Power of Salat-ul-Istikhara

The Abandoned Prayer
A few years ago, I came across a book that one of my relatives had
called:"The Three Abandoned Prayers". In it, the author discusses
three prayers that have been largely underused by many Muslims, but
which hold great power. They were Salat-ut-Tawbah (The Salah of
Repentence), Salat-ul-Istikhara (The Salah of Seeking A God-Guided
Outcome in Times of Decision), Salat-ul-Tasbih (The Salah of
Glorification of God).
No doubt, many of us have been heedless of these powerful tools for
growing in our closeness to Allah, but one in particular which is
important to re-think is Istikhara.
The procedure for this Salah, is best described by the hadith:
On the authority of Jaabir Ibn ˜Abdullah he said: The Prophet (S)
would instruct us to pray for guidance in all of our concerns, just as
he would teach us a chapter from the Qur'an. He (S) would say "if any
of you intends to undertake a mater then let him pray two
supererogatory units (two rak'ah naafilah) of prayer and after which
he should supplicate:
'O Allaah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and by Your power I
seek strength and I ask You from Your immense favour, for verily You
are able while I am not and verily You know while I do not and You are
the Knower of the unseen. O Allaah, if You know this affair -andhere
he mentions his need- to be good for me in relation to my religion, my
life, and end, then decree and facilitate it for me, and bless me with
it, and if You know this affair to be ill for me towards my religion,
my life, and end, then remove it fromme and remove me fromit , and
decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with
such.'"
Such a powerful tool we have been given, to admit our complete lack of
knowledge, power, ability,and sight, and the absolute dominance of
Allah (swt) in all these abilities. Such a great and mighty prayer,
comprehensive in its outlook, its span of time, and its effect on our
lives. Balanced within this worldand the Hereafter. Something which
only Divine Guidance could have brought us.
Many of us use this prayer,rightfully, to seek Allah's assistance in
making decisions concerning school, getting a job, getting married,
going to Hajj, or maybe even choosing a house. Unfortunately though,
we have relegated one of the most powerful duas available, to only the
mostimportant decisions.
What we don't realize however, is that this prayer need not only be
for the most important, crucial decisions in our lives. Why do those
who are in Islamic Work, not use this prayer when making decisions in
the organization? Why not use it when making difficult choices at
work? For a specific project choice or topic choice for apaper in
school? Why do we not use it every time we say: "Ya Allah" I wish you
would just guide me to what is best for me! orYa Allah! I wish you
would just show me what to do!
So many decisions that theactivist brother or sister has to make. So
many decisions at our workplaces. But in these decisions, we don't
remember that much of our worry can be removedby leaving the decision
to Allah (swt).
What made the Companions the unique Quranic generation, was that their
entire thought process revolved around the Quran and around
supplication to Allah. The relegated to Allah and His Messenger, every
decision in their lives, after putting forth an intelligent and
sincere effort at solving their problems
As the Prophet said:"Ad-Dua mukh-ul-'ibaadah"�.
Supplication is the essence of worship.
So next time we have a decision, big or small, that is of some
consequence, remember - No one who ever consults with his Lord in
sincerity, shall ever be displeased with His Decree.
Make use of istikhara! Once an Imam sat with mewhen I asked his advice
and told me something about one of the leaders of the Muslim
community. He told me: "Brother, every person who has success in the
Deen, has a secret, some worship he does that sets him above and
beyond and helps himtowards Allah. You know what his [the leader's]
secret it? Every time he travels, and I've seen him, he prays
istikhara. He asks for guidance in his travels, and on the various
affairs of his life, and he makes use of his times of travel to do it.
So have some secret that you use also."
Secrets aside, istikhara is powerful. So inshAllah lets use it.
Misconceptions about istikhara:
1. Istikhara is not about having a dream. If one reviews the wording
of the hadith, one finds that it is not asking for a dream, it is
asking God to make one's affairs occur inthe best way. Because onedid
not have a dream, a sign on a bus or a billboard go by them on the
highway, does not mean it didn't "work"

