Guidance).
The prayer does not have
any particular time before which one must make al-Istikharah for a particular
affair. Neither does it have a favored time [1]
nor any specific Soorah is prescribed for this prayer. But there is nothing
wrong if one strives to perform it in times in which a du’aa is more likely
to be answered, since al-Istikharah is a du’aa.
[For
more information about the times in which du’aa is more likely to be
answered, refer to our forthcoming articles Du’aa]
It should bear born in
the minds that al-Istikharah is made after concern and when one has made the
intention and resolve to do something according to the saying of the Prophet
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam): “When one of you is concerned about an
affair…”
Then he should turn over
towards Allah with heart, humiliation and submission.
Third – After
the completion of two rakaahs prayer (i.e. after the salaam)
particular for Istikharah, he should make the following supplication and it
should be born in minds that it is necessary to stick to this specific
Du’aa:
Translation – ‘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 for me concerning my religion, my life and end (or he
said my present and my future), then remove it form me and remove me from it
and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with
it.”
Fourth –
He should have a strong assurance in his Lord and truthful reliance upon his
Lord, being sure of guidance, waiting for the answer.
Fifth –
Avoid all obstacles that prevent the supplication from being answered
Al-Istikharah is a
Du’aa, so one should adhere to the etiquettes of Du’aa and avoid all
obstacles and barriers that prevent a Du’aa from being answered, they being:
-
Haraam Earnings
Requesting something,
which is sinful or involves oppression
Abandoning the act of
enjoining what is good and forbidding the evil
Exceeding the limits
in making Du’aa
Being heedless of
Allah and the Deen in the times of ease
Contradicting some
Shari’ah Ruling [more details in the forthcoming article ad-Du’aa]
[1]
Superogatory prayer like al-Istikharah, salaah entering the masjid are
generally not allowed in times of prohibition. However, the scholars
differ regarding this issue. Therefore, if one were to leave performing
Salaat al-Istikharah in theses prohibited times, then that would thereby
avoid difference of opinion and it would be more helpful to him in
attaining tranquility, since verily, the Prophet (sallalahu alaihi
wa-sallam) said: “Leave that which you doubt for that which you do
not doubt” [Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee, an-Nisa’ee]
And the prohibited times are, as Uqbah bin Naaf’ee (radhi allahu anhu) said: “There are three times in which Allah’s Messenger (sallalahu alaihi wa-sallam) forbade us to pray or bury our dead; when the sun begins to rise until it is fully up, when the sun is at its highest at midday till it passes over the meridian, and when the sun draws near to setting until it sets.” [Saheeh Muslim (eng. trans) vol.2, no.1811
