Istikhaarah prayer Istikhaarah prayer is a Sunnah which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prescribed for anyone who wants to do an action but is hesitant about it. Discussion of Istikhaarah prayer covers eight points: 1- Definition 2- Ruling 3- The wisdom behind prescribing it 4- Reasons for it 5- When Istikhaarah should be started 6- Consulting people before praying istikhaarah 7- What should be recited in istikhaarah 8- When should the du’aa’ be recited? 1 – Definition Istikhaarah in Arabic means seeking guidance to make a decision concerning something. In sharee’ah terminology, Istikhaarah means seeking guidance (to the right decision), i.e., seeking guidance as to what Allaah knows is the best and most appropriate choice, by means of prayer or the du’aa’ narrated concerning Istikhaarah. 2 – Ruling The scholars are unanimously agreed that Istikhaarah is Sunnah. The evidence that it is prescribed is the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari in several places in his Saheeh (1166). 3 – The wisdom behind prescribing it: The reason why Istikhaarah is prescribed is that it is submission to the command of Allaah and a practical demonstration that one has no power and no strength of one’s own. 4 – Reasons for it: In what circumstances should one pray istikhaarah? The four madhhabs are agreed that istikhaarah is prescribed in cases where a person does not know the right decision to make. But there is no room for Istikhaarah when it comes to things that are obligatory, haraam or makrooh. Rather Istikhaarah has to do with things that are recommended or permissible. Istikhaarah is not ordinarily required with regard to things that are recommended, rather it should be done in cases where there is a conflic 5 – When should he start praying Istikhaarah? The person who wants to pray Istikhaarah should have an open mind, and not have decided on a specific course of action. And a person should not pray istikhaarah except when he has decided to do something but does not have a strong inclination towards it. Otherwise, if a person were to pray Istikhaarah for every thought that crosses his mind, he would never stop and he would waste all his time doing that. 6 – Consulting others before praying istikhaarah Al-Nawawi said: It is mustahabb, before praying istikhaarah, to consult someone whom you knows is sincere, caring and has experience, and who is trustworthy with regard to his religious commitment and knowledge. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “and consult them in the affairs” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:159] 7 – What is to be recited in Salaat al-Istikhaarah There are three opinions as to what should be recited in Salaat al-Istikhaarah: (a) The Hanafis, Maalikis and Shaafa’is said that it is mustahabb, after reciting al-Faatihah, to recite Qul yaa ayyuha’l-kaafiroon in the first rak’ah and Qul huwa Allaahu ahad in the second. (b) Some of the Salaf said that in praying istikhaarah it is good to add, after reciting al-Faatihah, the following verses in the first rak’ah: [al-Qasas 28:68] And the following verse in the second rak’ah: [al-Ahzaab 33:36] (c) The Hanbalis and some of the fuqaha’ did not say that any particular verses are to be recited when praying Istikhaarah. 8 – When one should pray Istikhaarah The Hanafis, Maalikis, Shaafa’is and Hanbalis stated that the du’aa’ should be recited immediately after the prayer. This is in accordance with what was stated in the hadeeth narrated from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). See al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, part 3, p. 241. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fataawa al-Kubra: Part 2, p. 265 Question concerning Du’aa’ al-Istikhaarah: should this du’aa’ be recited during salaah (prayer) or after saying the salaam? The answer is that it is permissible to recite the du’aa’ of istikhaarah before or after the salaam, whether you are praying salaat al-istikhaarah or another prayer. Reciting du’aa’ before the salaam is preferable, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite a lot of du’aa’ before the salaam, and the worshipper before saying the salaam still in a state of prayer, so it is better to recite the du’aa’ then. And Allaah knows best
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 08:40:00 +0000
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