The Time of the Legitimacy of the Prayer of Seeking Guidance
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Is the prayer of seeking guidance (istikharah) performed when a person has resolved on a specific matter? Or is it performed when he has not settled on which of two options to choose and seeks guidance? I ask for clarification.
Answer:
If a person is hesitating between two matters, wondering which is better, that is the time for seeking guidance. For example, he may hesitate whether to marry a certain woman or not, whether to travel to a certain place or not, whether to trade with a certain person or partner with another or not, and the like. He prays two rak'ahs, then makes the supplication, asking his Lord to choose for him what is best, using the famous supplication established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is: meaning: that this wife is so-and-so, that my marriage to her— Sahih al-Bukhari 1166.
This is the supplication of seeking guidance. He says this, then consults someone he considers qualified for consultation regarding one of the two matters, whether it is marriage, travel, partnership, or any other matter that concerns him and in which he is not certain but is hesitating. This is the place for seeking guidance, and it is a recommended practice (sunnah). Furthermore, it is a recommended practice that he also consults someone he considers qualified for consultation after seeking guidance. If his heart opens up to one of the two matters, he does that. If the hesitation remains with him, he repeats the seeking guidance a second and third time, and so on, until his heart opens up to one of the two matters. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Is the prayer of seeking guidance (istikharah) performed when a person has resolved on a specific matter? Or is it performed when he has not settled on which of two options to choose and seeks guidance? I ask for clarification.
Answer:
If a person is hesitating between two matters, wondering which is better, that is the time for seeking guidance. For example, he may hesitate whether to marry a certain woman or not, whether to travel to a certain place or not, whether to trade with a certain person or partner with another or not, and the like. He prays two rak'ahs, then makes the supplication, asking his Lord to choose for him what is best, using the famous supplication established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is:
O 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, and You have power and I do not have power, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter—and he names it specifically, that this matter
اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك وأستقدرك بقدرتك، وأسألك من فضلك العظيم، فإنك تعلم ولا أعلم وتقدر ولا أقدر وأنت علام الغيوب، اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر -ويسميه بعينه، أن هذا الأمرKhairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri (or 'ajili `Amri wa'ajilihi) Faqdirhu wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri (or fi'ajili `Amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al-khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi
خير لي في ديني ودنياي ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري فيسر ذلك لي، ثم بارك لي فيه، وإن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر شر لي في ديني ودنياي ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري -أو قال: في عاجل أمري وآجله- فاصرفه عني واصرفني عنه، وقدر لي الخير حيث كان، ثم رضني بهThis is the supplication of seeking guidance. He says this, then consults someone he considers qualified for consultation regarding one of the two matters, whether it is marriage, travel, partnership, or any other matter that concerns him and in which he is not certain but is hesitating. This is the place for seeking guidance, and it is a recommended practice (sunnah). Furthermore, it is a recommended practice that he also consults someone he considers qualified for consultation after seeking guidance. If his heart opens up to one of the two matters, he does that. If the hesitation remains with him, he repeats the seeking guidance a second and third time, and so on, until his heart opens up to one of the two matters. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.