Istikharah

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ABDUL NASIR JANGDA | ISTIKHARAH:

HOW TO AND WHY?
Lecture by Abdul Nasir Jangda

|Transcribed by Sameera
[The following is the video and
transcript of Shaykh Abdul Nasir's
lecture istikharah: How to and
Why?. The transcript includes slight
modifications for the sake of
readability and clarity.]
The word istikhrah comes from

the root word of khayr. Khayr in
the Arabic language in its origins is
representative of all that which is
good. Khayr is an umbrella word
that represents all that which is
good. Istikhrah means to seek
the good and seek that which is
good. This is the meaning of the
word istikhrah itself.
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Just like the meaning, the prayer

alt'-l-istikhrah, which is from
the Sunnah of the Prophet
, is
an authentically narrated Sunnah
of the Prophet
and an
extremely emphasized practice of
the Messenger
. Just like the
meaning of the word istikhrah,
149
the purpose of the alh is

similarly to seek that which is
good from Allh

. I want to
insh'Allh have this session to
explain the procedure and the
purpose of istikhrah.
I am going to split today's
presentation into two parts. The
first part will focus on the ritual
itself, meaning the technicalities,
procedure, concept and outcome
of istikhrah. The second part of
the lecture will focus on the
purpose of the istikhrah, which is
explaining the meaning and
beauty of the supplication of
istikhrah
itself
because
that
unlocks the purpose and the

reason why we even do istikhrah.
Basic Points
To begin with the technicalities, I

would like to begin with a few
basic points.
concept
of
The first is the

istikhrah
to
understand
istikhrah
conceptually and what it is. I can
explain best to you what istikhrah
is by explaining to you what
istikhrah is not. As they say in
Arabic, sometimes the best way to
get to know something is to know
the opposite of it. The best way I
can help you understand what
istikhrah is conceptually and the
role and purpose of istikhrah is
by explaining to you what it most
definitely is not.
Istikhrah is not a Magic 8 ball.
Did you ever buy that? You get it
at the mall as a gag gift. You ask
the Magic 8 ball, Should I go to
the mall today? [Shake it].
Maybe. This is the Magic 8 ball.
What I am trying to say by giving
you this silly example is what
people play around with when
playing with the Magic 8 ball is
throw out a random question,

shake the Magic 8 ball and get a
magical answer and go with it. It
is kind of like rolling the dice.
Istikhrah is not that.
Decision Making Process: 3 Steps
Istikhrah is the third of a threestep decision making process.

The first step of a decision making
process is to use the God-given
intellect,
ability,
thinking that Allh
and
critical
has blessed
each and every single human

being with in different capacities.
Allh has granted every human
being the ability to take factors
into consideration and weigh
different options and think about,
ponder,
contemplate,
and
process. That is the first step of

the decision making process in
the life of the believer. He first
uses his 'aql, intelligence and
ability to think that Allh has given
him.
There is a reason that Allh
emphasizes the 'aql, uli'l-albb,
and these types of things in the
Qur'an because these are from
the greatest of Allh's
blessings. That is the first step of
the decision making process: Take
your
circumstances
into
consideration, look at the options
available to you, and then sit
down and think and try to figure
out and do some research and try
to come to somewhat of a
conclusion. At least try to narrow
your options and come to
somewhat of a conclusion. This is
number one.
The second step of a decision
making process is istishrah. It is
the Arabic word for seeking
counsel and seeking advice. The
next step of the process is to then
seek some counsel and advice,
and it really depends on what type
of a decision you are trying to
make. If you want to buy a car,
you first do some research online
and do some car shopping and
test drove and narrow down to
about three or four different cars
that you are thinking about. Then

what you could do, for instance, is
go to a brother from the masjid
who is a car mechanic. Sit down
with that brother and say,
Brother, I want to take advice
from you because you are
experienced and knowledgeable
about cars.
What do you
recommend? These are the three
or four cars I am looking at. He
says, I wouldn't buy that because
it has transmission problems.
This car wears out really quickly,
etc.
Now you are seeking counsel and
advice. If it is a more personal
issue, something that is a life type
decision, then you seek the
counsel
and
advice
from
somebody who sincerely and
honestly
cares
about
you,
somebody who is experienced
and mature and maybe even
spiritually focused so that they
have a well-rounded perspective
they can provide to you.
That is istishrah and seeking
counsel. This is the second step
of the decision-making process.
The third and final step of the
decision making process is now
istikhrah. What has occurred up
to this point is that you started
with no idea of what to do. You
narrowed it down to maybe half a
dozen different options and
sought some counsel and got
some advice from someone and
are down to your last couple of
options. At this point in time, you
are struggling with this or that and
are starting to lean a little more
towards one direction. You are
thinking about two cars and are
leaning
towards
buying
a
convertible, for instance random
example. You are thinking about
buying the Camaro over the minivan. No brainer, but nevertheless
for some strange reason you are
conflicted. Maybe you have two
kids, but it doesn't matter, they
can sit in the backseat.
You are starting to lean in one

direction, but you are little
conflicted and just need a little bit
of a push and convincing. You are
looking for that confidence to
make your decision that you have
come to by critical thinking apply
your intellect and do some
research and you sought some
counseling. You are leaning in a
direction
but
need
some
confidence and some clarity of
heart. This is where istikhrah
comes in.
What I have just explained to you
removes many of the issues and
questions that people have about
istikhrah itself. A lot of people
are confused about istikhrah
because they try to use it like the
Magic 8 ball. I have got to buy a
house. Let me do istikhrah.
What do you think is going to
happen? Are you magically going
to see a house in your dreams
and going to go searching for it
and find it and buy it? It doesn't
work that way. You don't decide
that you need to buy a car and
then pray istikhrah and a Honda
Civic is going to fall on you. It
doesn't work that way.
When people try to utilize
istikhrah in that way, then they
walk away confused and say,
Shaykh, I made istikhrah and I
can't figure anything out. It's not
working. You don't change the
batteries in your istikhrah, right?
What is basically going on is that
you are not utilizing it properly.
Anything that is not utilized
properly is not going to work
right.
You have to utilize it
properly and appropriately. Make
sure you turn it into the third of a
three-step
decision
making
process. This is the concept and
role of istikhrah.
Prerequisites of Istikhrah
The next thing I would like to

explain are the prerequisites of
istikhrah. What is required to do
istikhrah?
I am going to give you the actual

narration, but for now we are just
going to roll with it and speak a
little more generally. What is
required for the istikhrah is what
is required for any other prayer,
which is you need to make sure
that you are pure and clean,
clothed
appropriately,
have
wu'. You do not require a bath

of purification. You face towards
the qiblah.
That is what is
required for istikhrah.

Basically whatever is required to
normally pray is what is required
for istikhrah. There are no other
extra
prerequisites
or
requirements for istikhrah. You
don't have to pray it immediately
before you go to sleep. You don't
have to take a shower and then
immediately pray istikhrah. You
need wu' for prayer; you need
wu' for istikhrah. Istikhrah is a
prayer just like Dhuhr is a prayer
and nafl would be a prayer. You
don't need to stop talking to
people when you decide to do
istikhrah.
You don't need to
wake up in the middle of the night

and do istikhrah. You don't have
to go stand on top of a mountain
on one leg and do istikhrah. You
get my drift at this point
anything
extra
that
you
may
heard, come across, or assumed

that is needed for istikhrah aside
from what is needed for prayer.
Wu',
dressing
appropriately,
facing the qiblah, Allhu akbar

that is istikhrah.
The only thing I will add in here is
that according to the opinion of
the majority of scholars, there are
small difference of opinion I'm
going to tell you what the majority
of scholars say.
In alt'listikhrah, there are not major
differences of opinion. There are
a few minor opinions here and
there that differ from the vast
majority.
I'm just going to go
ahead and share the majority

opinion
because
it
is
an
overwhelming majority opinion.
The
overwhelming
majority
opinion is that the only thing you
have to watch out for is what you
watch out for in other prayers.
Make sure you don't pray
istikhrah
at
the
times
when
prayer is forbidden. Those are

three basic times of the day:
while the sun is rising, when the
sun is at its peak (which lasts for a
minute or so), and the setting of
the sun. Those three times of the
day are when we are told not to
pray. It is the same requirements
of alh and for istikhrah.
These are the prerequisites of
istikhrah.
Procedure
What
is
the
procedure
of
istikhrah? There is a sequence of

events or procedure. Once you
fulfill the prerequisites, you will
stand up and pray two rakahs,
two
units,
of
nafl
(voluntary,
supererogatory) prayer. Why am I

emphasizing and specifying it to
be two rakahs of a voluntary
prayer? When we read the text of
the adth together insh'Allh, at
that time you will see it. It is
mentioned explicitly within the
text of the adth by the
Messenger of Allh
. No debate
and no question here.

