Istikhara prayer is a reflection of a Muslim’s trust in Allah SWT and His wisdom. Every Muslim should learn how to pray Istikhara because, no matter how small the decision is, you can never make it without asking for the guidance of Allah.
Following the path of Prophet Muhammad PBUH and his righteous companions who used to teach them to perform Istikhara prayer for each decision, even the trivial matter of one’s shoelace, you should pray Istikhara before going on with a certain job, a marriage proposal, or purchasing something, etc.
It is crucial to learn the proper way of making this prayer with sincere intention and complete reliance on Allah SWT.
What does Istikhara mean?
The word Istikhara in Arabic is composed of two parts. The first syllable is attached to verbs to add the meaning of ‘asking’ or ‘pursuing’, such as استعانة, which means ‘asking for help’. Added to the second syllable, the word Istikhara means ‘asking for the best’.
Derived from the letter meaning of the word, Istikhara prayer refers to a kind of prayer that Prophet Muhammad PBUH taught his companions for times when they need Allah’s guidance on certain matters.
Why Pray Istikhara?
Making Istikhara prayer represents a cornerstone in the Muslim faith because it reflects the unwavering connection between Allah and His servants as they find their way through life. It is a reminder of the human need to submit to a higher being and to be humble in His presence. It is an expression of vulnerability in the face of different conditions of life without Allah’s infinite wisdom and knowledge. It is through Istikhara that Muslims find refuge from the materialistic world through strengthening their faith in Allah SWT.
When to Perform Istikhara: Before or After Decision?
Unlike the five obligatory prayers, Istikhara prayer does not have to be performed at certain times of the day, but you should try to avoid times when prayer is makrooh, for instance, the time after Fajr until sunrise or the time after Asr prayer until the sun sets. It is possible to perform Istikhara during the time of the night in which duaa’ is most accepted by Allah SWT.
When it comes to the question of when to perform Istikhara, before or after a decision, it is best to perform Istikhara before deciding on matters relating to marriage, choice of profession, financial decisions, or personal matters in general. Together with making Istikhara prayer, you should ask for advice from trustworthy people or experts on the matter you are about to decide on, because in that way, you will have combined Istikhara with Istishara, asking for consultation.
Furthermore, you can perform Istikhara prayer more than once, asking for Allah’s guidance until you feel at peace with the decision you are making.
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How to Pray Istikhara Step by Step for Beginners?
The following is a detailed guide on how to pray Istikhara step by step for beginners:
Step 1: Fulfill Necessary Prerequisites
The same conditions of obligatory and voluntary prayer apply when you perform Istikhara prayer, such as being in a state of physical purity, wearing modest clothing that covers awrah, and facing the direction of the Qibla. Also, make your intention sincere for the sake of Allah to whom your trust and reliance are solely addressed.
Step 2: Perform Two Voluntary rak’ahs
These two voluntary rak’ahs could be part of the daily sunnah, like the one before Fajr or after Isha, or they could be performed only for the sake of Istikhara. Scholars did not specify certain Surahs to be read after Fatiha in each rak’ah while praying Istikhara, so one is free to choose whatever Surah they memorize.
Step 3: Make the Dua’
After finishing the two rak’ahs, raise your hands like you would when you make dua’ and recite the Dua’ of Istikhara and mention the matter you are seeking Allah’s guidance for.
Say the dua’ in Arabic if you can, read the transliteration if you cannot read Arabic, or even say it in your native language if you are not capable.
Istikhara Dua Transliteration and Meaning
Transliteration:
“Allahumma innee astakheeruka bi’ilmik, wa astaqdiruka biqudratik, wa as’aluka min fadlikal-‘adheem. Fa’innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wata’lamu wa la a’laam, wa anta ‘allamul-ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta’lamu anna hadha al-amra (mention your matter) khayrun lee fee deenee wa ma’ashee wa ‘aqibati amree, faqduruhu lee, wayassirhu lee, thumma barik lee fihi. Wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hadha al-amra sharrun lee fee dinee wa ma’ashi wa ‘aqibati amri, fasrifhu ‘annee wasrifni ‘anhu, waqdur li al-khayra haythu kan, thumma ardinee bih.”
Translation
“O Allah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. You know, I know not. You are the Knower of the unseen.
O Allah, if in Your knowledge, this matter (mention your matter) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my life in the Hereafter, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me.
And if in Your knowledge, it is bad for me and my religion, my livelihood, and my life in the Hereafter, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it.”
Wrong Practices Associated with Istikhara Prayer
After clarifying how to pray Istikhara step by step for beginners, it is important to address certain practices that have become widespread in many cultures related to Istikhara Prayer:
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Waiting for Signs/ a Dream
It has become a common practice to interpret certain dreams as representations of the answer to our Istikhara prayer. However, one should remember that not all dreams are from Allah SWT and that some of them are from Shaytan, and some are affected by our own thoughts. For instance, if you are doing Istikhara prayer for marriage decision making, it is possible that you will see the person in your dreams because you are heavily contemplating the matter; it does not mean that you should/should not marry this person.
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Leaning Towards One Decision
Remember that the whole purpose of Istikhara prayer is to trust Allah’s knowledge and wisdom because He knows what is best for you, so it is not advisable to perform Istikhara while deeply wanting one of the two decisions, and you are just looking for a confirmation of your desires. Shed away your whims and pray with sincerity, humility, and complete submission to what Allah has destined for you.
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Paper with Yes/No
It is not at all appropriate to take the matter of Istikhara lightly to the extent of writing a Yes and No on two pieces of paper and randomly choosing one after performing Istikhara. Similar practices turn Istikhara into a game of chance, which is not a proper way of dealing with Allah SWT.
These wrong practices do not align with the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah.
Remember that the answer to your Istikhara is not connected to seeing signs that tell you what to do; it is not a crystal ball through which you will foresee the future.
It is rather a ritual that confirms your vulnerability, humility, and lack of sufficient knowledge to make decisions on your own without asking Allah for guidance.
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Pay Someone to Do it for You
Some people pay others whom they think are more righteous to make Istikhara prayer on their behalf. Nonetheless, it is entirely a personal ritual that is done in seeking Allah’s guidance on important life decisions. It is okay to ask others to make Dua’ for you, but asking them to pray Istikhara for you does not align with the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH. This is a chance for you to strengthen your faith in Allah’s infinite wisdom.
What Happens after Making Istikhara Prayer?
Let’s say you are making Istikhara prayer for marriage decision making, how would you know if this person is good for you in your Dunya and Deen?
In the Dua’ of Istikhara that you made, you asked Allah to either make marrying this person easy and blessed for you or to remove it from your way if it is not. Thus, do your best to know more about the person and ask about them to assess your compatibility and go on with the next steps, and see if they feel right and easy.
Sometimes, the answer to your Istikhara will take a longer time to appear; however, what Allah has destined for you is far greater than anything you could have wished for yourself. Remember Allah said in the Quran: “If Allah were to hasten evil for people as they wish to hasten good, they would have certainly been doomed. But We leave those who do not expect to meet Us to wander blindly in their defiance.” [Surah Yunus 10:11]