ISLAMIC ARTICLE :- ~ Istikhara in the Lightof the Sunnah

All praises are due to Allah,the Creator, Nourisher and Sustainer of
both the worlds. Through Allah's infinite mercy on mankind.He selected
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) as a mentor and filled his
heart with love and affection towardsHis creation. May Allah's
choicest blessings and salutations be showered on His beloved Rasul
(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam), who undertook great pains in fulfilling
the task of conveying His message, and may Allah shower His blessings
on the noble companions of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)
whose hearts inherited the pain and burn for the guidance of humanity
that was instilled in the heart of their beloved Master, the Leader of
both the worlds.
INTRODUCTION
Whosoever adopts the way of life brought by Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Alayhi Wasallam) to mankind, he will find that even his life in this
world will become one of pleasure, tranquility, contentment, peace and
freedom from all worries. Due to the fact that this way of life that
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) brought was meant for the
whole of mankind, Allah made it very easy and simple to follow.
CONFUSION AND PERPLEXITY
Among the many difficulties that man undergoes is 'confusion' and
'perplexity'. Almost everyday in his life, man isfaced with the task
of making a decision between two or more choices. Generally the
decisions are not major but occasionally they do become quite serious.
Even in these circumstances, our beloved mentor, Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) taught us what to do, and clearly
outlined the solution. This solution is called Istikharah.
THE IMPORTANCE OF ISTIKHARAH
Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: "And it is very possible that you
dislike something whereas it is good for you; and (similarly) it is
very possible that you like something whereas it is bad for you" .
(Baqarah 16)
From the above ayah, we learn that man has limitedknowledge and
deficient intellect. Therefore, many a times, he may desire something,
which may prove harmful to him, and on the other hand, he maydislike
something, while it is good for him. The sole possessor of perfect
knowledge, and the only knower of the unseen is Allah, the Creator of
man and the Controller of the system of the entire universe. Therefore
if man desires good, he can only find it in the hands of Allah.
According to one Hadith: "It is from the good fortune of man that he
makes Istikharah(seeks good) from Allah, and it is from his misfortune
that he discards Istikharah."
'Allamah Aini (RA) writes:"Man should never overlook any matter due to
its insignificance and discard Istikharah. How many matters are
regarded as insignificant and Istikharah is not madefor them, due to
which great harm is suffered when carrying them out or abandoning
them. It is for this reason that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi
Wasallam) is reported to have said:"(Every) one of you shouldask his
need from his sustainer to the extent that he should ask Him forsalt,
and for a shoelace when it breaks."
"Allamah Ibnul Qayyim (RA) has written: "The person who makes
Istikharah (seek good) from his Creator and makes 'mashwarah'
(consults) the creation never regrets, since Allah said to (His Nabi
(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)): "Consult themin matters. Thus, when
You make a decision, placeyour trust in Allah".
Shaikh Tahir bin Husain bin Abdullah bin Tahir wrote in a letter to
his sonafter he had become an amir or governor:"Whenever any matter of
importance comes upon you, seek assistance in it by making Istikharah
to Allah and fearing him". He also advised him thus:"and perform
Istikharah abundantly in all your matters". (Al-Istikharah by M.T.
Hakeem)
A GREAT BENEFIT OF ISTIKHARAH
Hadrat Shah Waliyyullah (RA) writes: "From amongst the greatest
benefits of Istikharah is that man becomes detached from his carnal
desires, his animalistic characteristics become subject to his angelic
nature and he hands himself over to Allah. When he does this, he
reaches the stages of the angels whose quality is that they await the
command of Allah. When Allah's command is received, they exert
themselves through divinemotivation and not carnal motivation. I
believe that excessive Istikharah is a proven tonic for the
inculcation of angelic qualities."
A MISCONCEPTION
But alas, today, Istikharah has become as equally difficult as making
a decision. People hesitate so much to perform this great act of
worship, that only at the last alternative,when no other way can
beperceived, they would turn to some innovated act that has no basis
in theHadith, such as the taking of a good omen by opening the Qur'an
and counting lines and letters, etc.;

