Drawing Lots and the Prayer of Seeking Guidance

The questioner : This, and I ate it, there is no harm in it. Do you have any questions, or shall we proceed? Only with Allah. No, no, no, no.

The Shaykh : We have not yet discussed this topic. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. If you point it out, I will speak about it, and we will discuss it. Yes, very well. Drawing lots (al-istiqsam) is what the Arabs did in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah). When a person intended to do something and hesitated about it, they would draw lots. They would place three items, one of which was written "do it," the second was written "do not do it," and the third had no writing on it. Then they would put them in a bag or something similar, mix them up, and take one out. If it said "do it," he would do it. If it said "do not do it," he would not do it. He would draw lots again. The meaning of drawing lots is seeking the portion and the share, meaning seeking what is allotted to you. Allah the Exalted replaced this in Islam with something better: the prayer of seeking guidance (istikharah). This is when a person intends to do something and hesitates about it, he prays two units of prayer (rak'ahs). When he finishes the prayer (taslim), he makes the well-known supplication: "O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge and I seek Your power by Your power," and so on. If a person seeks guidance and the matter becomes clear to him, or his chest opens up to one of the options, he proceeds with it. And knowledge of what Allah has chosen for you comes through causes.
Either a person sees a dream that favors one of the two matters, or his chest opens up to one of the two matters, or the thing is decreed for him without him causing it, or he consults someone who advises him to choose one of the two matters. All of this indicates that Allah has chosen for you. Therefore, seeking guidance (istikharah) is among the best things for a person. However, the "matter" referred to is the one in which you hesitate. The hadith is the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding a thing, so the one who prays two units of prayer, and so on, the "thing" referred to is the one in which you hesitate.
Therefore, we know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not pray the prayer of seeking guidance for a military expedition when he intended to go on one, nor did he pray the prayer of seeking guidance when he intended to perform Hajj, nor did he pray the prayer of seeking guidance when he intended to pray, nor did he pray the prayer of seeking guidance when he intended to preach to the people, ever. So this is not based on its generality, but rather it is intended for when a person intends to do something and hesitates about it.