All of us have to make decisions in our daily lives:
Should I take this job? Should I apply to this university? Am I marrying the right person?
The choices can be overwhelming, leading to decision anxiety, burnout, and much more.
Alhamdulillah, Allah has given us clear guidance on how to approach all our big and small decisions in life with the barakah of His divine support, and that is istikhara. Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said:
“The Prophet ﷺ used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara, in all matters, as he taught us the chapters of the Quran.”
[Sahih al Bukhari]
Many people can be confused about the manner in which to perform this act of worship, and many more have misconceptions about how it works. So here is a simple, step-by-step guide to Istikhara, and how to know if it has been answered:
How to perform Istikhara:
The hadith of Jabir (R.A) details exactly how to perform this act of worship:
- Pray 2 units of voluntary prayer (nafl)
This can be part of the night prayer (qiyam al layl) or another occasion, but should not be during the prohibited times of prayer (i.e. during the sunrise, zenith, or sunset).
- After performing these two units of prayer, read the istikhara dua:
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْتَخِيْرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيْمِ ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ . اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هٰذَا الْأَمْرَ (…) خَيْرٌ لِّيْ فِيْ دِيْنِيْ وَمَعَاشِيْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِيْ ، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِيْ وَيَسِّرْهُ لِيْ ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِيْ فِيْهِ ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هٰذَا الْأَمْرَ (…) شَرٌّ لِّيْ فِيْ دِيْنِيْ وَمَعَاشِيْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِيْ ، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّيْ وَاصْرِفْنِيْ عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِيْ بِهِ
O Allah, I ask of You by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek strength by virtue of Your power, and I ask of You from Your benevolence. You have power, and I do not. You know, and I know not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter [specify the matter here] is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, my worldly affairs, and in the hereafter then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter [specify the matter here] is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, my worldly affairs, and in the hereafter, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it.
Misconceptions about Istikhara:
- Istikhara is not about “making” choices…
Many make the mistake of thinking that Istikhara is to help you arrive at a decision, but that is not the case.
Istikhara is not a magic 8-ball that you shake and patiently wait for an answer without action. Istikhara is about seeking Allah’s blessing after you’ve made your decision; it is about the outcome, not the choice.
2. “I didn’t see any dream. Was my istikhara negative?”
There is nothing from the Sunnah which specifically ties the answer to one’s istikhara to dreams.
While we know that good dreams come from Allah, and bad dreams come from Shaytan [hadith in Sahih Bukhari], this does not necessitate that you should delay an action waiting for some kind of sign in your sleep.
So, how do I know my istikhara was answered?
It’s quite simple: If your istikhara is done correctly, your answer is already given. Istikhara is asking Allah, Subhanahu wa ta’ala, for guidance after you’ve made a decision that you believe is correct for you.
Do your due diligence, consult people you trust, weigh the benefits and harms of your decision, and when you are ready to act, seek Allah’s blessing in the matter.
If the outcome you hoped for comes to fruition. You landed that job, married that person, etc., then you know that Allah willed for it to happen.
If you’re diverted, rejected, or delayed by something outside of your control, then you know that it was not meant for you, and you can rest assured that Allah protected you from potential disaster.
Now, it could be that you take that job, but you’re fired six months later, or that you got married, but things didn’t work out, and you divorced down the line. That is still an answer to your istikhara.
Your istikhara was answered by receiving what you hoped for and learning from it. Allah knows that experiencing what you hoped for, even if brief, was better for you than not having chosen at all.
May Allah bless you in every decision!
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