| Asking for Allah's Guidance in a Certain Affair - Al-Istikhaara (123) |
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The Messenger of Allah  used to teach us to ask Allah's guidance in all matters just like he used to teach us a surah out of the Qur'ăn. He would
say: If one of you intends on doing a certain matter, let him pray two rak'ăt, then let him say: Allăhumma 'innee 'astakheeruka
bi`ilmika, wa 'astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa 'as'aluka min fadhlikal-`atheemi, fa'innaka taqdiru wa lă 'aqdiru, wa ta`lamu wa
lă 'a`lamu, wa 'anta `allămul-ghuyoobi, 'allăhumma 'in kunta ta`lamu 'anna hăthal 'amra - and [here] you name it [the
affair] by its name - khayrun lee fee deenee wa ma`ăshee wa `ăqibati 'amree, wa`ăjilihi wa'ăjilihi, faqdurhu lee wa yassirhu
lee, thumma băriklee feeh, wa 'in kunta ta`lamu 'anna hăthal-'amra sharrun lee fee deenee wa ma'ăshee wa `ăqibati 'amree,
wa`ăjilihi wa'ăjilihi, fasrifhu `annee wasrifnee `anhu, waqdurlee 'al-khayra haythu kăna, thumma radh-dhinee bihi(143)'.
- and [here] you name it [the affair] by its name -
One that asks the Creators' guidance in a matter, and consults with His creation, then acts deliberately would never regret
his action. For Allah The Exalted says:
<<And consult them in the matter [of moment]. Then when you have taken a decision put your
trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust [in Him].>> (l44). Qătadatu
said: There is not a people that consult amongst themselves seeking Allah Face(145) except
that they would be guided to the most straight and correct action for them. |
| Footnotes
(143) O' my 'ilăh I ask your guidance due to your knowledge, and I ask your help due to
your ability. For You are able and I'm not able, You know and I don't Know, and You are the one that knows the hidden matters.
O' my 'ilăh if You know that this affair -and you name it by its name- is better for me in my faith, my livelihood, the aftermath
of my affair, its short term, and its long term, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bestow blessings for me in
it; and if You know that this affair is bad for me in my faith, my livelihood, the aftermath of my affair, its short term,
and its long term, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it; and decree for me the good where ever it is, and then
content me with it.
(144) Surat 'Ale-'lmrăn (#3) V. 159.
(145) Meaning they want to see Allah's Face (because that is the greatest pleasure for
the people of Paradise). The Qur'ăn and the Sunnah affirm that Allah has a face, two hands, fingers, and two eyes. Some people
deny these attributes because they incorrectly suppose that by affirrning them they are humanizing Allah. Such an argument
is only valid for those that would say, for example, "Allah has hands like ours (?)" Such a statement is not allowed because
it qualifies Allah's attributes without evidence from the Qur'an or the Sunnah. It would also be in contradiction to the Qur'anic
verse:
<<There is nothing that is like Him, and He is The Ever-Hearing, The Ever-Seeing>>
. Thus we must affirm the attributes that Allah, and/or his Messenger have affirmed; we must believe that these attributes
befit the Magnificence, and Glory of Allah; and we are not allowed to qualify these attributes unless Allah, and/or his Messenger
have done so for us. |
| Reporters
Ibn Taymiya said that it was reported by Al-Bukhări to this effect. Al-Albăni said that the wording was identical to that
of Al-Bukhări; however, the word "all" in "in all matters" was not in Al-Bukhări's Qiyăm ul-Layl but was in his Ad-Da`awăt
and his At-Tawheed. Also, he said that Al-Bukhări reported, after the phrase "the aftermath of my affair", the following:
"Or he said: the short term of my affair and its long term" indicating that the narrator was not sure which of the two was
correct. So perhaps, Al-Albăni continued, Ibn Taymiya combined the two so that the supplicant would be sure he was, either
way, saying the words of the Prophet . For this reason it appears in this book as "the aftermath of my affair, its short term, and its long-term. Al-Albani said
he had no problem with that, then, he said: "And Allah knows best". He included this hadeeth in The Authentic of Good Sayings
as #96. |
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© 1993 Waleed Al-EssaThis book may be photocopied for personal non profit use; otherwise, no part
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the author.
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