What that means is that you can't
pray alt'l-'ish' and make the
supplication of istikhrah two for
one, all done. You can't do that.
The Prophet
explicitly said that
you have to invest two more extra

rakahs
of
prayer
that
are
voluntary and optional. You pray

those two rakahs of prayer.
There is nothing different about
those two units of prayer. You
pray them as you should pray any
other alh.
There's obviously
room for improvement in my

prayer, and I'm pretty sure
everybody feels there is room for
improvement within their prayers,
so aside from that entire
discussion,
basically
you
pray
istikhrah like you would pray any
other prayer, which is two rakahs,

qiym, ruk', sujd. You sit at the
end, tashahhud, alawt on the
Messenger
,
supplication,
salm, and that's it. That is the
procedure of the istikhrah.
There is no extra special srah
that should be recited here.
There's
nothing
that
is
authentically narrated from the
Prophet
about reciting this in
the first rakah and that in the
second rakah. There is nothing of
that sort. Just pray two rakahs of
prayer.
Once you finish these two rakahs
of prayer, which means the taslm,
you then at that time recite the
exact supplication taught to us by
the Prophet
in the Arabic
language. You read it in Arabic.

Again,
here,
the
vast
overwhelming majority of scholars
are of the opinion that the
supplication of istikhrah is to be
done after the prayer. There are a
couple of opinions here and there
to do it before the taslm;
however,
the
vast
majority
overwhelming majority, and again,

if you analyze the text of the
adth, which I'm going to point
out to you when we do read the
adth of the Prophet
see that the Prophet
, you will
mentions
a word which makes it very clear

that the supplication is meant to
be said after the prayer is done.
Now at this point we recite the
supplication.
Read
the
supplication in Arabic. Why am I

explicitly saying that? Again, the
adth very clearly mentions that
fact. A question comes up here:
what if I don't have it memorized?
Read it off of a piece of paper.
Fuqah' have stated that very
clearly if somebody needs to read
it off of a piece of paper, that is
ok. Read it out of a book, read it
off of a piece of paper, photocopy
it, do what you have to do.
Nevertheless,
read
the
actual
Arabic of the supplication. Don't

read the summarized English
translation. When we read the

text of the adth, we see the
Prophet
explicitly said, Read it
as I have taught you.

The other thing I want to state is
just in case anyone is watching the
video or listening to the lecture
what if somebody can't read
Arabic? Use a transliteration or
something of that nature to the
best of your ability. Of course if
somebody recently took shahdah
or somebody recently came into
connection with their dn, there is
always an exception to the rule.
We
do
not
give
enough
consideration to people who have

had a major turning point in their
life, whether we are talking about
people who may have been born
in Muslim families but just not
raised with the dn and come to
practice the dn later on in their
lives, or if we are talking about
reverts and converts, people who
took
shahdah
later
in
life.
Consideration should always be

given to them, and it should be
understood that they are doing
the best that they can, and they
should definitely make an effort to
try to learn Arabic as much as
possible
and
as
quickly
as
possible, but until and unless they

are able to get to that point, they
are
completely
capable
of
practicing their dn to the best of

their ability, and it is ok for
somebody like that to read it in
English or to read the translation
of it. That is a very, very specific
situation
and
consideration
should be given to those types of

cases.
Nevertheless, going back to the
procedure.
We talked about
praying two rakahs, completing

the
prayer,
reading
the
supplication in Arabic to the best
of your ability.
That is the
procedure of istikhrah. Read the
supplication in Arabic, and it is
done. You don't have to make any
extra du'' after that.
The
supplication that you read in
Arabic is the supplication and du''

itself. There is no other extra
procedure after. Once you are
done reading the supplication,
you are done.
Outcome of Istikhrah
The next issue I would like to

address is what is the outcome of
the istikhrah? Again, I can start
by telling you what is not the
outcome of the istikhrah. You
will not wake up in the middle of
the night and have a 3D vision of
what you should. I can tell you
that is not going to happen. It is
istikhrah and not Avatar. That is
one thing we need to be clear on.
While it might seem like a joke or
silly to some people, sometimes
people just don't know.
The
outcome of the istikhrah

nothing out of this world.
The
primary
outcome
of
is
the
istikhrah is the clarity of mind

and confidence to make the
decision that you need to make
that I alluded to earlier. You feel
confident and good about making
your decision. You were already
leaning towards one option
option A and there is another
option on the table, but you are a
lot more confident about option A
or maybe you have come to a
decision about option A but you
just
need
that
extra
little
confidence.
You do
naturally
your
start
istikhrah and
to feel more
confident and feel clearer and feel

ready to make that decision. That
is the outcome of your istikhrah.
The outcome of the istikhrah is to
reflect internally and be a bit
introspective and look inside and
see if you feel good and confident
about making your decision.
How do you know that the
outcome of the istikhrah is
maybe this isn't the best decision
for you? You will naturally feel
down. You will feel conflicted,
doubtful, very scared or anxious
or hesitant about making your
decision. Then at that point, this

is your response of istikhrah that
maybe this isn't the best decision
for you. That is how simple and
easy istikhrah is.
The reason why istikhrah has
become complicated for us a lot
of times is because we are looking
for something out of this world
and something supernatural and
really far out.
We look for
something crazy like that, and

when we don't find it, we feel
unfulfilled.
If we learn to just think of it
internally and learn to be a little
more reflective and introspective,
naturally
you
will
find
the
response to your istikhrah to be a

lot more facilitated for you. You
are thinking internally and feel
naturally
confident
in
your
decision. That is the outcome and

result of the istikhrah.
What about Dreams?
The question always comes up:

what about dreams? The issue of
dreams is one thing that needs to
be
understood.
completely
We
dismiss
don't
dreams
altogether. Authentic narrations

of the Prophet
tell us that
dreams are something that a

believer derives inspiration from.
Even the greatest of scholars like
Ibn Sirn of the tabi'n and great
scholars
of
interpretation
of
dreams, one of the first things

they would say or one of the first
things they taught their students
was that dreams are not a basis of
making
decisions.
Decisions
should not be based on dreams.

These were the first and foremost
to tell their students that even
though these were the scholars of
the interpretation of dreams.
They said at the most it is
inspiration,
motivation,
encouragement. That is all it is. It

is not something you base a
decision on.
I would like to clarify that right

here. If you have a dream and it
kind of inspires you or motivates
you, alamdulillh. Don't read too
much into it because you are not
supposed to.
Two Miscellaneous Issues
That
is
the
outcome
istikhrah.
There
of
are
the
two
miscellaneous issues I would like

to explain.
The first issue is
related to the outcome.

