“Istikhara” is like asking for Allah’s help before doing something important. It’s like checking in with Him before making a big decision to seek goodness and guidance. Praying Istikhara with Dua for marriage is a general practice among Muslims that scholars highly suggest.
Istikhara is one of the commonly known Sunnahs of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The words of the Istikhara dua are so lovely that simply reciting them brings peace to a person’s heart.
Getting married is a crucial decision in life, and people hesitate to make any wrong choices because it’s a matter of their entire lives. That’s why most people tend to perform Istikhara Salat for marriage.
Here is a step-by-step guide to praying Istikahra Salaah:
Step 1: Make Niyat for Istikhara
After performing ablution (wazoo), make the intention for the Istikhara prayer.
There is no specific rawayah regarding reciting the niyat words loudly in sunnah.
Hence, silently make the intention in your heart for the guidance of Allah in any matter, and begin the prayer.
Step 2: Perform Istikhara Salaah
Now offer a nafli prayer consisting of 2 rakats. This is supported by numerous hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
For instance, in a hadith, the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said:
“If you’re thinking about doing something, just pray a two-rak prayer (other than your regular prayers) and say the Istikhara dua.” (Source: Bukhari)
Step 3: Read Dua e Istikhara
After completing the Istikhara prayer’s nafal, send Durood o Salam to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and recite the Istikhara Dua in the odd numbers (1, 3, 5, and 7) that are provided below.
Istikhara Dua in Arabic
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 ـ أَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ ـ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي ـ أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ o
Istikhara Dua Translation in Urdu
اے اللہ! بے شک میں تجھ سے تیرے علم کے ساتھ بھلائی طلب کرتا ہوں اور تجھ سے تیری قدرت کے ساتھ طاقت طلب کرتا ہوں اور میں تجھ سے تیرے فضل عظیم کا سوال کرتا ہوں کیونکہ تو قدرت رکھتا ہے اور میں قدرت نہیں رکھتا ، تو جانتا ہے اور میں نہہیں جانتا اور تو غیبوں کو خوب جانتا ہے۔
اے اللہ اگر تو جانتا ہے کہ بے شک یہ کا م (اس کام کا نام لے) میرے لئے میرے دین ، میرے معاش اور میرے انجا م کار کے لحاظ سے بہتر ہے تو اس کا میرے حق میں فیصلہ کر دے اور اسے میرے لئے آسان کر دے ، پھر میرے لئے اس میں برکت ڈال دے اور اگر تو جانتا ہے کہ بے شک یہ کام (اس کام کا نام لے) میرے لئے میرے دین، میرے معاش اور میرے انجام کارکے لحاظ سے برا ہے تو اسے مجھ سے دور کر دے اور مجھے اس سے دور کر دے اور میرے لئے بھلائی کا فیصلہ کر دے جہاں بھی وہ ہو ، پھر مجھے اس پر راضی کر دے ۔
Istikhara Dua Translation in English
O Allah, with Your knowledge, I seek the good; with Your power, I seek ability and Your mighty favour for certainly You have the power that I don’t have; You know and I do not know, and You know the unseen. O Allah, in Your knowledge, if this work is good for me in this Duniya and the Akhirah (hereafter), then let it be for me; grant me blessings in it; and if it is bad for me, then keep it far away from me and grant me any destiny that will make me happy.
When you come to the section of the prayer where it states “أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ,” mention the specific matter you seek guidance on (such as whether you are reciting Istikhara Dua for marriage, business, etc.). Additionally, maintain your intention and focus on your goal while reciting the Istikhara prayer.
Step 4: Sleep After Istikhara Prayer (Optional)
Sleeping after performing Istikhara is not required. but it’s better not to talk to anyone and rest instead. This way, you can stay focused on your prayer and might receive guidance in your dreams. However, there aren’t clear rules about this in the Hadith.
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Author:
Kashmine Shamraiz
FAQ’s
What’s the ideal time to perform the Istikhara prayer?
You can do Istikhara prayer any time you like, except during times when it’s better to avoid it:
Between dawn and sunrise. (Fajar and Magrib Time)
Just before noon, when the Zuhr prayer starts,
After the afternoon prayer,
However, many scholars suggest doing the Istikhara prayer after the evening prayer or before you go to bed at night.
How many days should you perform and read Istikhara Dua for marriage?
Scholars suggest doing Istikhara every day for at least seven days. You’ll follow the same steps each time: make your intention, perform the prayer, and recite the Istikhara dua in odd numbers.
Is it advisable to utilize online Istikhara services?
Nowadays, there are lots of online services offering Istikhara for free or for a fee. But remember, it’s the Sunnah to pray Istikhara yourself.
It’s a simple process that any Muslim can do. Why rely on someone else when you care about your matter the most? No one else can understand it like you do.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us to do Istikhara ourselves. There’s no tradition where a companion asks him to do Istikhara for them.
Instead, companions sought advice from the Prophet ﷺ, which is also a Sunnah.
So, it’s best to do Istikhara yourself after consulting relevant experts.
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