How to Perform Istikhara Namaz & Dua e Istikhara

Istikhara namaz: The word “Istikhara” means to pursue wellness from Allah, which implies that when one is going to carry out an important task, they can perform Isitikhara before doing so.

Salat-ul-Istikhara is a prayer performed to seek guidance from one and only Allah. We should not feel hesitant to perform Istikhara before making any decision whether it is small or big. It can be performed for a business, marriage, or any other task in your life.

If you are a parent then you should teach your children not to worry about making decisions in life and to seek guidance from Allah. As there is no lock without a key and no problems without solutions. So, always have patience and have faith in Allah, when he puts you to the test.

Remember these manners before praying

Keep faith in Allah and pray with sincerity.
Ready to follow the guidance provided by Allah, Indeed only He knows the best.
Refrain from being impatient. Your dream won’t turn into a miracle and won’t be flooded with signs.

How to Perform Istikhara?

To perform Istikhara your body needs to be pure and clean, so perform wudu if necessary. Open your prayer mat, offer two Rakat prayer, and offer your Istikhara supplication. Seek advice from someone wise and knowledgeable instead of waiting for a miraculous vision.

During praying, refrain from pleading and begging, show sincerity and be prepared to get along with the answers you receive.

1. Perform wudu

Before stepping on a prayer mat, make sure that you are clean and perform wudu if necessary. Now, wash and rinse these body parts three times in order: hands (till wrists), mouth, nose, face, forearms (till elbow). Rinse your head using your hands (masah, from forehead to the back of your head) and clean your ears using index fingers. Now wash your feet three times (start from the right foot).

In some cases, it is mandatory to do ghusl. Such as after copulation.

For more details, go through this complete guide on How To Perform Wudu (Ablution) & Islamic Quotes on Wudu

2. Prepare your prayer area

You need to make sure that your prayer is clean enough to offer prayer. Place and set a prayer mat. Position yourself and your mat in the direction of Qibla (Mecca).

3. Start your prayer

Start by centering your thoughts and setting your intention. Elevate both of your hands to your ears and say “Allah hu Akbar” which means “Allah is the Greatest”. Now read Istiftah dua followed by Tawwuz and Tasmiah.

This is dua al istiftah

4. Read Surah e Fatiha

Prior to offering Salat-ul-Istikhara, offer two rakat prayer and start with Surah e Fatiha. Don’t forget to start each surah with “Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem”.

5. Read Surah al Kafirun

After reading Surah e Fatiha, continue with Surah al Kafirun or chapter 109 of the Quran. Make sure to start each Surah with “Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem”.

6. Read Surah e Ikhlas after Surah e Fatiha

In second rakah, read Surah e Fatiha again and then Surah e Ikhlas. Make sure to start with “Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem”.

Here is a complete Surah Fatihah Summary, Lessons & Benefits of Surah Fatiha.

7. Read the Istikhara Supplication

After offering two Rakat prayer, you are allowed to read the Istikhara Supplication. (dua-e-Istikhara is mentioned above).

8. Make repetitions for seven days (if you don’t receive an answer)

You might want to repeat the istikhara supplication or continue with Rakat. You can continue Salat-e-Istikhara for seven days until you get the answer. If you receive an answer within seven days, you can stop performing Istikhara.

9. Sleep with wudu and in the direction of Qibla

Make sure to sleep with wudu right after the recitation of Istikhara supplication (people who cannot maintain wudu for a longer time because of certain health problems don’t have to worry about keeping it) and in the direction of Qibla. It is better to read salutations (Durood/Salawat) before and after the recitation of Istikhara Supplication.

10. Colors as signs in your dreams

If you see white color in your dream (anything like the white sky, white dress, milk, white light, or paper) or green color (anything like grass, plants, trees, green clothes, or green light) then this is a positive sign and if you see red color (anything like red light, red clothes, blood, red fruit) or black color (anything like black clothes, black sky, black wall, black fluid) then the task is not better for you and you should avoid it.

If one fails to remember the dream or the happenings in the dream (color) then they might hear the sound of their heart and follow their heart intentions after seven days of Istikhara.

How NOT to perform Istikhara?

Making someone else do it for you

It is completely wrong to ask a scholar or any other righteous person to perform Istikhara for you. As the wordings of Dua-e-Istikhara starts with “I-” so when someone else does it, they will be doing it for themselves indirectly.

In other cases, if the matter is associated with several people i.e. family matters. Then your family members are allowed to do it. Otherwise, it is only you who needs to perform Istikhara. There isn’t any verification found in hadiths and Quran as well about having someone perform Istikhara for you.

Performing Istikhara for irrelevant purposes

You are not allowed to perform Istikhara for obligatory matters, hence you are not required to perform Istikhara to decide whether to do the task or not. Similarly, for matters that are forbidden, you should refrain from doing Istikhara to decide whether to avoid the task or not.

Istikhara is only confined to matters that are allowed in Islam. Istikhara can be done for several purposes like for marriage proposals, small or big decisions in your life, and even for the slightest guidance in life.