When does one perform the prayer for guidance (istikharah)? Is it before the closing salam, after it, or during prostration?

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The questioner : Here he asks: What is the place for the supplication of istikharah? Is it before the closing salam, after it, or during prostration?

The Shaykh : No, what I see is that it is after the prayer, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him), the hadith of Jabir as in *Sahih al-Bukhari*:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to teach us istikharah in all matters, just as he taught us a surah from the Qur'an. He said: "When one of you intends to do something, let him pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, then let him say—and here is the point—then let him say: 'O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek Your power through Your power.'"

كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم يعلمنا الاستخارة في الأمور كلها كما يعلمنا السورة من القرآن يقول: إذا هم أحدكم لأمر فليصلي لله ركعتين من غير الفريضة ثم ليقل -هنا الشاهد- ثم ليقل : اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك وأستقدرك بقدرتك

up to the end of the supplication, up to the end of the well-known and preserved supplication, if Allah wills. So his saying (peace and blessings be upon him and his family):

Let him pray two rak'ahs, then let him say

فليصل ركعتين ثم ليقل

This is clear, if there is not an explicit text stating that the supplication is to be after the prayer.

Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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