What if I make istikhrah and I just
still don't feel comfortable or
confident in my decision? I still
don't feel confident or clear and
am still not comfortable making a
decision, and I made istikhrah
and
followed
the
procedure
properly. What do I do at that

time?The course of action at that
time is: do it again. If it doesn't
work again, then do it again. If
you are still not comfortable, then
do it again. Keep doing it until you
feel confident and comfortable in
making your decision.
There is even a narration from
'Abdullh b. Zubayr
, one of the
companions of the Prophet

and probably ''ishah's best and
brightest student.
He says, I
made istikhrah with Allh three

times. Then I was comfortable
and
confident
in
making
my
decision. He explicitly mentions

while explaining to his students
that if you have to make istikhrah
multiple times, then you have to
make istikhrah multiple times
and that's ok. He said, I had to
pray istikhrah three times one
time to make a decision. Don't
be
afraid
of
repeating
the
istikhrah multiple times.

A lot of times, it is just a matter of
and this is a tragedy of our times
becoming spiritually numb and
we are not very introspective and
not very reflective. Sometimes
the superficial nature of the
culture we live in or activities
make us a little spiritually dull or
numb.
We might have to do
istikhrah a few times to break

through the surface or crack the
shell, and that's ok.
The last issue I want to mention
here
that
is
associated
with
istikhrah is that there is one very

commonly asked question and
issue that comes up quite often.
That is: can I have somebody else
do istikhrah for me? There is no
precedent. There is no religious
verification for having someone
else do istikhrah for you. There is
nothing mentioned in the aadth
of the Prophet
. There is no
precedent from the generation of

the abah. The classical fuqah'
have
explicitly
stated
that
istikhrah is meant to be done by

the individual himself or herself.
That is a rule. That's it. A person
has to do the istikhrah himself or
herself.
There is a very honest and sincere
question and concern that is in
the mind's of people who ask this
question. The question or that
concern is often: I am not a very
good person, I don't pray five
times a day, I have a lot of sins
and issues in my life, I feel distant
from Allh, I don't know if I make
istikhrah if it will be clear or won't
be clear, so I want to ask someone
to make istikhrah who is a lot
more righteous and pious, and
someone who is a lot better
person than I am.
That is a
concern a lot of people have.

I
would
like
to
answer
that
concern by first saying that maybe

part of the reason that you feel
that way about your relationship
with Allh is because of the
mentality and approach that you
have where you don't feel like you
are good enough to talk to Allh.
You feel like you don't have access
to Allh.
The first thing that you have to get
over is the simple fact that Allh
is just as available and just as
accessible to the sinful person as
He is to the most righteous and
pious person. Allh is available

and accessible to everyone. We
can all pray to Allh. We can all
ask Allh for whatever we need.
We can all do istikhrah with Allh.
The
second
answer
to
that
concern is if you are feeling a bit

guilty and self-conscious about
the fact that you are distant from
Allh and not praying and maybe
that is why you should not be
doing istikhrah, then why not fix
the problem? Why not say, I have
a
situation.
need
to
do
istikhrah. I don't pray five times a

day and that's why I don't feel
comfortable doing istikhrah.
Well, it's time for alt'l-maghrib
right now or time for alt'l-'ish'
right now, why don't I go ahead
and take that first step?
Why
don't I go make wu', stand up

and pray alt'l-'ish' and then
pray
two
rakat
to
do
my
istikhrah. Get it out of the way

and get it done.
That is the
answer to the question.

There is no validity to having
somebody
halfway
across
the
world in some village do istikhrah

on your behalf and that person
doesn't even know who you are
and what's going on with you. By
the way, as a side note and a word
of
advice,
charging
if
you,
that
person
is
it's
probably
scam. Just a little note of caution.

If a person is charging you, you
need to stay away from that entire
situation.
Nevertheless,
did
want
to
address that in a serious issue

and serious manner. There is no
validity, there is no precedent, and
there is absolutely no authenticity
to having somebody do istikhrah
on your behalf. The person him
or herself needs to be doing their
own istikhrah whatever situation
they are dealing with.
Their might be situations where a
decision affects multiple people.
Then everybody involved in the
situation
makes
their
own
istikhrah. If I will be implicated by

this decision, then we all make our
own istikhrah. Nevertheless, it is
not like doing a business deal. If
I'm getting into a business deal
with a couple of people and we
need to come to the decision
whether it is good or not, we
decide we've looked at the facts,
crunched
the
numbers,
and
spoken to a couple of people and

gotten some
need to do
consultation, we
istikhrah.
Let
everybody go and do their own

istikhrah. Even when it is a joint
decision, everybody should be
doing istikhrah. Definitely when
it is your own personal decision,
make your own istikhrah. Don't
put it off on somebody else.
Nobody can do your istikhrah
you do your own.
The concern that is there that I'm
not good enough, I'm not pious
enough,
I'm
not
righteous
enough, it doesn't make any

sense.
Allh is Allh.
He is
accessible to you. All you have to

do is go get clean, make wu',
face the qiblah, Allhu akbar, and
you are talking to Allh. Done
deal.
Secondly, if you do feel that you
are distant from Allh, then fix the
problem.
Don't create another
problem. Repair the relationship

and fix the issue.
It obviously goes without saying
that we don't make istikhrah for
anything that is impermissible.
There is no istikhrah for: Should
I drink alcohol (na'dhu billh)
of course that is very bad.
Should I gamble, what should I
put my money on.
It goes
without saying and it is common

sense
that
you
don't
make
istikhrah about the things that

are impermissible.
Also, we do not make istikhrah
about things that are obligatory.
There is no making istikhrah
about should I pray alt'l-'ish'
or not. That goes without saying
that things that are obligatory and

things that are a part of the dn
and things that we are supposed
to do like fasting Raman, there
is no making istikhrah should I
fast in Raman or not. Similarly,
we do not make istikhrah for
things that are impermissible. Of
course that is common sense, but
I just wanted to mention that.
Supplication of Istikhrah
Now, let's go ahead and discuss

the supplication of istikhrah
itself. I'll go ahead and read the
adth to you. This is a adth
from a Bukhri.
Jbir (may Allh be pleased with
him), a very knowledgeable
companion of the Prophet of Allh
(peace and blessings be upon
him), says, The Messenger of
Allh
would regularly teach us
to do istikhrah in all of our affairs

and issues just like he would teach
us a srah from the Qur'an. What
does that mean? He is drawing a
parallel. This is the same type of
verbage used to talk about the
tashahhud in the prayer. He
would teach us the tashahhud like
he would teach us a srah from
the Qur'an. It is also said about
the istikhrah supplication.
That means two things and has
two implications. Implication #1:
he emphasized the importance of
memorizing
it.
Just
like
we
memorize a srah of the Qur'an,

similarly
he
emphasized
the
importance of memorizing the

supplication
of
istikhrah.
Implication #2:
read it in the
Arabic language like we read a

srah in the Arabic language.
When we read a srah from the
Qur'an in our prayers, we read it
in Arabic. Again, there is that rare
exception that I talked about,
nevertheless the general rule is
that we read the supplication in
Arabic. The Prophet
taught us
to read the supplication of

istikhrah in Arabic like we read a
srah in Arabic.
He would say, 'When any one of

you is concerned with an issue or
a matter, then he should pray two
rakahs
of
optional,
prayer
aside
voluntary
from
the
far
obligatory prayer.' This is where I

was explicitly saying it has to be
voluntary optional prayer because
the Prophet
explicitly in the
adth in the narration says it

must
be
voluntary
the
Prophet
optional
prayer.
Then
Thumma
says,
Thumma
in
the
Arabic language in classical Arabic,

the
Quranic
and
prophetic
language, is to say afterwards,
after that, then afterwards.
It
states that this occurs after the

previous
thing
has
been
completed or concluded. Based

on this, the vast overwhelming
majority of scholars are of the
opinion
the
supplication
of
istikhrah is to be read after the

prayer has been completed, after
the taslm.
The
Prophet
reads
the
supplication for us and teaches us

