Hi guys
I was hoping if you could help me with one. I know the ‘dua’ for istikhara. A friend of mine has asked me to do it for him. Can I do it? If so , how can I translate the dream I have?
and can someone please tell me the proper method of doing it and for how many nights do I have to do it ?
Looking forward to your replies, Thanks.
Re: Istikhara
In simple Istikhara is just another way to trust on Allah in our every day matters. All you have to do is pray two raka's and read the Dua of IStikhara. If you have the translation of the Dua you will understand what I mean. Its just like asking Allahs help in you new endeavour and asking for his blessing, nothing mush or less.
AFAIK, nobody else can do Istikhara for you and there are no dreams related to Istikhara.
Re: Istikhara
You mean no else can do it ?
Re: Istikhara
no it's not that , but an alim should do it. if he could understand the signs given by Allah.
Re: Istikhara
How about if someone else do it and then consult an alim about the signs. By signs u do mean dreams right ?
Re: Istikhara
Salam sac,
I'm not sure about anyone else doing it for you. But the help does come.
Its basically like this, before you go to sleep, read 2 rakat nafls, in the first rakat try to recite surah KAFIROON after Fatihah, in the second rakat try to recite surah IKHLAAS.
Then after read the dua of ishtikharah, and ask whatever you need help in.
The dreams do come, depends tho. Its either dreams that show you certain colours or events. OR- you wake up in the morning, and the first thought that comes to your mind -or feeling.
InshAllah it'll mend your heart towards the right way, or the path you should take in your affair.
Also, its to be repeated for seven days.
May Allah help you in all your affairs, and guide all of us on the straight path. InshAllah, Ameen.
Re: Istikhara
Why should an aalim or maulana be doing it? Why can’t an individual do it him/herself and if need be, ask them for clarification.
sac, why is your friend not doing it himself? What’s the barrier?
Anyway, here’s a link with details: How to pray istikhaarah
Re: Istikhara
well he needs help and he's busy, a bit too busy really.
Re: Istikhara
you may not have to translate it cuz you not always see decrypted dream. Infact, dreams attached to istikhara are very much self explanatory. White/Green light represnets YES and black means NO.
If you didn't see anything in your dream then do what your heart says.
Doing it 7 consecutive days is recommonded.
Re: Istikhara
Please provide evidence from Quran and/or authentic ahadith backing up your claim, thanks.
Doing it 7 consecutive days is recommonded.
Please provide evidence from Quran and/or authentic ahadith backing up your claim, thanks.
Re: Istikhara
Istikharas are inaccurate at best.
What if you ate lot of gassy food the night before, the cause of your dreams would the gas in ur stomach. And you know what gas does to people.
Re: Istikhara
Sadiya: As i said earlier,its not mendatory to do istikhara for 7 days but permissible/Recommanded.
http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=5882&dgn=4
http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=410&dgn=4
Re: Istikhara
Imran Q, thank you for clarifying that performing salat-ul-istikhara for 7 days is alright.
Now could you please kindly hook me up with evidence for the following:
Please quote it from Quran and/or authentic ahadith.
Muchos gracias. :k:
Re: Istikhara
^ I think the whole colors business is just a cultural thing. I remember when I was in Pak, people used to do Istikhaara and look for certain colors int heir dreams. I dont think it has anything to do with the actual way of doing Istikhaara.
Other than that, the only better info that I got about Istikhaara was what Minime said. Read the Istikhaara dua and leave everything upto Allah. If it is going to happen, it will happen and if it is not meant to be, circumstances will arise that will prevent the matter from happening.
Recently, I learned nother extremely weird interpretation of Istikhaara. My roommate is Indian Muslim from Hyderabad and she told me that the way they do Istikhaara is they go to an Imaam, he reads some kind of dua (prolly Istikhaara dua) and then opens the Quran, reads a verse and then the interpretation of those verses is what determines if the matter should be pursued or not. Consequently, her Istikhaara did not come out good because the interpretation of the verses that the Imaam gave her werent good. :S
Re: Istikhara
The colours hold religious meaning, not cultural.
Re: Istikhara
Answer by: Sheikh Hamed Al-`Ali
Istikharah is like any Du’a’: if Allah, the Almighty, accepts it, He will make it easy for the supplicant and guide him to the best. And if He does not accept it then it will be like any unanswered Du’a’. It’s possible that Allah delays the reward for the person in the Hereafter, which is good for him/or her. However, people are always in a hurry, whereas something bad might be looming large and Allah, the Almighty, warded it off by the virtue of that Du’a’.