HISTORY - ~ Muslim King of Mysore. INDIA

Tipu Sultan, Hyder Ali's elder son, succeeded to his father's throne
on 29 December 1782, at the age of 32. Tipu Sultan was bornin November
1750 and was called the 'Tiger of Mysore'. Tipu Sultan was the first
son of Hyder Ali and his second wife, Fatimaor Fakhr-un-nissa. Tipu
wasnamed as Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Shahab or Tipu Saheb.Apart from
being a brilliantruler, Tipu was also a scholar, poet, soldier and a
staunch Muslim.
After his enthronement, Tipu was immediately immersed in the struggle
against the English, continuing the war that had begun under his
fatherand in which he had already taken a vigorous part. Tipu occupied
the throne at a time when Mysore was fighting the crucial Second
Mysore War with the British. The war ended in 1784 when Tipu Sultan
and the English signed the Treaty of Mangalore . As per the treaty,
both sides agreed toreturn the territories and the prisoners captured
during the war. A war with the Marathas and the Nizam soon followed
(1785-87) ending with military successes but with rather
disadvantageous terms of peace. This was apparently because of Tipu's
anxiety that these two powers should not combine with the English,
whom he consistently regarded as his principal enemy.
From his accession Tipu treated himself as an independent sovereign,
notneeding any diploma of inferior office from the Mughal court at
Delhi . He, thus, dropped the name and title of the Mughal emperor
from his coins, and started using the title 'Padshah' for himself from
January 1786. Tipu could now claim parity with full-fledged
sovereigns, likethe Sultan of Turkey and the King of France, both of
whom personally received his ambassadors in 1787 and 1788. While these
embassies might not have resulted in any substantial material support
for him, inrespect of either military resources or commercial
advantage, the diplomatic stature gained by him certainly reinforced
his prestige at home.
Though the titles of 'Padshah' or 'Zill-i Ilahi' (Shadow of God) were
usedby the Mughal emperors, but Tipu gave to his sovereignty a colour
of religious militancy, which was not at all present in the Mughal
imperial polity of the eighteenth century. Tipu would not put his own
name on the coins he minted; rather the coin legends invoke God as the
all-powerful Sovereign, andbring in the name of Muhammad the Prophet,
and of Hyder.
Tipu Sultan was a lover of art and culture. His palace at
Srirangapatnam is known for its superb ornamentation. He minted a vast
variety of coins fromdifferent mints. During his reign, French
craftsmen worked in Mysore. One such artisan produced a wooden toy
showing a tiger attacking a Britisher. The toy is now in the Victoria
and Albert Museum, London. Like his father, Tipu too was buriedat
Srirangapatnam. Tipu Sultan was a tolerant ruler in the tradition of
Islamic tolerance.
Tipu Sultan's reforming zeal touched every department of life,
including coinage and calendar, banking and finance, weights and
measures, agriculture and industry, trade and commerce, morals and
manners as well as social and cultural life. He built many strong
forts such as the Doorg in Nilgiris to defend his kingdom. He had a
quest for seeking knowledge. His personal library consisted of more
than 2000 books in different languages. He hada dignified personality
and impressed the people he came into contact with. He was an
enlightened ruler who treated his non-Muslim subjects with tolerance
generally. He conferred liberal grants to Singeri, Srirangapatnam and
Mangalore temples.
The innovative ideas of Tipu Sultan enabled Mysoreto gain importance
even in the international spheres.
Tipu Sultan proceeded actively to rebuild the navythat Hyder had
established.His major interest was in building ships which could be
used for trade, though, being armed for defence, as was usual with
merchant ships of the time,these could also be used in naval action.
This embassy, really consisting of a board of four officers, had both
diplomatic and commercialobjectives. Moreover, Tipu was also looking
beyond the Indian Ocean, and wished to open his own direct shipping
line to Europe. In 1787, he proposed to send to Francea ship with four
hundred Indians aboard along with his embassy.
Apart from the constructiveoperations of Tipu also hadto undergo
several critical situations that took place due to his relation with
theBritish. In 1783 Tipu directed the compilation, through Zainul
Abidin Shustari, of a manual of military organization and tactics, he
significantly titled it Fathul Mujahidin, the Victory of Holy
Warriors. This Holy War was to be directed against the English.

