Al Istikharah – Istakhara Dua
Dua for Istakhara or seeking Allah’s council, is a Sunnah way to seek guidance from Allah SWT. We can do Al Istikharah regarding any matter of life. Istakhara means to seek the supervision of Allah SWT before going for a specific purpose. Most people do Istakhara before getting married, starting a business, joining a job, or making other life decisions.
We can see the importance of performing Istakhara in a Hadith where our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAWW instructed us to do Istakahara. Jabir Ibin e Abdullah Al-Salam (R.A) was a companion of Prophet Muhammad PBUH. He (R.A) narrates,
“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to teach his companions to make istikharah in all things, just as he used to teach them Surahs from the Quran. He said: If any one of you is concerned about a decision he has to make, then let him pray two rakaats of Nafal (non-obligatory prayer) then recite Istakhara Dua”
Being Muslim, we believe that only ALLAH SWT is the owner of the whole power and we are His slaves. Even then Almighty Allah has freed up us to make all the decisions of our lives. No doubt, we have a shallow level of wisdom and decision-making. That is why Istakhara is a way to admit the wisdom and gratitude of ALLAH SWT; we should ask for His kindness and seek guidance from Him in every matter of life through Istikhara.
How to Perform Istakhara
As mentioned in hadith, for Istikhara we have to offer two raka’at additional prayers first. In the first raka’at, after reciting Surah Fatiha we have to recite Surah Ikhlas. The second rat’at will also be offered in the same way. After reciting Surah Fatiha, recite Surah Ikhlas. When we complete the two rak’at, Salah, we should recite this Sunnah Dua for Istakhara.
Istakhara Dua
This istakhara dua is an authentic dua for Istakhara. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAWW used to recite it to decide with the help of Allah SWT after offering two Raka’at Naffil.
“اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمَكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ، وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ- خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي- عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ- فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي- عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ- فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ”
Translation
“O Allah, I seek the counsel of Your Knowledge, and I seek the help of Your Omnipotence, and I pray You for Your Magnificent Grace. Surely, You are Capable, and I am not. You know, and I know not; You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter [then mention the thing to be decided] is good for me in my religion and my life and for my welfare in the life to come, – [or say: in this life and the afterlife] – then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and my life and for my welfare in the life to come, – [or say: in this life and the afterlife] – then distance it from me, and distance me from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and help me to be content with it. Whoever seeks the counsel of the Creator will not regret it, and whoever seeks the advice of the believers will feel confident about his decisions. Allah said in the Qur’an: “And consult them in the affair. Then, when you have decided, put your trust in Allah.”
Al-Bukhari 7:162
In this dua we admit the power and wisdom of Allah SWT. We seek guidance with a Sunnah way of seeking guidance from Almighty Allah. After reciting this dua, one should sleep in a state of wudu (ablution). He should sleep in a position where his face is in the Ka’aba direction.
Istakhara Dream
A true and good dream is very important in Islam. It is the 46th part of the prophecy. After performing Istakhara rituals, whether we should go for the purpose we are planning or not, we get direction in our dreams.
Most people claim that they did not get a clear indication of their dream. In this case, Islamic scholars prescribe that we can do Istakhara seven times unless we get the proper direction.
Even then, if a person is confused about the clear guidance, he should follow his heart. If our heart is satisfied to go for a purpose, we will get success in it, Insha ALLAH. When we perform Istakhara, Allah SWT helps us with that anyway.
About the indication in dreams, there are specific things with their colors that tell us the direction of our way. For example, if we see something white and green e.g. milk, greenery, light, white clothes, grass, green clothes, or something like plants, etc., in our Istakhara dream, then we should go for it without a doubt.
But if a person sees a dream in which red and black colors are prominent, he should avoid it and go for other choices.
We are blessed to be followers of Sunnah and Islam. Allah SWT is so very close to us all the time. And to perform Istakhara is a direct way to seek Allah’s council. May Allah SWT make it easy for us to be successful in every matter of our lives. May He keep us stuck on the right path of Sunnah. Ameen
If you don’t know how to perform Al Istikharah, contact Online Madrasa, Islamic teachers. They will teach you the complete process – How to perform istikharah.