After performing Salatul Istikharah , one should consult wise people and assess the situation to see how it might affect his deen (religion) and dunya. (life). Then he should choose the one that seems to be more beneficial, having firm belief that Allah will either bless his decision and make it easy for him to achieve what he desires, if it is good for him, or Allah will place obstacles in his path in order not to achieve what he desires. In the latter case, the person should be satisfied with the outcome, whatever it is, and commit his affair to Allah hoping for reward in the Hereafter. He should know that Allah does not decide except through His Divine wisdom and truth, even if it does not seem to us this way. Glory be to Him! We only know what He has taught us.
Anyway, one who seeks Allah’s guidance through Istikharah will never be disappointed, as Allah will guide him or her to that which is good, except those who have violated the rights of Allah; they should blame none but themselves. It is stated in the Hadith: “Keep your commitment to Allah and He will protect you.”
Re: Istikhara
Istikharah Prayer: Rules & Signs of Response
Istikharah prayer is a two-rak`ah non-obligatory Prayer by which one seeks Allah’s guidance when he is confused or can’t choose between permissible alternatives. In this case, the Muslim should pray to Allah the Almighty to guide him to whatever He sees fit for him and make his heart satisfied with the decision.
In the Prayer, one asks Allah to facilitate the matter if it is good and turn it away if it is not. Thus, after praying Istikharah, one should decide on a course of action, and trust that if the matter does not work out, it is because it was not good for him. One should not then feel disappointed if things did not go as hoped.
Istikharah is only prescribed for matters deemed permissible by the Shari`ah and not for any issue that plainly opposes Allah’s Laws. It is when you have two permissible options and you do not know which is better for you that you should resort to Allah the Almighty to seek His guidance.
In response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
“Istikharah means, “seeking the best course of action.” In Islam, it is used for approaching Allah through Prayer for guidance in a case when one cannot make up his mind. It should, however, be pointed out, that Istikharah applies strictly to cases that are halal (lawful or permissible), since there cannot be a question of choice concerning matters that are considered haram (unlalwful or impermissible).
When faced with important decisions in life, a believer is persuaded to use all of his Allah-given resources, as well as to consult people who are known for their knowledge, piety and sound opinion. After having done so, he can turn to Allah for guidance.
Humans are limited in knowledge, and Allah alone possesses perfect knowledge. Allah has told us that He alone possesses the keys to all that is good. He has also promised to help us if we turn to Him earnestly and sincerely.
We see around us people doing all sorts of things for confirmation when faced with important decisions in their life. The Pre-Islamic Arabs resorted to the practice of divining with arrows or the stirring of birds. In modern times, even some of the most prominent people consult astrologers, psychics, gurus or so called spiritual masters. Islam teaches that since Allah alone knows the unseen realities, and He alone is aware of what is good for us in an absolute sense, we must seek His help.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) taught us how to do so. He told us that if we are faced with decisions in life and are unable to make up our mind, we must approach Allah through Prayer. This Prayer is called Prayer of Istikharah. It is a Sunnah or a highly recommended act. The specific method of doing it, is as follows:
First, one must offer a Prayer of two rak`ahs with the intention of seeking guidance from Allah. Then he should offer the following supplication:
"Allahumma inni astakhiruka biilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika al-azim, fa'innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wa talamu wa la alamu, wa anta allamu-l-ghuyub.
Allahumma, in kunta talamu anna hadhal-amra [here mention your case] khairun li fi dini wa maashi wa aqibati 'amri (or 'ajili amri waajilihi) faqdurhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li fihi.
Wa in talamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa maashi wa aqibati 'amri (or ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu, waqdur liya al-khaira haithu kana thumma 'ardini bihi.”
(O Allah, I seek Your help in finding out the best course of action (in this matter) by invoking Your knowledge; I ask You to empower me, and I beseech Your favor. You alone have the absolute power, while I have no power. You alone know it all, while I do not. You are the One Who knows the hidden mysteries. O Allah, if You know this thing (I am embarking on) [here mention your case] is good for me in my religion, worldly life, and my ultimate destiny, then facilitate it for me, and then bless me in my action. If, on the other hand, You know this thing is detrimental for me in my religion, worldly life, and ultimate destiny, turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree what is good for me, wherever it may be, and make me content with it.)