Morning and Evening Dhikr –

Dhikr - What is it?
DHIKR is the remembranceof Allah. Every time we think of Allah, do
Salaah, recite Quran, make a Dua, do Tasbeeh, mention Allahin
conversation, we are doing Dhikr. There are alsospecific ways of doing
Dhikr, as the Prophet(sws) taught us.
Importance/Benefitsof Dhikr:
Here are some Ayahs and Hadith showing us the importance of and the
benefits of doing Dhikr?
Allah(swt) says: "O ye whobelieve! Let not your wealth or your
children divert you from the 'Dhikr' of Allah. If any act thus, the
(severe) loss is their own!" [Surah Munafiqoon, Ayah 9]
"Those who believe, their hearts find satisfaction in the 'Dhikr'of
Allah: for without doubt, (only) in the 'Dhikr' of Allah do hearts
find satisfaction!" [Surah Raad, Ayah 28]
"If anyone withdraws himself from 'Dhikr' of (Allah) Most Gracious, We
appoint for him a Shaytaan to be an intimate companion to him! [Surah
Zukhruf, Ayah 36]
And the Prophet(sws) said: "The difference betweenthe one who
remembershis Lord and the one who does not, is like the difference
between a living and dead body." [Sahih al-Bukhari 6407]
Why every Morning& Evening?
Because Allah(swt) says in Surah Ahzaab, Ayahs 41-42: "O ye who
believe! Celebrate the 'Dhikr' (Remembrance) of Allah and do this
(as)much (as possible); And glorify Him Morning and Evening ."
What time is Morning & Evening?
According to Ibn Qayyim(ra)'s interpretation of the following words of
Allah, he concludes that the:
- Morning Supplication is from Fajr till Sunrise and
- Evening Supplication is from Asr till Sunset
Ta-Ha, Ayah 130: "And glorify the praises of your Lord before the
rising of the sun, and before its setting."
Surah Al-Araf, Ayah 205: "And remember your Lord within yourself with
humbleness and fear and without being loud in speech – in the mornings
and the evenings," Why do we recite certain supplications a specific
number of times?
See Arabic wording: The word Asaal is a plural of Aseel which means in
Arabic the period betweenAsr and Maghrib. (If you forget to do the
Dhikr at these times, you can reciteit after Maghrib till the middle
of the night or after Sunrise till before zawaal.)
What Dhikr should we recite Morning & Evening?
The Prophet(sws) has taught us. More than 14 different Duas/Dhikr have
been included in this presentation for you to recite and ponder over.
Each one is authentic and is backed by proof with a Hadith of
Rasool(sws) SubhaanAllah!
Why recite it a certain number of times?
We do not know the reason why, but there is a hidden wisdom in
following the Sunnah, as Allah(swt) says: "Indeed in the Messenger of
Allahyou have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the
meeting with) Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much."
[Quran 33:21] "And if you obey him(sws), you will be [rightly]
guided." [Quran 24:54]
The Dhikr as taught by Rasul(sws) is enough for us and we should avoid
innovating in matters of worship, as some people like to say, 'Recite
such and such so many times', but they have no basis for it.
What do YOU want to gain from doing Dhikr?
My dear Brothers and Sisters, please sit back, relax and take some
time out to read, learn and to ponder over the beautiful Duas and
Dhikr in the rest of this presentation. May the following duas/dhikr
become a regular part of your daily routine, and may you find solace
by using them to communicate with and to Praise Allah. And most of all
may they strengthen your connection with Allah(swt) our Most Merciful
Creator, strengthen your Nafs and help you achieve the pleasure of
Allah and a place in Jannah al-Firdaus, Aameen - afterall that is your
ultimate goal, right?