The ruling on seeking guidance through supplication without prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh:
May Allah greet you and bless you.
The questioner:
This questioner, Abdullah Ahmad, says: Shaykh, I would like to ask about the prayer of istikhara. When I am faced with a matter that causes me embarrassment and I hesitate over it, I stand up and recite the supplication of istikhara without performing the prayer. Is this permissible, or is the prayer necessary in this matter? Please give us a ruling, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, istikhara is seeking the better of two matters from what presents itself to a person among his affairs. If he wants something and it is not clear to him whether it is in his best interest or not, whether in marrying a woman, buying a commodity, partnering with a person, or otherwise, he seeks guidance from Allah the Exalted and Majestic. This is done by praying two rak'ahs that are not part of the obligatory prayer, as stated in the hadith: After the two rak'ahs, he recites the supplication of istikhara that is reported in the hadith.
and make me content with it. And if there is evil in it for my religion and the outcome of my affair, turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me the good wherever it may be, then make me content with it.
This is the reported hadith, or this is the meaning of it, in the supplication of istikhara, and it is found in the books of dhikr. This is what is reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So the supplication without the prayer is incomplete. It is necessary, or rather recommended, for him to perform the prayer first and then recite the supplication of istikhara; this is more complete and perfect.
May Allah greet you and bless you.
The questioner:
This questioner, Abdullah Ahmad, says: Shaykh, I would like to ask about the prayer of istikhara. When I am faced with a matter that causes me embarrassment and I hesitate over it, I stand up and recite the supplication of istikhara without performing the prayer. Is this permissible, or is the prayer necessary in this matter? Please give us a ruling, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. As for what follows, istikhara is seeking the better of two matters from what presents itself to a person among his affairs. If he wants something and it is not clear to him whether it is in his best interest or not, whether in marrying a woman, buying a commodity, partnering with a person, or otherwise, he seeks guidance from Allah the Exalted and Majestic. This is done by praying two rak'ahs that are not part of the obligatory prayer, as stated in the hadith:
So when he concludes the prayer
فإذا سلم منO Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and I seek Your power by Your might, and I ask You of Your great bounty. Indeed, You know and I do not know, You have power and I do not. O Allah, if there is good in this matter—and he names the matter he desires—if there is good in this matter for my religion and the outcome of my affair, make it easy for me,
اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك، وأستقدرك بقدرتك، وأسألك من فضلك العظيم، فإنك تعلم ولا أعلم، تقدر ولا أقدر، اللهم إن كان في هذا الأمر، ويسميه الأمر الذي يريده، إن كان في هذا الأمر خير لي في ديني وعاقبة أمري، فيسره لي،This is the reported hadith, or this is the meaning of it, in the supplication of istikhara, and it is found in the books of dhikr. This is what is reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So the supplication without the prayer is incomplete. It is necessary, or rather recommended, for him to perform the prayer first and then recite the supplication of istikhara; this is more complete and perfect.
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 03/186 — archive.org (0:56)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.