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الادب المفرد
Adab al-Mufrad
كتابBook of Morning Supplications
بَابُ الدُّعَاءِ عِنْدَ الاسْتِخَارَةِChapter: Supplication in Istikhara
Hadith 703
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا مُطَرِّفُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَبُو الْمُصْعَبِ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الْمَوَالِ ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ، قَالَ : كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعَلِّمُنَا الاسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الأُمُورِ كَالسُّورَةِ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ : ”إِذَا هَمَّ بِالأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ : ”اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلا أَقْدِرُ ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلا أَعْلَمُ ، وَأَنْتَ عَلامُ الْغُيُوبِ ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي ، وَمَعَاشِي ، وَعَاقِبَةِ ، أَوْ قَالَ : فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي ، وَمَعَاشِي ، وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي ، أَوْ قَالَ : عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ ، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي“، وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَهُ .“
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to teach us Istikhara (seeking guidance from Allah) in all important matters just as he would teach us a surah from the Qur'an. (He, peace be upon him, would say:) "When any one of you intends to undertake an important task, he should perform two rak'ahs (units) of voluntary prayer, then say: 'O Allah! I seek goodness from You by Your knowledge, and I seek power from You by Your power, and I ask You from Your great bounty. Surely, You have power and I have none, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If, in Your knowledge, this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs—immediate or later—then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if, in Your knowledge, this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs—immediate or later—then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me pleased with it.'" And he should mention his need and the name of the task."
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues:
➊ Istikhara is to be performed in permissible and lawful matters. It is not for forbidden and unlawful matters; rather, it is necessary to avoid such matters in every situation.
➋ Istikhara is to be performed in important matters. It is not to be performed for everyday tasks, such as eating, drinking, etc. Similarly, there is no need for istikhara for the fulfillment of obligatory acts (fara’id), nor can these be abandoned on the basis of istikhara.
➌ Istikhara is to be performed for choosing between two permissible or recommended (mustahabb) matters. For example: if a person wishes to get married and has two or four proposals before him, and all appear good, then he may perform istikhara. Whichever one he feels inclined towards, he may proceed with that proposal. Istikhara can also be performed for a single lawful matter, for example, if one wishes to enter into a partnership with someone or start a business, then istikhara is recommended (mustahabb) in such cases as well.
➍ It is not necessary to see something in a dream after performing istikhara. If the matter is good, one will naturally feel inclined towards it. A person should make a decision after considering the apparent circumstances.
➎ The person concerned should perform istikhara himself, for example, if it is a matter of marriage for a boy or girl, then their parents or guardians and the individual themselves should perform istikhara. There is no authentic evidence for having someone else perform istikhara on one’s behalf. Similarly, there is no validity to online istikhara.
➏ The supplication (du‘a) of istikhara can be made during the tashahhud of prayer or after completing the prayer. The original method is to perform two units (rak‘at) of prayer and then make the supplication, because the hadith states: “Then let him pray two rak‘at, then let him say,” meaning he should perform two rak‘at and then say the supplication.
➊ Istikhara is to be performed in permissible and lawful matters. It is not for forbidden and unlawful matters; rather, it is necessary to avoid such matters in every situation.
➋ Istikhara is to be performed in important matters. It is not to be performed for everyday tasks, such as eating, drinking, etc. Similarly, there is no need for istikhara for the fulfillment of obligatory acts (fara’id), nor can these be abandoned on the basis of istikhara.
➌ Istikhara is to be performed for choosing between two permissible or recommended (mustahabb) matters. For example: if a person wishes to get married and has two or four proposals before him, and all appear good, then he may perform istikhara. Whichever one he feels inclined towards, he may proceed with that proposal. Istikhara can also be performed for a single lawful matter, for example, if one wishes to enter into a partnership with someone or start a business, then istikhara is recommended (mustahabb) in such cases as well.
➍ It is not necessary to see something in a dream after performing istikhara. If the matter is good, one will naturally feel inclined towards it. A person should make a decision after considering the apparent circumstances.
➎ The person concerned should perform istikhara himself, for example, if it is a matter of marriage for a boy or girl, then their parents or guardians and the individual themselves should perform istikhara. There is no authentic evidence for having someone else perform istikhara on one’s behalf. Similarly, there is no validity to online istikhara.
➏ The supplication (du‘a) of istikhara can be made during the tashahhud of prayer or after completing the prayer. The original method is to perform two units (rak‘at) of prayer and then make the supplication, because the hadith states: “Then let him pray two rak‘at, then let him say,” meaning he should perform two rak‘at and then say the supplication.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 703
