Istikharah before travel
Before embarking upon a journey it is preferable to do Istikharah (which literally means to seek goodness). Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) has mentioned with regards to Istikharah,
Transaltion: O Allah!! Behold I ask You the good through Your Knowledge, and ability through Your Power, and beg (Your favour) out of Your infinite Bounty. For surely You have Power; I have none. You know all; I know not. You are the Great Knower of all things.
O Allah! If in Your Knowledge this matter be good for my faith (Deen), for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs, then ordain it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless me therein. But if in Your Knowledge, this matter be bad for my faith (Deen), for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs, then turn it away from me, and turn me away therefrom, and ordain for me the good wherever it be, and cause me to be pleased therewith.
While reciting this Du'aa when one reaches HAADHAL AMR (THIS MATTER) at both places one should ponder over the matter that one requires guidance on.
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 Istikhaarah and by doing so there will always be good in the decision that he makes Inshallah. If one is still uncertain, one should repeat the Istikhara and also consult and pious, Allah fearing person and seek his guidance as well.
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 following dua in abundance, 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."
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.
Source: Darul Ihsaan
ما خاب من استخار
The person who does Istikharah will never suffer loss
The method of 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 dua. The dua of Istikharah is as follows:The person who does Istikharah will never suffer loss
اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك وأستقدرك بقدرتك وأسألك من فضلك العظيم فإنك تقدر ولا أقدر وتعلم ولا أعلم وأنت علام الغيوب . اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر خير لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري فاقدره لي ويسره لي ثم بارك لي فيه وإن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر شر لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري فاصرفه عني واصرفني عنه واقدر لي الخير حيث كان ثم أرضني به .
قال ويسمي حاجته
Allaahumma innee astakheeruka bi ilmika wa-astaqdiruka biqudratika wa-as'aluka min fadhlika al-adheem. Fa innaka taqdiru walaa aqdiru. Wa ta'lamu walaa a'alamu wa anta allaamul ghuyoob. Allaahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna haadhal-amr khayrun liy fiy deeniy wa-ma'aashiy wa-aaqibat amriy, fa'qdruhliy wa-yassirh liy thumma baarik liy feehi. Wa in-kunta ta'lamu anna haadhal amr sharrun liy fiy deeniy wa-ma'aashiy was-'aaqibat amriy. Fa asrifh annee wa-srif 'anhu. Wa aqdurh liyal khayr hayth kaana thumma a-rdhiniy biheeTransaltion: O Allah!! Behold I ask You the good through Your Knowledge, and ability through Your Power, and beg (Your favour) out of Your infinite Bounty. For surely You have Power; I have none. You know all; I know not. You are the Great Knower of all things.
O Allah! If in Your Knowledge this matter be good for my faith (Deen), for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs, then ordain it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless me therein. But if in Your Knowledge, this matter be bad for my faith (Deen), for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs, then turn it away from me, and turn me away therefrom, and ordain for me the good wherever it be, and cause me to be pleased therewith.
While reciting this Du'aa when one reaches HAADHAL AMR (THIS MATTER) at both places one should ponder over the matter that one requires guidance on.
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 Istikhaarah and by doing so there will always be good in the decision that he makes Inshallah. If one is still uncertain, one should repeat the Istikhara and also consult and pious, Allah fearing person and seek his guidance as well.
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 following dua in abundance, 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."
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.
Source: Darul Ihsaan
