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my livelihood and my
affairs), then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless
it for me. And if in Your knowledge it is bad for me and for my
religion, my livelihood and my affairs (or: for me both in this
world and the next), then turn me away from it, [and turn it
away from me], and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and
make me pleased with it.”
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6841; similar reports are also
recorded by al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah and
Ahmad).
Ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, commenting on this
hadeeth:
“Istikhaarah is a word which means asking Allaah to help one
make a choice, meaning choosing the best of two things where one
needs to choose one of them.
Concerning the phrase ‘The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach us to make
istikhaarah in all things,’ Ibn Abi Jamrah said: ‘It is a
general phrase which refers to something specific. With regard
to matters that are waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (liked or
encouraged), there is no need for istikhaarah to decide whether
to do them, and with regard to matters that are haraam
(forbidden) or makrooh (disliked), there is no need for
istikhaarah to decide whether to avoid them. The issue of
istikhaarah is confined to matters that are mubaah (allowed), or
in mustahabb matters when there is a decision to be made as to
which one should be given priority.’ I say: it refers to both
great and small matters, and probably an insignificant issue
could form the groundwork for a big issue.
The phrase ‘If any one of you is concerned…’ appears in the
version narrated by Ibn Mas’ood as: ‘if any one of you wants to
do something…’
‘Let him pray two rak’ahs of non-obligatory prayer.’ This is
mentioned to make it clear that it does not mean fajr prayer,
for example. Al-Nawawi said in al-Adhkaar: He can pray
istikaarah after two rak’ahs of regular sunnah prayer done at
zuhr for example, or after two rak’ahs of any naafil prayers
whether they are regularly performed or not… It seems to be the
case that if he made the intention to pray istikhaarah at the
same time as intending to pray that particular prayer, this is
fine, but not if he did not have this intention.
Ibn Abi Jamrah said: The wisdom behind putting the salaat before
the du’aa’ is that istikhaarah is intended to combine the
goodness of this world with the goodness of the next. A person
needs to knock at the door of the King (Allaah), and there is
nothing more effective for this than prayer, because it contains
glorification and praise of Allaah, and expresses one's need for
Him at all times.
The phrase ‘then let him say’ would seem to imply that the du’aa’
should be said after finishing the prayer, and the word thumma
(then) probably means after reciting all the words of the salaat
and before saying salaam.
The phrase ‘O Allaah, I seek Your guidance by virtue of Your
knowledge’ is explaining ‘because You know best.’ Similarly, ‘by
virtue of Your power’ most likely means ‘seeking Your help.’ ‘I
seek ability’ (astaqdiruka) means ‘I ask You to give me the
power or ability (qudrah) to do’ whatever is being asked for, or
it probably means ‘I ask You to decree (tuqaddir) this for me.’
So it may mean making it easy.
‘I ask You of Your great bounty’ refers to the fact that Allaah
gives out of His great generosity, but no one has the right to
His blessings. This is the opinion of Ahl al-Sunnah.
‘You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not’ refers
to the fact that power and knowledge belong to Allaah alone, and
the slave has no share of them except what Allaah decrees for
him.
‘O Allaah, if in Your knowledge this matter…’ According to one
report, he should mention it by name. It is apparent from the
context that he should state it, but it is probably sufficient
to be thinking of the matter whilst making this du’aa’.
‘Then ordain it for me’ means ‘make it happen for me’ or it may
mean ‘make it easy for me.’
‘Then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it’ means ‘so
that my heart will no longer feel attached to it after it has
been turned away.’
‘Make me pleased with it’ means ‘make me content with it, so
that I will never regret asking for it or be sorry that it
happened, because I do not know how it will turn out, even if at
the time of asking I am pleased with it.’
The secret is that one’s heart should not be attached to the
matter in question, because that will result in a person
becoming restless. Being pleased with something means that one’s
heart is content with the decree of Allaah.
(Summarized from the commentary of al-Haafiz Ibn Hijr (may
Allaah have mercy on him) on the hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaari,
Kitaab al-Da’waat and Kitaab al-Tawheed.).
Source: Islam-QA.com
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