Bismillah-hir-rahman-nir-raheem
Before embarking upon a journey, marriage, job or any other major decision it is preferable to do Istikharah (which literally means to seek goodness). Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has mentioned with regards to Istikharah,
ما خاب من استخار
The person who does Istikharah will never suffer loss
It is advised to perform Isthikara when making major decisions such as embarking on a travel, deciding on marriage, deciding on a job, etc.
In the Sahih of Al-Bukhari, Jabir Ibn Abdullah (RA) relates the Prophet (SAW) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara , in all matters as he taught us the Suras of the Qur'an. He said, "If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two rak`at prayer other than the compulsory ones and say:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
The Prophet (SAW) added that then the person should name (mention) his need.
While reciting this Dua when one reaches HAADHAL AMR (THIS MATTER) at both places one should ponder over the matter that one requires guidance on.
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa as'alaka min fadlika Al-`azim Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta'lamu Wala a'lamu, Wa anta 'allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta'lam anna hadha-lamra Khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri (or 'ajili `Amri wa'ajilihi) Faqdirhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri (or fi'ajili `Amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al-khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi.
O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this job is good for my religion and my subsistence and in my Hereafter--(or said: If it is better for my present and later needs)--Then You ordain it for me and make it easy for me to get, And then bless me in it, and if You know that this job is harmful to me In my religion and subsistence and in the Hereafter--(or said: If it is worse for my present and later needs)--Then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, And make me satisfied with it)
The method of performing Istikharah, is that if it is not a time of the day when Salaah is prohibited or disliked, one should perform two Rakaats of Nafl Salaah and thereafter seek guidance and goodness from Allah (SWT) in the form of the dua.
It is not always that one will see a dream guiding him towards what he should or should not do. In many cases, a person just feels inclined towards a certain decision. Whatever the case might be, after doing istikhara one should act upon what one is more inclined towards after the Istikhara and by doing so there will always be good in the decision that he/she makes Inshallah.
However, if one does not have the opportunity to do istikhara in the above-mentioned manner, or one requires to make a quick decision regarding a certain matter, then one should recite the dua, اللهم خر لي واختر لي , (Allaahumma khir li wakh tar li), meaning, "O Allah, Choose the correct thing for me and you make the decision for me."
The hadith is recorded in Jami` at-Tirmidhi as reported by Abu Bakr (RA) that whenever the Prophet (SAW) wanted to do a matter, he would say: “O Allah, make it good for me and choose for me. (Allāhumma khir lī wakhtar lī)”
(according to scholars this hadith has a week isnad)
It is permissible for one to ask someone else to do Istikhara for oneself. However, one should also do Istikhara oneself. Any decision made after Istikhara will Inshallah be beneficial.
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اے اللہ ! میں آپ کے علم کا واسطہ دے کر آپ سے خیرطلب کرتا ہوں۔
اور آپ کی قدرت کا واسطہ دے کر میں اچھائ پر قدرت کا سوال کرتا ہوں۔
اور میں آپ کے عظیم فضل کا آپ سے طلب گار ہوں۔
بے شک آپ قدرت رکھتے ہیں۔
اور میں قدرت نہیں رکھتا۔
اور آپ جانتے ہیں اور میں نہیں جانتا۔
اور آپ غیب کو بے پناہ جاننے والے ہیں۔
اے اللہ اگر آپ جانتے ہیں
کہ بے شک یہ معاملہ میرے لیۓ میرے دین کے حق میں بہتر ہے
اور میرے معاش کے حق میں
اور میرے انجام کار کے حق میں
تو اس کو میرا مقدر فرما اور اسے میرے لیۓ آسان بنا
پھر میرے لۓ اس میں برکت عطا فرما
اور اگر آپ جانتے ہیں
کہ بے شک یہ معاملہ میرے لیۓ میرے دین کے حق میں برا ہے
اور میرے معاش کے حق میں
اور میرے انجام کار کے حق میں
تو اس کو مجھ سے اور مجھے اس سے پھیر دیجۓ
اور میرے لیۓ خیر مقدر فرما دیجۓ جہاں بھی ہو پھر مجھے اس پر راضی فر ما دیجۓ۔