the supplication.
explain
the
I'm going to
meaning
of
the
supplication.
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah1.png)'O
Allh, I seek most definitely that
which is good from You by means
of Your Knowledge' because O
Allh, You know what is good for
me, and I don't know what is
good. The yah of the Qur'an
says, You may like something
initially and it turns out to be bad
for
you.
You
might
dislike
something initially and it turns out

to be something good for you.
Based on that, Allh
is the only
One who knows what is good for

me, so that is why I am saying, O
Allh, I seek that which is good
from You by means of Your
Knowledge.
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah2.png)'And
I seek the ability to do what I have
to do by means of Your Power and
Your Ability.' Meaning: I am weak
and I am incapable, but I seek the
ability to make my decision and to
do what I need to do by means of
Your Ability and Power.
I ask You, to grant me from Your
great, majestic benevolence and
great blessing to bless me.' I ask
You
to
bless
me
from
Your
Blessings and to grant me some

from Your Blessings.
This is personally my favorite part
of the supplication. This states
the mentality behind istikhrah.
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah4.png)'
because most definitely You are
fully capable, and I am completely
incapable.'
You know everything and I don't
know anything.'
O Allh, You are 'Alm. 'Alm is the
exaggerated, hyperbolized noun
which
basically
means
the
Complete Knower of al-ghuyb.

Ghuyb is the plural of the word
ghayb all those things that are
unseen, all those things that are
hidden, all those things that are
unknown. You are the Complete

Knower, inside out, of all those
things that are unseen, unknown,
and hidden.
Now here comes the crux of the
supplication:
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah7.png)
'O Allh, You know that this issue,
decision, matter if this is good
for me in my religious affairs and
my worldly affairs and in the end
of my affairs' What do you think
'the end of my affairs' is referring
to? The khirah. 'If You know, O
Allh, that this decision that I'd
like to make and have been
struggling with is good for me in
my dn and my religion, in my
worldly matters and issues, and if
this is good for me in the khirah
'
Another narration of this same
supplication, the Prophet
said,
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah8.png)'In
my short term and in the long
term'
What do you think short term
refers to? Dunya, this life. 'jilihi,
the long term, makes reference to
khirah, the life of the hereafter.
'O Allh, You know if this is good
for me in the short term and the
long term, dunya and khirah.'
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah9.png)'Make
it possible for me. Make it happen
for me.'
But that's not it. Now we get to
see
the
real
beauty
and
magnificence of the supplication.
'Don't just make it possible and

available to me, make it easy and
facilitate it for me. Make it simple,
easy, and accessible for me.'
Thumma means after the fact.
After what fact?
After I have
achieved it. Put blessing in it for

me.
We are going for the
premium package. I want the

works, all the options. I want it to
be possible for me, O Allh. I
want
it
to
be
easy,
simple,
accessible, and facilitated for me,

O Allh. Then after I have it, I
want barakah and blessing in it, O
Allh.
What
comprehensive
supplication. What a beautifully

comprehensive supplication.
then goes on:
It
'O Allh, You know if this issue,
decision, matter is bad for me in
my dn, in my worldly matters and
in the end of my affairs in the
khirah.
Another narration again says:
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah11.png)'in
my short term and in the long
term' meaning my dunya and my
khirah.
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah12.png)Here
we get to again see the beauty
and eloquence of the supplication,
the prophetic eloquence on full
display. Let me explain the words
to you here. The word ar means
to turn something. There are two
entities here: you and what you
are making istikhrah for.
The
supplication says, If this is bad for

me in my dunya and khirah, then
turn it away from me and turn me
away from it. Do you see the
eloquence in the supplication and
the visual that it provides?
Imagine you and what you are
making istikhrah for.
O Allh, if this is bad for me in my
dunya and my khirah, then I want
nothing to do with it. Don't just
turn it away from me but turn me
away from it. I want nothing to
do with it. I got no business with
it. If there is no khayr, then what
would I want with it? This is what
the supplication teaches us to say.
That doesn't solve the problem.
There is still an issue left. What is
the problem? Whatever it is you
are making istikhrah for your
need,
your
necessity,
your
situation, your decision is still not
complete. You made istikhrah
and realize that this is not good
for you and felt uncomfortable,
hesitant, or apprehensive about
the decision and backed away, but
your need still remains.
The Prophet
hanging.
He
supplication.
doesn't leave us
completes
the
'And then make possible for me
that which is good.'
This
particular situation wasn't good
for me, so I asked Allh, Turn it
away from me and turn me away
from it. I want nothing to do with
it. O Allh, make that which is
good possible for me.
The
problem is I don't know where,
how, when, or anything about it.
Where do I start? aythuka
wherever and however that good
may be. Make that which is good
possible
for
me
whenever,
wherever, and however it may be.
I leave it to you, O Allh. I will still
do my due diligence and stay at
work trying to find the right

option, but O Allh, lead me to
that khayr. I was saved from
sharr, but make something good
for me down the road.
This is consolation at the end of
the supplication. This situation
didn't work out, which is actually
good because it wasn't khayr. You
are asking Allh for khayr, and
Allh will make khayr possible for
you.
The yaqn, the conviction, needs to

be there when you make
supplication. Allh will make that
which is good possible, you just
have to keep sticking to what you
are doing and keep your hopes
high in Allh
'So make that which is good
possible for me wherever and
however it may be. Then make
me pleased and satisfied with it.
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah15.png)In
another narration, the Prophet
says the words, Then make me
satisfied with it.
Make me
content, satisfied, fulfilled with it.
Make me pleased with it.
Again, it sounds like the same
thing.
Even somebody who
doesn't have any background in
formal Arabic studies can hear the
difference. Thumma arini bihi
and thumma raini bihi. Arini
and raini sound a lot alike, but
are they completely the same
word? There is a little bit of a
difference, which is a difference in
verb pattern. The thing about
these verb groups and verb
patterns is that they all have their
own special implication. In the
classical form of the language,

they have their
implications.
own
special
When you have the same root

word coming in two verb patterns,
the subtle difference between the
two is that arini means 'make
something happen all at once.'
Make me all at once completely
satisfied and fulfilled with it.
Raini has the implication for
something
to
happen
continuously, little by little, step by
step.
SubnAllh, the Prophet
said
it with the two different verb
forms, and this shows us not only
the eloquence of the Prophet
but how well he understood
people. There are two types of
people when it comes to making a
decision. Some people might take
their time and do their due
diligence and research and take
time to come to a decision. When
they finally come to a conclusion,
they are done. The decision is
made, and khals they are
confident and going forward now.
Some people are a little different.
They come to a conclusion and
decision and feel good and
everything is ok and they are
going for it.
Then later at
midnight you get a text message
from that friend saying, I'm
freaking out. I don't know what to
do. I'm nervous. You say, Don't
worry about it. It's all ok. It's
midnight, go to sleep. Everything
will be alright insh'Allh. Then
they say, Ok, I'm good. You
wake up to pray alt'l-fajr, and he
calls you. You answer the phone
and he says, Bro, I need to talk to
you right now. I'm not sure about
this. That's ok some people are
like that and need that constant
reassurance.
SubnAllh
look
Messenger of Allh
at
the
and how
well he knows his people and

