What Does Istikhara Means?
Istikhara literally means asking for good. It is stated in the speech:
First, ask God for good and to put what is good in the language of my counseling, then consult.
The owner of the jewel says: Istikhara has two meanings:
- He should ask God to put good and blessings in the action he has decided to do.
- He should ask God to make him successful in his choice, that is, to grant him the success of knowing the truth, or to put the path of truth in the language and expression of his counselor, so that it will be instilled in him.
From all the hadiths, it is understood as follows: whenever someone has decided on something, it is necessary first to reflect and consider the aspects of the issues correctly, and if he reaches a point with the power of thought and thought, he should implement the same, but if he is in two ways, He was placed and his thought did not come to a place to consult with the person or persons who have the necessary qualifications and search for the truth by using the experiences and knowledge of others. Because according to Molavi:
- To give awareness and awareness.
- Let the intellect help the intellect.
- This is like Masabih Anwar
- Twenty lamps are brighter than one.
In some hadiths, Imam Sadiq (a.s.) calls the believers to ask God for favors before consulting with the knowledgeable and says:
“Because one of you is looking for something, he should consult the Great Lord before consulting with the people. One of the attendees asked, “What is Fadayat Shum, God’s counsel?” The Imam answered, ” Peace be upon him, ” First, you ask God for good, then consult with the people. Because the time of work begins with God. God pours goodness on the tongues of his servants.
However, the Istikhara common among many people today has narrative roots. Various kinds of Istikhara are mentioned in the traditions, such as the Istikhara of the essence of al-Raqa, the Qur’an, the tasbih, etc. For example, the narrator says: I said to Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him: I decided to do something, and I asked God for good in that work, but I hesitated, and both sides of the work, i.e., doing it or not doing it, are essential to me. What should I do in such a case? Hazrat said:
- First, perform the prayer.
- Do whatever comes to your heart.
- Open the Quran.
- Do the first thing you come across.
While discussing at length the types of Istikhara and quoting the jurists in rejecting and accepting the related traditions, Sab Javaher says. Due to tolerance in the evidence of the traditions, all types of Istikhara can be considered legitimate, even though the evidence of some of them is weak in terms of the chain of transmission. And regarding the Istikhara of the essence of al-Raqa’, he quotes from (Muftah al-Karamah) that ((Ibn Tawoos)) claimed consensus in this Istikhara.
After a long discussion and attributing some types of Istikhara (such as Istikhara dua to the Qur’an) to some Sunni scholars, Allameh Majlisi says: “I think that the majority of authentic traditions indicate the legitimacy of the principle of Istikhara because man is unjust. He did not vote and sought refuge in the great God and trusted in all matters to His Highness and admitted that in some cases, he was not aware of his interests and for this reason, through various ways such as begging and praying or asking for opinions and consulting with Ask God for help from others, or prayer, through the rosary or the Qur’an, or… of course, the degree of acceptance from God and the guidance of Hazrat Haq depends on the person’s condition and appeal and supplication to God. [vii]
Naturally, a person is perplexed, either acting or abandoning; that is, when it comes to something he hesitates to do or abandon, he is ultimately not out of two states; either he does that work or abandons it. In both cases, such a person will face inner anxiety. And the said anxiety will play an influential role in a person’s failure. In contrast, by doing Istikhara, his anxiety subsides. If Istikhara agrees to do something, in this case, he goes to do it with confidence and trust in God, and this state is an excellent contribution to Success and good work.
Hazrat Imam Khomeini, may God have mercy on him, says in his precious book “Kashf al-Asrar”:
“Istikhara has two meanings, one of which is the true meaning of Istikhara, and it is mentioned more in the news, and it is before conventional properties, and that is seeking good from God, and that is in all the things that humans do, sound, and It is recommended, and this is one of the fields of prayer that has been given great importance in the Qur’an… The saying is that this type of Istikhara, which the news around and its customs have ordered, is just a prayer and asking God for good. Another meaning of Istikharah is that after a person is entirely puzzled and perplexed by something, neither his intellect guides him to the good and bad of it, nor does any other wise man understand the path of good and evil, nor does the God of the world about that matter. He had a duty and a command to guide him; in this case, there is no way to find good and evil, and the religious or the irreligious are forced to choose one side out of poverty and go from one side, blindly and Astonishing and two-hearted, at the same time, poverty and two-heartedness, which should be counted among the worst states of human beings, and we all know that if one is found in this situation and encourages a person to work in one direction, and encourages him with a warm heart and determination The firmness and the light of hope make him work, what a great gift he has for man, here the religious people say: God Almighty, who is the refuge of the poor and the oppressed, and this is when a man needs to be arrested more than all situations, a way of hope. He opened the world of his mercy, tenderness and kindness to man, and if, despite this, a man takes refuge in him and asks for his guidance and says: This is the time when our intellect and others find The good and the wrong ways are the same, and there is no solution for us. You are the solution maker for the poor and the knower of hidden secrets, guide us to one side of the matter and strengthen our will to one side. Make an arrest Inevitably, the God of the world, who can find and hide, either pulls his heart to one side and becomes the guide of his heart, and he is the master of hearts, and this is a kind of Istikhara, or he arrests him and puts his hand on a table. He casts a rosary) or encourages him on the one hand using the Qur’an.
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Islam encourages us to be honest and to always be truthful.