What are the matters for which the prayer for guidance (istikharah) is prescribed?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Please, Bandar from Ha'il, you are with us on the line. Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh:
Peace be upon you.
The questioner:
Shaykh, I would like a detailed explanation, may Allah reward you with good. Please explain to us in detail the prayer for guidance (istikharah). How is the prayer for guidance performed? Does the supplication come first? Does the supplication take place before the closing salam? Then, does the person proceed with what he wants before what concerns him, or does he wait? How does it work, I mean? And I have a question.
The Shaykh:
The prayer for guidance (istikharah), my brother, is performed when you intend to do something and it is not clear to you, or you do not have a preference for doing it. For example, if you want to marry a woman, you seek guidance from Allah as to whether she is suitable or not. If you want to partner with someone in a business and you do not know him and cannot find anyone to tell you about him, you seek guidance from Allah. If you develop a preference for doing the thing, you proceed with it. If you do not develop a preference, you refrain from it, or you repeat the prayer for guidance (istikharah) until you develop a preference for what you want. Yes.
The questioner:
Wait, wait, wait.
The Shaykh:
The supplication is after the prayer. You first pray two rak'ahs, not the obligatory prayer, and then you make the supplication after the prayer, my brother?
Please, Bandar from Ha'il, you are with us on the line. Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh:
Peace be upon you.
The questioner:
Shaykh, I would like a detailed explanation, may Allah reward you with good. Please explain to us in detail the prayer for guidance (istikharah). How is the prayer for guidance performed? Does the supplication come first? Does the supplication take place before the closing salam? Then, does the person proceed with what he wants before what concerns him, or does he wait? How does it work, I mean? And I have a question.
The Shaykh:
The prayer for guidance (istikharah), my brother, is performed when you intend to do something and it is not clear to you, or you do not have a preference for doing it. For example, if you want to marry a woman, you seek guidance from Allah as to whether she is suitable or not. If you want to partner with someone in a business and you do not know him and cannot find anyone to tell you about him, you seek guidance from Allah. If you develop a preference for doing the thing, you proceed with it. If you do not develop a preference, you refrain from it, or you repeat the prayer for guidance (istikharah) until you develop a preference for what you want. Yes.
The questioner:
Wait, wait, wait.
The Shaykh:
The supplication is after the prayer. You first pray two rak'ahs, not the obligatory prayer, and then you make the supplication after the prayer, my brother?
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 1516 - ما الأمور التي تشرع لها الاستخارة؟ - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.