understands
people.
He
accommodated
both
types
of
people. Thumma arini bihi for

the type of guy who might take his
time to make a decision but once
he makes it, he is done. Thumma
raini bihi for the person who O
Allh don't just make me pleased
with it, but keep me pleased with
it. Constantly reassure me about
my decision, O Allh.
At the end of the supplication in
the narration of Bukhri, the
Prophet
says, And then he
mentions his need. When you go
back
into
the
supplication,
remember the part that I said was
the crux of the supplication?
(http://cdn.muslimmatters.org/wpcontent/uploads/istikharah101.png)O
Allh, You know that this decision,
if this is good for me that is the
moment where the Prophet
says the person should mention
his or her need. The scholars
explain that there are two
options. Somebody could just
simply think of whatever it is that
they are making istikhrah about,
and that would suffice.
If
somebody just visualizes or
conceptualizes or thinks of what
they are making istikhrah about,
that is sufficient. Otherwise, a
person can feel free and should
feel free to go ahead and verbalize
it. They don't need to verbalize it
in Arabic if that is not their
language. They can say it in their
own language.
Allhumma in
kunta ta'lamu anna hatha'l-amra
and then at that time the person
says, Buying this particular car,
purchasing this house, marrying
so-and-so that this is good for
me. Then the supplication goes
on and continues.
Similarly, there is a second
moment when you mention it as
well when you mention the other
part of it. O Allh, you know that
if this decision and issue is bad for
me, then again you can think
about
it,
conceptualize
it,
or
verbalize it. The Prophet

taught us to do that. It becomes
very practical and real. It is a real
experience and you are literally
stating your need, and this is
something the Prophet
us to do.
taught
That concludes the discussion on

the meaning of the supplication of
istikhrah and it gives you an
insight as to why we do istikhrah
and what the purpose is and the
spirit of istikhrah.
One thing I would like to explain
here about the supplication of
istikhrah is that it is the perfect
example of prophetic eloquence
of the Prophet
and how
beautiful the supplications are
that he taught us. There is a lot of
good and khayr in learning the
prophetic supplications, and we
should invest some time and
energy in learning these beautiful
supplications.
Quotes from Scholars
The last little note I wanted to

mention here is a few little basic
quotes from some scholars about
the blessing of istikhrah and why
we do istikhrah.
Ibn Abi Jamra (raimahullh), a
great scholar, said, The wisdom
behind putting the alh before
the istikhrah is the istikhrah
combines both the good of this
world and the next. Just like in
this dunya a person needs to go
the one he needs something from
and win their favor and then put
their need before them, the alh
precedes the supplication is like
knocking at the door of the King
and presenting yourself before
Allh
and making sujd and
humbling yourself and putting
your face on the ground before
Allh and then spreading your
hands and presenting your need
before Allh
. This is the
beauty of the sequence of events.
Ibn Taymiyyah says, He who

seeks guidance from the Creator
and then consults with the
creation (people) and then once
he comes to a decision that he is
confident in and goes forward
with, such a person will never
regret and have no remorse about
the decision that he makes.
Imam Al-Nawawi says, After
performing the istikhrah, when a
person is wholeheartedly inclined
and feels good about a decision,
then the person should say
bismillh and go ahead with the
course of action and the
conclusion and decision.
Istikhrah is like a training in adab
with Allh. O Allh, I will not
make a decision without praying
to You. Even though I'm fully
confident, I will still do istikhrah.
It shows adab with Allh, and part
of the adab with Allh is that when
you do come to a conclusion and
decision and did make istikhrah
and feel confident about your
decision, then you go with it. You
remove doubt at that time and
don't second guess and don't
doubt because that would show
disrespect to Allh and this
practice of istikhrah.
Final Note
The last and final note I want to

mention here is one other
requirement for istikhrah.
I
didn't mention this in the
prerequisites because I was
talking about more in terms of
fiqh. The primary ingredient of
the istikhrah is conviction. Know
who you are praying to. You are
praying to Allh, rabb'l-'alamn.
You are praying to the One who
created each and every single
thing. He watches and controls
every single thing. He sustains
and maintains each and every
single thing. He is capable of
doing whatever He wills.
Have that level of confidence
when you do istikhrah. I am not
just consulting with anyone. I am
talking to Allh, and Allh will help

me in my situation. Allh will give
me clarity of mind, and Allh will
bless me with confidence. When
you do make istikhrah and you
do feel hesitant, remember what
the end of the supplication said.
Don't feel disheartened at that
time because at the end of the
supplication, you do ask Allh for
khayr, and if you have the level of
conviction in Allh, you will have
the conviction that Allh will
provide to you that which is best
for you.
Have that conviction. Have that
level of mn and yaqn in Allh
and His Ability to take care of you
and Allh will insh'Allh take care
of us. As it says in the adth
qudsi, I deal with My slave
according to how he perceives
Me. If he perceives that I can take
care of him, I take care of him.
When he is doubtful, maybe he
won't be taken care of. The onus
is on us. How do we perceive our
relationship with Allh?
May Allh
give us the ability to
practice everything that we said
and heard.
I will end with this one last adth
mentioned in the Musnad of imam
Amed and narrated by Sa'd b.
Abi Waqqs
who said that the
Messenger of Allh
said, From
the blessing of the son of dam is
the ability to seek good from
Allh, doing istikhrah with Allh.
Also from the blessing of the son
of dam is that they are pleased
with whatever Allh has decreed
for them. From the wretchedness
of the children of dam is when
he leaves doing istikhrah with
Allh.
Also
from
the
wretchedness of the human being
is that the human being is
displeased with what Allh has
decreed for him.
May Allh
bless us all to do
istikhrah and to be pleased with

Allh's Decree and decision in our
affairs and issues. Jazkum Allh

khayran. Al-salmu 'alaykum wa
ramatullh.
decisions
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/decisions/)
dua
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/dua/)
guidance
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/guidance/)
Islam
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/islam3/)
Istiharah
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/istiharah/)
Muslim
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/muslim/)
prayer
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/prayer/)
Spirituality
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/spirituality/)
supplication
(http://muslimmatters.org/tag/supplication/)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sh.
AbdulNasir
Jangda
(http://muslimmatters.org/author/abdulnasirjangda/)
Abdul Nasir Jangda is the founder

and director of Qalam Institute.
He was born and raised in the
Dallas area. At the age of 10 he
went to Karachi, Pakistan to
memorize the Quran. He excelled
in
his
memorization
and
committed the entire Quran to
memory in less than 1 year. He
then
returned
home
and
continued his school education.
After graduating from High
School, he went back to Karachi to
study the Alim Course at Jamia
Binoria. He graduated from the
rigorous 7 year program in 2002
at the top of his class and with
numerous Ijaazaat (Licenses) in
various Islamic Sciences. Along
with
the
Alim
Course
he
concurrently completed a B.A. and
M.A. in Arabic from Karachi
University. He also obtained a
Masters in Islamic Studies from
the University of Sindh. He taught
Arabic at the University of Texas at
Arlington from 2005 to 2007. He
has served as an instructor and

curriculum advisor to various
Islamic schools and Islamic
studies programs. He served as
the Imam at the Colleyville Masjid
in the Dallas area for 3 years. He is
a founding member and chairman
of Mansfield Islamic Center. Abdul
Nasir is an instructor with
Bayyinah Institute, where his class
Meaningful Prayer has traveled
internationally. His latest projects
include
Quran
Intensive
(a
summer program focusing on
Arabic grammar and Tafsir), indepth analysis of the Quran,
Khateeb Training, chronicling of
the Prophetic Biography at
www.qalaminstitute.org,
personally
mentoring
teaching his students
Qalam Seminary.
and
and
at
the
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48 RESPONSES
U m m S al am a
J an ua ry
13 ,
20 12
( ht tp: / /m usl i mma tte rs. o rg /2 012 /0 1/ 13 /a bdu lna si r- ja ng da- is ti kha ra h- ho w -to -a nd -
w hy - 2/ #c o mme nt -10 75 79)
Asssalamu alaikum wr wb
What if you have already made
the decision? I have accepted a
marriage proposal but did not
do istikhara and I would not like
to disappoint my family by
refusing the proposal now
certainly would not like to
disappoint my mother and I feel
it is the right decision. Is it
allowed to take istikhara after a
decision has already been
made? Or is it better, at this
point, to have tawwakul in Allah
s. w. t to make the decision you
have made (good or bad) to
become a source of goodness
for you?
JazakaAllah Khayr
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDULNASIR-JANGDA-ISTIKHARAHHOW-TO-AND-WHY-2/?
REPLYTOCOM=107579#RESPOND)
U m m S al am a
J an ua ry
13 ,
20 12
( ht tp: / /m usl i mma tte rs. o rg /2 012 /0 1/ 13 /a bdu lna si r- ja ng da- is ti kha ra h- ho w -to -a nd w hy - 2/ #c o mme nt -10 75 80)
I believe having trust in Allah

