Istikhara

Salat al-Istikharah (Arabic: صلاة الاستخارة‎) is a prayer recited by Muslims when in need of guidance on an issue in their life. The salat is a two raka'ah salat performed to completion followed by the supplications Salat al-Istikharah.

121602

Istikhara . Marriage Proposal

I did Istikhara on a marriage proposal and it turned out positive, however the boy also did Istikhara without knowing about mine and his reply was negative. What should we do?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 months ago

Istikhara is not obligatory in every marriage. It is helpful if you are unable to decide whether the proposal is good or not.

The Istikhara which you did is for your intention, while the Istikhara which the boy did was for his intention. You need to wait till any change in the circumstances takes place, then if you remain unable to decide and you still need an Istikhara, then both should go for one joint Istikhara.

Wassalam.

120843

Istikhara . Marriage

Is it compulsory to do Istikhara for marriage? If it comes out negative, can we still do ahead with the marriage?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 3 months ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. It is not obligatory to do an istikhara for marriage and if it comes out negative there is no obligation to act in accordance with it. A person should not take an istikhara unless they are unsure and do not have a preference for a certain outcome.

However, the spirit of istikhara is to seek the best from Allah, so if all of its conditions have been fulfilled the answer a person has been seeking is within the istikhara.

May you always be successful

119598

Istikhara

I asked a Maulana to do Istekhara which came out to be bad. After a couple of hours and making Dua to Allah to turn the result, my husband did Istekhara which came out to be good. What should I do?

Istekhara in one matter is just once and there is no point in repeating the Istekhara on the same matter, unless the situation of the matter has changed.

Wassalam.

117485

Istikhara

I got an Istikhara done by a religious scholar for going abroad to Germany for further studies. He responded that it has come out as negative. What should I do?

You are been advised to follow the guideline of the Istikhara. It is not Haraam to act otherwise, but it will be harmful to against the Istikhara.

Wassalam.

115362

Istikhara

I proposed to a girl who is religious but her father did Istekhara and it came in the negative. However, when I did Istekhara it came positive. How can I proceed with this situation?

Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 6 months ago

Bismihi ta'ala

Some parents or suitors choose to perform istikharah for marriage proposals, and that is their choice, and if they completely depend on the result of the istikharah, it should be respected.

As the girl's father is her wali amr, and he turned to istikharah, their decision is going to be based on that, even though your istikharah turned out good.

In this situation, you can proceed by having a conversation with her father, and trying to find ways of either doing another istikharah, or negotiating what would be best for both families. If he stands firm behind the result of the istikharah, then you must respect that, wish well for her and her family, and pursue another case for marriage.

Also, please bear in mind that istikharah being good for a marriage proposal does not mean the marriage will be perfect and free of problems.

With prayers for your success.

110047

Istikhara . Tasbih

How is Istikhara by Tasbih performed? Which hand should the Sibha be taken in and how should one hold the Sibha? How should we choose a random spot on the beads? In what direction should we be counting two by two?

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 9 months ago

Don't overthink it - just do it - the whole idea behind it is that Allah is guiding you and you are not controlling the action yourself. Allah is merciful and will not deprive anyone of divine guidance due to details.

Usually people have in mind which direction they will be counting and then do it, for instance if I am holding it with the main bead to the left, I have the intention I am counting that way before I proceed.

Maybe someone here can post a video on YouTube or link to one (hint).

110165

Marriage . Istikhara

If a marriage Istikharah comes out negative, does it mean it is negative forever? Or would it be okay to redo it later when certain situational factors have changed?

Bismihi ta'ala

At first, we must understand the practice of istikharah, when/how/where and why it is done. If we do not correctly understand the purpose and usage of istikharah, we will face problems.

Marriage itself and pursuing a case for marriage is not something that should be dependent on istikharah. If you take the correct avenues, with having family and elders involved, and investigating and asking about the life and behaviour of the prospect spouse, then you are going to reach a conclusion.

If you have prioritised the correct requirements for a spouse, in being religious, and in having high akhlaq standards, then the investigation and consulting with others will give you your answer. There would be no need to resort to istikharah.

Istikharah would only be applicable if after everything you are still two-minded, and you need to seek divine intervention.

In any case, it is not haram to go against an istikharah. Of course, it's certainly better to not disregard the answer given to you by istikharah, or why else did you turn to do it in the first place.

If you did an istikharah, and it turned out against what you deeply wanted, and you wish to pursue it, then pay some sadaqah, allow some time to pass, change the circumstances, and then decide whether you wish to pursue it, or do another istikharah.

Always bear in mind that just because istikharah came out good, does not mean your marriage will last. You still need to be all your effort in keeping a marriage, and maybe it is God's fate for you to go through whatever is destined for you. That's why the best thing is always to make sure your spouse selection is based on the solid criteria recommended by Islam.

With prayers for your success.

109431

Marriage . Istikhara

Can I reconsider marriage with a person much later on as the recent bad outcome of an Istikhara may have been for marriage right now?

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. If there is an aspect in which your intention for the istekhara has changed you can take another istekhara with that modified intention.

May you always be successful

108059

Istikhara

I did Istikhara so many times and got nothing as a sign. Can you explain to me the correct process for it?

Here are some approaches you could use: https://www.al-islam.org/istikhara-seeking-best-allah-swt-muhammad-baqir...

100432

Future . Marriage . Ethics . Istikhara

Can we judge how someone's character will be in the future with the help of Istekhara, such as in a marriage situation?

The goal of istikhara, as presented in hadith, is to seek divine wisdom for what path we should take. So, from that angle, the goal of istikhara is not to see how someone's character will be in a marriage.

However, some scholars who have a lot of experience performing istikharas might sometimes be able to offer some insights on the matter, especially if it is glaringly apparent.

100525

Istikhara . Scholars

I got Istikhara done from two scholars. One of them gave me a negative outcome and the other a positive one. What should I do now?

It was wrong to do second Istikhara after you have done the first one. Istikhara is one time only for one matter and there is no meaning to second Istikhara unless the matter has changed and became another matter.

'You are advised to act upon the first Istikhara.

'Wassalam.

100642

Istikhara . Tasbih

Is doing Istikhara from Tasbeeh a correct and acceptable way?

Yes

Here is a nice, short book on the topic of istikhara that has a short section on it: https://www.al-islam.org/istikhara-seeking-best-allah-swt-muhammad-baqir...