For people who have done it - what signs have you seen
I have never done it before but would like to know more about it
Re: Istikhara
Istikhara is not about dreams, signs, and omens. Desi culture, as usual, has complicated a practice.
If you look at the Istikhara dua....you're basically asking Allah that if a matter is good for you in this world and the next....that he make it easy for you and bless it for you. Conversely, if it's harmful for you in this world and the next....that he turn it away from you and compensate you with something better and make you content with his will. Words like "making it easy"..."turning away"...etc....are actions...they refer to something more concrete than dreams. Dreams don't turn things away or make things happen with ease. After praying Istikhara....just go with your plans...and if it's good for you, it'll happen with ease. If it's not good for you, it won't happen. You're paying attention to how events unfold...and not subjective things like dreams and signs. Some say that you may get a feeling in your heart, but I think even feelings can be tricky and can change from one day to the next. It's a dua where you basically hand over a situation to Allah and let Him arrange your affairs in your best interest.
What would be better doing Istikhara by yourself or asking an Imam to do it for you?
Re: Istikhara
^ I would say doing istikhara yourself - Allah swt listens to every muslim who turns to Allah swt for guidance - he would not turn you away becuz you dont have your imam certificate lol
Jokes aside, be patient and humble in your duas and surely Allah swt will guide you inshallah. You can ask a Imam to do istakhara for you - im not down playing it at all, but what I m trying to address is your outlook - dont think you're dua is somehow worth less to Allah swt compared to someone you think is more religious than you. The fact that you turn to Allah swt for help is something he loves. :)
Re: Istikhara
Istikhara is not about dreams, signs, and omens. Desi culture, as usual, has complicated a practice.
If you look at the Istikhara dua....you're basically asking Allah that if a matter is good for you in this world and the next....that he make it easy for you and bless it for you. Conversely, if it's harmful for you in this world and the next....that he turn it away from you and compensate you with something better and make you content with his will. Words like "making it easy"..."turning away"...etc....are actions...they refer to something more concrete than dreams. Dreams don't turn things away or make things happen with ease. After praying Istikhara....just go with your plans...and if it's good for you, it'll happen with ease. If it's not good for you, it won't happen. You're paying attention to how events unfold...and not subjective things like dreams and signs. Some say that you may get a feeling in your heart, but I think even feelings can be tricky and can change from one day to the next. It's a dua where you basically hand over a situation to Allah and let Him arrange your affairs in your best interest.
You just took every.single.word out of my mouth. Great post.
Re: Istikhara
What would be better doing Istikhara by yourself or asking an Imam to do it for you?
Why do people not have enough faith/trust in Allah to ask Him for their needs/desires on their own? There's nothing wrong with asking someone else to do it, but I find that unnecessary. And USUALLY when people get it into their heads to ask an imam to do it for them..........it's because they're hoping that the imam will tell them what they should do based upon his dreams and his feelings because somehow the visions/vibes he gets are of greater significance? So once again, the person is relying on dreams/etc...and that's not what istikhara is about. Moreover, the imam is far removed from your life and from the situation you're seeking advice on...he doesn't know and won't witness the details/intricacies of the matter. If you want to turn to an imam...that's fine. But I think that the more people get involved..... the more complex it gets.
Re: Istikhara
I did it for a rishta that seemed perfect. Things had progressed to the stage where they wanted us to get engaged. I started doing Istikhara regularly and the rishta fell apart in the weirdest way. Within a few hours they're true nature came out and everything fell apart.
Re: Istikhara
I did it for a rishta that seemed perfect. Things had progressed to the stage where they wanted us to get engaged. I started doing Istikhara regularly and the rishta fell apart in the weirdest way. Within a few hours they're true nature came out and everything fell apart.
If you don't mind my asking, how did you feel about the rishta not working out? Some people avoid doing Istikhara because they fear they will offend Allah by not being content with the outcome....but the dua asks for contentment and I've heard that you do end up feeling resigned with whatever happens.
Re: Istikhara
Haven’t watched it full yet but quite interesting;
Istikharah: How To & Why? - Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda - YouTube
Re: Istikhara
well I was kinda in shock because it ended so fast but the circumstances were so OUT OF THE ORDINARY that I accepted that it had to be God's will. There was no other way that this rishta could've fallen apart in such a way SO FAST. I'm not going to lie, there have been moments where I'm pretty sad or hurt but I remind myself that I did isitikhara and it was better for me, so that helps a lot. :)
Re: Istikhara
You are more lucky than me you did it before it was too late. I didnt do Istikhara (nor did anyone else in my family) and now I am on the verge of a divorce after 3 years of marriage. I never thought this would happen to me but I hold myself to blame that my Creator has given me a route to 'consult' him before taking a major step in life and I didnt take that route. Thats 3 precious years of my life down the drain, one terribly bad mark on my credentials, and a lesson learned.
Re: Istikhara
You are more lucky than me you did it before it was too late. I didnt do Istikhara (nor did anyone else in my family) and now I am on the verge of a divorce after 3 years of marriage. I never thought this would happen to me but I hold myself to blame that my Creator has given me a route to 'consult' him before taking a major step in life and I didnt take that route. Thats 3 precious years of my life down the drain, one terribly bad mark on my credentials, and a lesson learned.
It takes a lot of courage to leave relationships so I respect you so much for doing that. iA you'll find someone incredibly amazing and these 3 years won't even matter in the grand scheme of things. Stay strong.
To the OP: I haven't heard of anyone not wanting to do Istikhara because of that, but, regardless, I think you should. Even if you're not a firm believer in it, at the very least it helps you cope if things don't work out. It IS painful at times, but you have to remember that as humans we don't have the capacity to fully understand things and sometimes we want things that aren't good for us. You might be heartbroken now, but it'll save you a lot of heartbreak later.
Re: Istikhara
i did a lot of istikhara for the rishta purpose . everytime i did istikhara things became more difficult and i also had a lot of dreams each showing people with second marriage, i kept doing it until i was able to make a decision.
Edo123 : even if u had done istikhara , maybe then also u would have been in the same situation , we cannot change our taqdeer even if we become aware of it, its very hard to face a divorce , but surely things will be better for u in the future, in sha Allah
Re: Istikhara
What is the islamic significance of Istikhara in the Quran? Ive seen so many people do it for rishta purposes and the whole concept of rejecting someone or accepting them based on Istikhara just doesn't sit well with me.
Re: Istikhara
How long one has to do the Dua for Istikhara, until the issue is resolved?
Re: Istikhara
the issue gets resolved once u start praying