The world is becoming a dangerous place to live in than it used to be. Prayer will keep you safe and guide you through perilous times. All of us face troubles throughout our lifetime, and many do not have the strength to go through it.
Allah is there for us at every trial and tribulation, and if we devoutly pray and offer supplication to Allah, we will receive help, protection, and answer to every question we will have. Learning how to perform Istikhara will help us greatly in our lives. In our life, we have to face many painful situations and make several difficult decisions.
These are the times when we should seek guidance and advice from Allah. Salat-Al-Istikhara which, when translated as the Prayer of Seeking Counsel, is a prayer for those who need guidance when it comes to making a difficult decision that will affect their life in the future.
In the Arabic language, the prayer is also known as salaah and is practiced in the form of prayers, which consist of two units or raka’ah, which is then followed by the Salat-Al-Istikhara, which is the supplication.
How To Perform Istikhara Step By Step?
Istikhara is given to us to help us in times of need, but in order for you to get results, you must know how to perform Istikhara. Like any other prayer in the Holy Quran, one must learn, understand, and follow the steps on how to perform Istikhara.
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Istikhara is not a prayer where one begs or pleads but pray to find an answer to their problem by reflecting within oneself and try to get guidance from those you find knowledgeable or wise and then following through with the decision.
The following are the steps you should follow on how to perform Istikhara in the right way.
The first step of how to perform Istikhara is to perform a thorough cleansing known as Wudu or ablution.
You should center your thoughts and cleanse every single part of your body in order. First, you must rinse the lower forearms, face, hands, mouth, and nose thrice. Then you must wash your head and ears once and end the ablution by rinsing the feet thrice, starting from the right feet.
After the ablution, point your index finger of the right hand and recite a prayer of witness.
“Ash-hadu al laa ilaaha illALLAHu wahdahuu laa shariikalahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhuu wa rasuuluh.”
Before beginning the Istikhara, one must find a spot with no distractions and prepare it for prayer. You should place a mat to ensure cleanliness and also confirm that you and your mat is facing the Qibla or the Mecca.
Begin performing your prayers by centering your intentions in your mind and bring your hands to your ears while uttering the words Allah Akbar.
Then as the opening prayer, recite the Isteftah Dua.
“Subhana Kal-lah hum-ma wabi hamdika wata-baara kasmuka wata’ala jad-duka wala ilaha ghyruk.”
Then you must recite the Ta’awwuz once.
“A’udhu bil-lahi minash Shayta-nir-rajeem”
To end the opening prayer, recite Tasmania. It is necessary that you recite the Tasmiah before reading any chapter of the Quran or perform any Surah.
“Bismillah hir-Rahma nir-Raheem”
Before reciting the Salat-al-Istikhara, you must recite two Rakat, the first being the Surah Fatiha.
After completing the Surah Fatiha continue the prayer cycle with Surah al-Kafirun.
Then you must repeat the Surah Fatiha once again and recite the Surah al-Ikhlas.
After completing the two Rakat, we can move on to the Istikhara supplication.
You can perform Istikhara as many times as you wish and keep in mind your intention of the prayer, and if you feel you have been given the answer, then you can stop. Otherwise, you can continue prating for 7 days during every prayer and wait for an answer.
Istikhara Benefits
In all of our lives, there will come a situation which we can’t take care of by our self and need help and guidance. If we know how to perform Istikhara, then we can pray to Allah as he knows the future and what is right and wrong; he will show us the right path. If you don’t know how to perform Istikhara, then you must learn it so that you may make the right decisions in life.
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There are many Istikhara Benefits, and the following are some of the main benefits of knowing how to perform Istikhara.
In our times of trials, no matter what, it may be one can be certain as a Muslim that Allah knows everything. It is best to have Allah’s guidance and supervision in every decision we make in our life as it is not limited.
Only Allah knows the future, and therefore only Allah can guide us through the right path.
As we are human, we are prone to making bad choices; however, Allah knows our weakness and sometimes takes away the things we love because Allah knows what is Good and Bad for us. If you know how to perform Istikhara and follow the steps, you will receive guidance from Allah.
Sometimes we are certain of a decision; then, we have to perform the Istikhara so that Allah might see if it’s the right choice and help us avoid making a mistake.
Finally, one can always be sure of being on the right path if you know how to perform Istikhara.
How To Pray Istikhara For Marriage
One must know how to perform Istikhara, as it is necessary to ask for guidance from Allah for all things in life. Marriage is a very important thing in a person’s life, and when choosing a spouse or time or age to marry, one will have many doubts and worries, and it’s natural. Marriage is a choice for the future and should be made under Allah’s counsel as a Muslim; therefore, it’s essential that you know how to pray Istikhara for marriage.
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Learning how to perform Istikhara is something a Muslim must do in order to make important decisions in his/her life, like marriage.
One must understand how to perform Istikhara. It is completely appropriate whenever you are in a situation to make a non-obligatory decision.
It is considered best to recite exactly two Rakat before asking for guidance from Allah. One should include Istikhara into one’s morning prayer, which is the Salat al-Fajr or after the Salat al-Lail. Salat Al-Lail is an optional late-night prayer. It is not given a necessary number of rak’ah, but if you wish to perform it, then it must only be after the obligatory night prayer or Isha.
Even when you are reciting the Salat-al-Istikhara, it is good to seek advice and guidance from those you consider to be wise and knowledgeable. You should not think that all your answers will just appear to you in dreams or visions. You must think hard and seek help from Allah and your parents when it comes to marriage as it is a decision.
Just knowing how to perform Istikhara is not enough; one must learn to ask help from the people one trusts, like parents and those who have guided you before to the right path.
Istikhara Prayer Rules
When learning how to perform Istikhara, you must also understand the Istikhara prayer rules that you must follow for the success of your prayer.
When performing the Istikhara, you must have the right mindset. You should know how to perform Istikhara with good intentions.
You should pray with sincerity as in that your mind, heart, and soul should be sincere to the cause that you are asking guidance for your troubles. If you receive an answer, be sincere about it and follow the guidance even if it’s not one that you like as that is the true way of how to perform Istikhara.
You should offer the prayer without any pleading or begging but must lead it with firm conviction.
You mustn’t be impatient to receive an answer from Allah as Allah doesn’t follow a timetable, and the answer will come in its time. You should not be desperate and expect the answer to be like miracles or dreams but wait for subtle signs or feelings to show you the way.
