Chapter on Istikhara and Consultation: Allah the Exalted said: “And consult them in the matter,” and He said: “And their affair is by mutual consultation.”

The reader: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The chapter on seeking guidance from Allah and consultation. Allah the Exalted said:

and consult them in the matter

وشاورهم في الأمر

[Ali 'Imran 3:159]

And He the Exalted said:

And their affair is [to be decided by] consultation among themselves.

وأمرهم شورى بينهم

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us to seek guidance from Allah in all matters, just as He taught us a chapter of the Qur'an. He said:

"When one of you contemplates entering upon an enterprise, let him perform two Rak'ah of optional prayer other than Fard prayers and then supplicate: "Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi 'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, wa as-'aluka min fadlikal-'azim. Fainnaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa Anta 'allamul- ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-'amra (and name what you want to do) khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri, (or he said) 'ajili amri ajilihi, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fihi. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal 'amra (and name what you want to do) sharrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri, (or he said) wa 'ajili amri wa ajilihi, fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur liyal- khaira haithu kana, thumma ardini bihi." (O Allah, I consult You through Your Knowledge, and I seek strength through Your Power, and ask of Your Great Bounty; for You are Capable whereas I am not and, You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allah, if You know that this matter (and name it) is good for me in respect of my Deen, my livelihood and the consequences of my affairs, (or he said), the sooner or the later of my affairs then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. But if You know this matter (and name it) to be bad for my Deen, my livelihood or the consequences of my affairs, (or he said) the sooner or the later of my affairs then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and grant me power to do good whatever it may be, and cause me to be contented with it). And let the supplicant specify the object."

إذا همَّ أحدكم بالأمر فليركع ركعتين من غير الفريضة ثم ليقل: اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك وأستقدرك بقدرتك وأسألك من فضلك العظيم فإنك تقدر ولا أقدر وتعلم ولا أعلم وأنت علام الغيوب، اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر خير لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري، أو قال عاجل أمري وآجله فاقدره لي ويسره لي ثم بارك لي فيه، وإن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر شر لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري، أو قال عاجل أمري وآجله فاصرفه عني واصرفني عنه، واقدر لي الخير حيث كان ثم رضني به، قال ويسمي حاجته

Riyad as-Salihin 717

Narrated by al-Bukhari."

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Riyad al-Salihin*: “Chapter on Istikhara and Consultation. Istikhara is with Allah, and consultation is with people of opinion and righteousness. This is because a person must inevitably have some deficiency or shortcoming, and man is created weak. Matters may become difficult for him, and he may hesitate in them. So what does he do? Let us suppose he intends to travel and hesitates whether it is good or not, or he intends to buy a car or a house, or to marry a man's daughter, or something similar, but he is hesitating. What does he do? We tell him there are two paths. The first path is istikhara from the Lord of the Worlds (Mighty and Majestic), Who knows what was and what will be, how it was and how it will be. Then, consultation with people of opinion, righteousness, and trustworthiness. The author (may Allah have mercy on him) cited two verses from the Book of Allah as evidence: His saying, the Exalted: This address is to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Allah said to him: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), who was the most sound in opinion and the most correct in judgment among people, used to consult his Companions in some matters that were difficult for him. Likewise, his successors after him consulted people of opinion and righteousness. It is necessary that these two conditions be present in the one you consult: that he has opinion and experience in matters, caution and lack of haste, and experience; and that he is righteous in his religion. For one who is not righteous in his religion is not trustworthy, even if he is intelligent, rational, and skilled in matters. If he is not righteous in his religion, there is no good in him, and he is not fit to be among those consulted, because if he is not righteous in his religion, he may betray, may Allah protect us from that, and advise with what brings harm or advise with what has no good in it, resulting in evil and corruption as Allah knows best. Let us suppose a man is one of the people of open sinfulness, debauchery, and lewdness; it is not permissible to consult him, because this will lead you into a pit of destruction. Likewise, if a man is righteous, religious, and trustworthy, but he is foolish and does not know matters, or is hasty and enthusiastic, you should not strive to seek his consultation, because if he is foolish and does not know matters, he takes matters by their appearances and does not know anything beyond the appearances. And if he is hasty, his haste may lead him to advise you with what has no good in it. So it is necessary that he has experience, opinion, and righteousness in religion. And Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: Meaning: Their shared affair, which is for everyone, such as jihad, for example, is by mutual consultation among them. So, for example, if the one in authority intends to fight in jihad or do something general for the Muslims, he consults them. But how is the consultation? When a matter occurs in which he hesitates, he gathers those he sees are worthy of consultation by their opinion and righteousness, and he consults them.