s. w. t is the most important
thing but I feel conducting an
istikhara now, after I have
already
taken
this
big
decision
(and
will
be
marrying after a few months
and am preparing for the
marriage) would not be
suitable? Does anyone have
any advice on this? Im not
willing to walk away now (due
to both the families of my
partner and I and because I
have given my word and so
has my partner) so Im
putting 100% of my trust into
Allah s. w. t that the marriage
works out inshaAllah
Perhaps
advise?
someone
could
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
NASIR-JANGDA-ISTIKHARAHHOW-TO-AND-WHY-2/?
R. A.
(h tt p:/ /sa lam cou nselin g.b logsp ot. com )
J an ua ry
13 ,
20 12
( ht tp: / /m usl i mma tte rs. o rg /2 012 /0 1/ 13 /a bdu lna si r- ja ng da- is ti kha ra h- ho w -to an d- w hy -2 /# c o mmen t- 107 58 4)
Salam Alaikum,
In this case, it is never
wrong to make istikhara.
You can still make it and I
suggest you do. It can be
made for the smallest
things, and I do suggest
you
make
istikhara
actually. There is no limit
on the number of times
you can make it and
usually
one
should
continue to do so for 7
days. The best time to do it
is at night when there is
usually silence and peace,
and no one to disturb you.
The answer can be
demonstrated
in
life
changing
circumstances,
and feelings in the heart.
InshaAllah may Allah (swt)
give you what is best for
you. Ameen ya rabbil
alameen.
U m m S al am a
J an ua ry
15 ,
20 12
The man in question is a

relative not a first cousin,
but relative nonetheless
and I love my parents very
much. I know their hearts
would
break
if
this
marriage were not to
occur. I also like him but
regardless, I mainly dont
want my parents to be
disappointed in a sense
that communities talk etc
etc and because we are
relatives
disrupt
and it
some
would
major
relations
between
my
relatives which I really
dont want. So Im just
going on trust really. I
guess Im trusting Allah s.
w. t that
blessings
He will put
into
our
marriage. I normally just

make dua that He does
whatever is best for both
my relative/future partner,
and I.
To be truthful, doing an
istikhara even scares me
somewhat. I know it
shouldnt, but the idea of
this thing breaking up now
scares me because of
familial relationships also
breaking, people talking
etc. Im not sure I could
bear it. So Im in a difficult
position. Im just not sure
what to do. What do you
think? I know you think
istikhara is a good idea, I
did too, but I already said
yes to the proposal a few
months ago, marriage
preparations
are
underway. The man I will
inshaAllah be marrying
also seems like a good
man, and many obstacles
could have come in the
way of there even being a
proposal,
which
they
didnt, which indicates that
this is Allahs will. As far as
my partner goes, I really
think hes the right man for
me, hes god fearing etc
U m m S al am a
J an ua ry
15 ,
20 12
I read through the article

againand will be going
ahead with istikhara, the
last paragraph resonated
with me.
R. A.
J an ua ry
15 ,
20 12
Salam
Alaikum
Umm
Salama,
I
understand
and
hear
your concern, and am able

to
comprehend
your
situation. I am actually a
Muslim counselor and I do
happen
to
assist
in
premarital counseling. You
can either visit my website
for information (which can
be found if you click my
initials on this post) or you
can
email
directly:
raheel4151@gmail.com
(mailto:raheel4151@gmail.com)
Free counseling services
limited time.
um m
J an ua ry
17 ,
20 12
you
can
do
salaatul
istikhaara just for blessing

from Allaah SWT and dont
assume it will be in the
negative as an answer,
perhaps it might be in the
positive and the salaatul
istikhaara is a form of
blessing of this proposal
and just duaaa to Allaah
SWT. dont worry, it is just
an ibaadah you will be
doing that will put more
blessing in your proposal if
you have already accepted
it and are content with

it(which what it seems like
from your post).
Ha ssa n
J an ua ry
13 ,
20 12
I am quoting from what I

heard and understood from
Sh Waleed, you can keep
making istikhara, this is dua
as well, and even though if
you have made decision and
accepted proposal, but the
actual marriage has not
occurred. So if it is good for
you, then there would be
barakah in it, and matters
would become easy, and
things would occur in swift
manner, . And if it is not good
for you, due to your dua,
things would occur in a
manner that you would be
kept safe and away from
marriage.
REPLY
Ab du l N a sir J a ngd a |
I sti kha ra h :
How
to
a nd Why ? | Sa dif Ra za
D itt a
(h tt p:/ /blog .sa di f.co. uk/ 2012/01 /a bd ulna sir -ja ng da ist ikh ar ah -h ow- toa nd -wh y/ )
J an ua ry
13 ,
20 12
[]
auto-blogged
MuslimMatters.org []
from
REPLY
Ra m a da n
J an ua ry
13 ,
20 12
jazakallahu khayr
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
F ezz
J an ua ry
13 ,
20 12
mA very comprehensive. May

we all benefit!
REPLY
Ma ry a m
J an ua ry
14 ,
20 12
I made a decision based on the

positive feelings after an
istikhara. As things went along I
figured the chosen path to be
unsuitable and logically a very
very wrong decision. The
istikhara was made with wrong
assumptions in mind.
Is
it
advisable
for
me
to
abandon the path that I chose

using istikhara?
REPLY
a m at ulla h
J an ua ry
14 ,
20 12
( ht tp: / /m usl i mma tte rs. o rg /2 012 /0 1/ 13 /a bdu lna si r- ja ng da- is ti kha ra h- ho w -to -a nd -
w hy - 2/ #c o mme nt -10 75 87)
JazakAllaah Khayr!!! May Allaah

Swt bless and grant jannatul
firdous for Sheikh Abdul Nasir
and his family, sister Sameera
and her family!
JazakAllaah
Khayr
MM
for
posting this!!
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
Ar if
K a bir
(h tt p:/ /ww w.m usli my out hm usin gs.com )
J an ua ry
14 ,
20 12
JazkumAllhu
Khayran
for
sharing and transcribing this

beneficial lecture.
Do we know from the Prophet
(salAllhu alayhi wa sallam)s
Sunnah how regularly he used
to pray Salt Al-Istikhr? Do we
have to pray it for every single
decision, or are there criteria in
this regard?
Also, can the intention of Salt
Al-Istikhr be combined with
the Sunnah of a Fard Salh?
REPLY
K ha n
J an ua ry
18 ,
20 12
Regarding your 2nd question,

the lecture explains it fully if
you watch the whole lecture.
jzakAllaahu khairan
REPLY
m s conf used
J an ua ry
15 ,
20 12
assalam alekum. i have a

question in my mind for so
long. there is a guy who likes
me and wants to marry me. he
is my first cousin. i havent told
my parents yet. because i am
not sure about him. so is it
possible to make istikharah for
it. i mean i want to be sure if he
is right for me. only then i can
step forward.
REPLY
Ay esha A
J an ua ry
15 ,
20 12
love the way you explained and

illustrated the true picture of
istikhara through aa different
perspective.May Allah bless you
for your efforts and bless
barakah in your time .
REPLY
R. A.
J an ua ry
15 ,
20 12
Salam
Alaikum
Sister
ms
confused
I suggest that you do make
istakhara but also keep in mind
just because he likes you, that
should not limit yourself to only
want to marry those men who

