خيرة ام البنين عليها السلام 9.0

Khayrat um al-Banin (peace be upon her)

Istikhara: In Arab linguistic, it means supplication. Saying "I sought the guidance of Allah" means I asked Allah to grant me what is best for me regarding my intended matters. There are texts emphasizing its importance, encouragement to perform it, and submission afterwards. Sayyid Ibn Tawus Al-Hassani compiled a book titled: "Fath Al-Abwab Bayn Dhawi Al-Albab wa Bayn Rabb Al-Arab". In it, he explains the reality of Istikhara and mentions some indicative verses such as Allah's saying: "And your Lord creates what He wills and chooses; not for them was the choice. Exalted is Allah and high above what they associate with Him." (Qur'an, Al-Qasas:68) and His saying: "...To Allah belongs the command before and after..." (Qur'an, Ar-Rum:4).

Allah, the Most High, said: "When My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me."

It was narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he said: "One of the fortunes of a person is to seek Allah's guidance (istikhara), and one of his misfortunes is to leave seeking Allah's guidance."

Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "No one who seeks divine consultation is disappointed, nor does anyone who seeks advice regret."

Conditions for Istikhara:

1. The matter should not involve something prohibited (like severing ties of kinship) or something clearly preferred.
2. Istikhara should not be repeated unless there has been a change in the subject or some of its characteristics.
3. Istikhara should be for a matter that is genuinely confusing. There should be no need for Istikhara in clear matters like treatment agreed upon by doctors or making a definite preferential purchase.
4. Fulfilling the requirements of Istikhara in terms of giving the action its due right. Sometimes the preferred option may not yield results if the servant is negligent in the matter, just as one might seek guidance for a trade deal, find it favorable, proceed with it, but due to negligence leads to bankruptcy—no blame should fall upon the seeker for that.
5. Not performing Istikhara half-heartedly; if one does not believe in its efficacy, it is not proper to carry it out due to the appearance of weakness and trivialization.
6. Istikhara should not be sought to know if something will happen or not. Nor should it be used to evaluate individuals positively or negatively. Instead, Istikhara should be sought for divine counsel to proceed with a righteous deed or abstain from it.