After having done so, he should follow the decision that he is strongly inclined to. If he feels no such inclination, then he should choose one of the options; he can rest assured that Allah will guide his steps. It has been reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “One who asks Allah for guidance in choosing the best course of action will never be a loser.”
It is not at all necessary for a person to have visions or dreams following Istikharah. However, if a person does experience a vision or dream, and he feels strongly about it, he should follow it.” (Source: www.islam.ca)
Imam An-Nawawi (may Allah bless his soul) adds:
“After making Istikharah, a person must do what he or she is wholeheartedly inclined to do and feels good about doing and should not insist on doing what he had desired to do before making the Istikharah. And if his or her feelings change, he or she should leave what he or she had intended to do, for otherwise he or she is not leaving the choice to Allah, and would not be honest in seeking help from Allah’s power and knowledge. Sincerity in seeking Allah’s choice means that one should completely abandon what one desired oneself.”
Also, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former head of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and member of the Fiqh Council of North America, states:
“Doing Istikharah does not mean that one should not use one’s reason or experience. Allah the Exalted has commanded us in the Qur’an that we should use our intellect and seek knowledge. If we do not know something, we should ask those who know. But human reason has limitations. We do not know everything; only Allah does know all things. When we are faced with a dilemma then we should turn to Allah to seek His guidance.
After offering Istikharah, you may do whatever is best in your understanding or whatever convinces you. You may repeat the du`a’ of Istikharah several times if you are still hesitant. It is not necessary to dream about anything and you do not have to wait for an answer in your dreams. It is reported in a Hadith that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Anas, when you intend to do some important things, then seek the good (seek Istikharah) from your Lord seven times and then do that to which your heart (or mind) is inclined, because the good is in it.”
Most of the hadiths on this subject do not talk about any dream. However, the famous Hanafi jurist Ibn `Abdeen has suggested in his Hashiyah that one should make the Istikharah Prayer before sleeping, and should sleep after having performed Wudu’. The face should be towards Makkah. If one sees something white or green in one’s dream, then the answer is yes, but if one sees something dark or red then the answer is no.
Other jurists of Shafii, Maliki, Hanbali and Jafari schools say that one should do that which is most convincing. According to Imam Malik, other people can also perform Istikharah on behalf of someone.
There is nothing strange about dreams. If you did not see any dreams, then it does not mean that dreams do not occur. After the Istikharah Prayer, some people may see a dream and some may not. We know that some of our dreams become true. Some time we see something in a dream and it happens exactly the same way later. As there are good dreams and bad dreams, so there are also true and false dreams. The interpretation of dreams is a special knowledge that some people have. In the Qur’an many dreams are mentioned. Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) saw in his dream that he was sacrificing his son. Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) had dreams and Allah also gave him the knowledge of interpreting dreams. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) also sometimes interpreted the dreams of his Companions.”
If you are still in need of more information, don’t hesitate to contact us. Do keep in touch. May Allah guide us all to the straight path!
Re: Istikhara
[quote]
Most of the hadiths on this subject do not talk about any dream. However, the famous Hanafi jurist Ibn `Abdeen has suggested in his Hashiyah that one should make the *Istikharah Prayer before sleeping, and should sleep after having performed Wudu'. The face should be towards Makkah. If one sees something white or green in one's dream, then the answer is yes, but if one sees something dark or red then the answer is no. *
Other jurists of Shafii, Maliki, Hanbali and Jafari schools say that one should do that which is most convincing. According to Imam Malik, other people can also perform Istikharah on behalf of someone.
There is nothing strange about dreams. If you did not see any dreams, then it does not mean that dreams do not occur. After the Istikharah Prayer, some people may see a dream and some may not. We know that some of our dreams become true. Some time we see something in a dream and it happens exactly the same way later. As there are good dreams and bad dreams, so there are also true and false dreams.......
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Exactly! thats what i have learnt thorugh books and was loooking for proper link thanx HomiD. As for, "some vision dreams some don't" is right too. I have done Istikharah few tmes with no dreams whatsoever. However, after Istikharah mind n heart does inclined towards one of the two posibilities.