are interested in you. You need
to be able to respect your own
feelings also and keep your
options open. It is a very
cultural thing to do something
like this, to marry a first cousin.
However it is your own
preference, but I want to put
emphasis on the point that you
should keep your options open
and not only limit yourself to
men who are interested in you,
and that you should be able to
have an interest in a someone
who you find interesting
yourself first.
Hope this helps.
REPLY
R. A.
J an ua ry
15 ,
20 12
@ Umm Salama
I understand your concern of
breaking family hearts and their
relations. This is a very natural
thing to feel you have a very
difficult decision to make.
Isthakara can only give what
Allah (swt) believes is best for
you. So if Allah (swt) guides you
to what is best for you, leave
the rest to Him and He will take
care of everything.
Umm Salama:
I actually am able to give you
more information, you can
check out my counseling
services if you click on my
initials on this post, where it will
lead you to my website and you
can find an email address there
for further assistance. I am a
Muslim counselor and I assist in
per-Martial counseling. You can

also
email
me
directly:
and I provide free services.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
F ezz
J an ua ry
15 ,
20 12
Actually what if a decision has

to be made between multiple
options which must be selected
at the same point and the
individual does not have a
particular leaning towards any
of them intially? (Say 1 of 5
choices) . Then would a person
have to made 5 different
istikharas and keep repeating
these? Can any of the scholars
on the team help me with this?
JZK
REPLY
U m mI b ra heem
J an ua ry
16 ,
20 12
Shaikh Abdul Nasir,

Jazakumullah for clarifying this
topic, there are so many
Muslims who are so confused
about istikharah.
Shaikh, I have
questions:
two
further
1. If Im making a decision and I

reach istisharah or even the 1st
stage, and decide a No, should I
still go ahead and do istikharah

(i.e istikharah on not going
forward with X)?
2. How do I do istikharah when I
am menstruating?
Jazakumullah
Shaikh.
REPLY
for
your
time
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
U m m S al am a h
J an ua ry
16 ,
20 12
I prayed istikhara yesterday, at

the moment, I dont feel I have
received any signs, so will
continue with istikhara and
strengthen my convictions that
the decision I take as a result
will be the right one inshaAllah
REPLY
R. A.
J an ua ry
16 ,
20 12
also
prayed
isthakara
recently. If you dont get any

dreams, and no signs right
away, just wait and keep
praying it for at least 7 nights
and you will see some
changes
in
your
life
circumstances, and you will
feel changes in your heart. At
least that is what happened
to me, alhumdulilah. Sorry
for my tone of voice if it
sounds as if I am telling you
what to do, I just feel that if
you continue, InshaAllah,
Allah (swt) will guide you,

mentally if not in a dream
and within your heart.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
U m m S al am a h
J an ua ry
16 ,
20 12
Assalamu Alaikum,
Im going to continue with
salatul
istikhara
inshaAllah,
the
only
problem I see is if the
decision Allah s. w. t, or the
guidance He gives is a no
to the proposal, I wont be
able to do anything about
it :S due to family
pressures etc and because
the marriage is not far
away. Will Allah s. w. t find
a way to remove me from
the situation? I really would
not want to go against the
wishes of Allah s. w. t but
Im afraid I wouldnt be
able to do anything about
it even if I received signs
Thank you for your replies
so far, I appreciate it, Ive
never
prayed
salatul
istikhara before
R. A.
J an ua ry
16 ,
20 12
Wa alaikum issilam Sister

Umm Salama,
If Allah (swt)s response is a
no then He would have
better plans for you. So
worrying
about
family
pressures would no longer

even be in the picture. The
family can be told that you
prayed istakhara and you
can tell them if the
response is no. If they are
persistent and try to make
an issue about it, Allah
(swt) will protect you
because you are doing
what is right. Also, please
keep in mind that you
need to respect your own
feelings, although it is good
that you are respecting the
family wishes as well
But you are ultimately the
one who is getting married,
and their advantage of
your marriage should not
be a priority concern to
you or make you upset. My
own mother had married
within
respecting
her
family choices, and she
was at the end of the day
the one to suffer, along
with her children (which
includes myself). So I am a
very big proponent of
choosing what is right for
your own heart. I dont
want you to suffer, or your
children InshaAllah to
suffer. Allah (swt) has
made our situation better
with
his
SubhanAllah.
grace,
Ab du Ra hm an
J an ua ry
16 ,
20 12
You added to my know

knowledge more important
aspects of salaatal Istikhara.
Especially,
the
comparison
made by the prophet (saaws)
between duaa al Istikhara and
an ayah
from the Quraan,
I use to read it from a piece of

paper, but now it is time I
commit it to memory.
Shaykh Abdul Nasir, JazakaAllah
khair wa baarakaAllah.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
N isa r Ah med
J an ua ry
17 ,
20 12
Assalaamu Alaykum Shaikh

Jazaakallaahu Khairan for the
most
comprehensive
explanation of Istikhaara.. May
Allaah bless you with providing
more such opportunities to
benefit the Ummah. May Allaah
bless all the people associated
with putting this piece together
with the best in this world and
the Hereafter. aameen.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
um m
J an ua ry
17 ,
20 12
jazaa kullaahu khair for the

wonderful article and lecture,
much
needed
community.
REPLY
in
our
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
Ab du lla h
J an ua ry
17 ,
20 12
Jazakumullah for the wonderful

speech Shaykh Nasir and also
to
Sister
Sameera
for
transcribing the lecture.
I think there is a small typo in
the transcription. Shaykh Nasir
said it correctly in the lecture,
but a little tweak is needed in
the
transcription
I
think.Under
the
heading
Decision Making Process: 3
Steps, it is mentioned there the
word ulil-bb. I think that
should be ulil-albaab which
means people of intellect or
brainy people whereas ulilbab means people or men of
the door. : ) The Arabic word
Albaab is the plural of Lubbun
which has various meanings
and some of them are: mind, or
intellect, or understanding.
Once again, Jazakumuallh to
both the lecturer as well as the
transcriber.
REPLY
m s conf used
J an ua ry
17 ,
20 12
sorry but i think i didnt make

my point clear. its not that he
likes me so i am interested in
him. he loves and respects me .
and assured that i should wait
for him till he keeps his
marriage proposal infront of
me. and told me not tell them
anything till he proves himself
best for me to my parents. now
the problem is my parents are
looking a sutor for me. i dont
want to hurt them. so is it best
to make istikhara?
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
R. A.
J an ua ry
17 ,
20 12
Salam
Alaikum
Confused,
Miss
It would be better if this is

not hidden from anyone, only
because of this reason: If he
is saying that he wants to
prove himself to you, and
that you are interested in
him, you need to make sure
that your parents know so
that they dont go looking for
a different suitor for you. I
know he may not be ready
yet, but InshaAllah you both
want this to happen, you can
make isthkara to see if you
SHOULD pursue him. But
also you need to tell your
parents you are interested in
him, because you dont want
anyone else to be proposing
to you at the moment, and it
actually becoming real. That
is the very first thing you
should do, to let your parents
know you are interested in
him because he is ready to
work for you and prove
himself, so it is very potential
that you can be with him.
If you dont let your parents
know, then at the same time
while HE is working so hard
to prove himself, someone
else could still physically
come in the picture and
prevent this. Let your parents
know that there is someone, I
am VERY interested in, and I
want this to work so please I
need some time. I am
actually a counselor so if you
need services of me, or if you
need assistance from a
FEMALE Family Marriage &
Counselor, I can make
arrangements for that also.
You can visit my website or

email me directly so that I
can get you connected to the
right
person:
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
N oor A li
J an ua ry
17 ,
20 12
I know I am suppose to pray the

Istikharah in Arabic, but when I
want to say my two options in
the middle of it, can I switch to
English (because I am a nonArab speaker) and continue
onto the dua in Arabic?
REPLY
K ha n
J an ua ry
18 ,
20 12
Yes, you can mention your

needs in your own language.
If you watch the whole
lecture it tells you everything.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
Ab du lNa sir
J a ngd a
(h tt p:/ /colley vil lem asj id.o rg)

J an ua ry
19 ,
20 12
Salam,
1. I would still recommend

doing Istikharah. The Hadith
emphasizes doing Istikharah
regardless of whether its about
pursuing or declining an
opportunity. It will provide
peace of mind and confidence
inshaAllah.
2. A woman in her menses cant
offer the prayer but should still
read
the
supplication
of
Istikharah and this should
suffice for her inshaAllah.
Allah knows best.
REPLY
U m m S al am a h
J an ua ry
19 ,
20 12
Salam Alaikum Sheikh Would

istikhara be recommended
for someone who has already
accepted a proposal?
I need to know for future
reference
Jazakallah
REPLY
U m mH
J an ua ry
19 ,
20 12
JazakAllahu Khairan Shaikh

for taking the time out to
reply, it is much appreciated.
May Allah increase you in
your knowledge, grant you
abundant blessings and his
mercy, and may He bestow
upon me and my family the

opportunity to learn from
you. Aameen.
REPLY
R. A.
J an ua ry
21 ,
20 12
Oh just a correction, I dont

have the right credentials yet,
but InshaAllah I am working on
it lol .. but I can advise one,
because i have exposure to
situations like yours. Up to you
if you want to ask for my advice.
It is true that when and if
marriage is taking place, not
only are you coming together
with your spouse, but families
are coming together also. But
you need to understand that
making others happy doesnt
necessarily mean that at the
end, it will also be what is best
for you.
REPLY
Co llege20 11
J an ua ry
24 ,
20 12
I was told by Shaikh Zoubir

Bouchiki that we are supposed
to read Surah Kafiroon in the
first rakaa and Surah Ikhlaas in
the 2nd rakaa. What is correct?
Also, he said that we should
read the duaa in sujood as well.
I am a little confused. Please
clarify.
Thanks.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
I sti kha ra h
Sip pi ng
Ch a i
(h tt p:/ /sipp ing cha i.w ord press .com /2012/ 01/27/ ab du lna sir -ja ng da ist ikh ar ah -h ow- toa nd -wh ym uslim m a tte rs-or g/)
J an ua ry
26 ,
20 12
[] be more happier with. A

few days later, the following
article was posted on my
favorite site, Abdul Nasir Jangda
| Istikharah: How to and Why? |
MuslimMatters.org. View from
my
balcony.
Share
this:ShareFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedInDiggLike
this:LikeBe the first []
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
N as hu
F ebr ua ry
15 ,
20 12
Salaamu Alaikum! Jazaakallah

Khair for such a clear and
comprehensive explanation.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
sa m een
J ul y
31 ,
20 12
ASalaam O Alaikum. I loved

your article and clear and
concise information on how to
perform istikhara. Can you
please answer one question for
me: if a boy and girl do istikhara
for marriage.. what do you do if
girls istikhara comes out really
good and the boys istikhara
comes out negative (he sees a
dream of night time (darkness)
).. while girl sees dream of a
green valley and a white lamb,
with a big green grassy
mountain in front of her and
she is walking towards that
mountain.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
I br a r
Oc t obe r
1 1,
2 012
Hi, I had some medical tests

conducted by the hospital and
all of them came out good and
drs suggested me not to worry
about anything and I do not
need any further testing. But in
my heart I had this feeling that
might be these results were
wrong so I was in a dilemma,
sometimes i used to think that
the reports are correct and
sometimes I used to think they
are not. I did istikhara for 7 or 8
times in a row. Was it right at
first to do istikhara for this
matter? second thing is that I
was seeing mixed dreams.
Some times I was preparing for
tahajud and other times I was
preparing for my Fajar prayer.
saw white kurtas twice and saw
one of my friend wearing white
clothes once. I also saw night
times during some dreams and
last night I also saw myself
reciting Surah Ikhlas and I felt
like reciting it in real.

Please advice me on this as I am
still worried.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
NIC
D ec em ber
8,
2 012
what if one side of the family

saw a good dream and the
other side saw a bad dream?
The
girls
side
constantly
performed istikhara and always
saw good dreams and had a
good feeling, what should the
girl and the guy do? should they
still get married?
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
ny c
D ec em ber
19,
201 2
does anybody knows what to

do if u do istikhara up to 6 days
and u dont see anything and
you dont feel anything about
the guy , i mean hes good for
me or not i dont know can u
please let me know what should
i have to do ? should i do more
istikhara until i got disition?
REPLY
Co nfu sed
J ul y
4,
201 3
Not sure if I missed this in the

articlebut what is the rule of
doing istikharah? By this I
meanwhat if I do an
istikharah and find that I am
unable to follow through with
the decision that God made? i.e.
I learn that the man I want to
marry is not the right one and
not the one God wants me to
marry but I still marry him
anyway?
REPLY
Wh at ' s
the
Ma tte r?
At tra ct ed t o t he S am e
Sex
Mu slim Ma tte rs.or g

(h tt p:/ /mu slim m at ter s.org /2014/ 01/09/ wha ts th e-m a tt er-a t tra ct edto -sa m e-sex/)
J an ua ry
9,
201 4
[] be overstated at this point

that istikhrah (Ed. note- for
more information on istikhrah
click here) would be very
important in making such a
major life decision. In the most
confusing and []
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
U m mer
Fa r ooq
(@ fa ro 0485)
F ebr ua ry
4,
201 4
The peace of God and paradise

be for you all from above,
far too many words of the
desert, and I protest that a
person
should
mix
two
languages into one, especially

when we are of a foreign
citizen. If you can write as an
, then do so. Then translate
that entire speech for the
English.
REPLY
(/2012/01/13/ABDUL-
I sla m
P ea rlt rees
(h tt p:/ /ww w.p ea rltr ees.com /a m irm ust ha fa /isl am /id 11598 21
M ay
1 4,
2 014
[] Abdul Nasir Jangda |

Istikharah: How to and Why?
[]
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Istikharah

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ABDUL NASIR JANGDA | ISTIKHARAH:

Lecture by Abdul Nasir Jangda

The word istikhrah comes from

Just like the meaning, the prayer

the purpose of the alh is

good from Allh

unlocks the purpose and the

To begin with the technicalities, I

The first is the

throw out a random question,

Istikhrah is the third of a threestep decision making process.

thinking that Allh

each and every single human

process. That is the first step of

that you are thinking about. Then

You are starting to lean in one

The next thing I would like to

I am going to give you the actual

wu'. You do not require a bath

required for istikhrah.

You don't need to

wake up in the middle of the night

heard, come across, or assumed

facing the qiblah, Allhu akbar

I'm just going to go

ahead and share the majority

prayer is forbidden. Those are

istikhrah? There is a sequence of

supererogatory) prayer. Why am I

and no question here.

explicitly said that

you have to invest two more extra

voluntary and optional. You pray

room for improvement in my

istikhrah like you would pray any

other prayer, which is two rakahs,

language. You read it in Arabic.

overwhelming majority, and again,

a word which makes it very clear

supplication in Arabic. Why am I

Arabic of the supplication. Don't

translation. When we read the

explicitly said, Read it

as I have taught you.

consideration to people who have

Consideration should always be

possible, but until and unless they

practicing their dn to the best of

should be given to those types of

praying two rakahs, completing

Arabic is the supplication and du''

The next issue I would like to

outcome of the istikhrah

istikhrah is the clarity of mind

confident and feel clearer and feel

decision. Then at that point, this

something crazy like that, and

response to your istikhrah to be a

decision. That is the outcome and

The question always comes up:

altogether. Authentic narrations

dreams are something that a

dreams, one of the first things