[3]

ISTIKHARAH THROUGH LETTER

NARRATED FROM IMAM MAHDI (A.S.)

This Istikharah has been reported from Imam Mahdi (A.S.):

            Write on two pieces of paper: “«خيَرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِفُلانِ بْنِ فُلانَةٍ» [seeking good from Allah and His Prophet for so and so person (his name) son of so and so lady (his mother’s name)] and write on one the pieces of paper: ”«إِفْعَلْ» (perform), and on the other piece ”«لاتَفْعَلْ» (do not perform). After preparing them, place both the pieces of paper inside a covering of clay and drop it in water. Then perform Ablution and offer Prayer, then recite the following supplication:

أَللَّهُمَّ إِنّي أَسْتَخيرُكَ خِيارَ مَنْ فَوَّضَ إِلَيْكَ أَمْرَهُ ، وَأَسْلَمَ إِلَيْكَ نَفْسَهُ ، وَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْكَ في أَمْرِهِ ، وَاسْتَسْلَمَ بِكَ فيما نَزَلَ بِهِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ . أَللَّهُمَّ خِرْ لي وَلاتَخِرْ عَلَيَّ ، وَأَعِنّي وَلاتُعِنْ عَلَيَّ ، وَمَكِّنّي وَلاتُمَكِّنْ مِنّي ، وَاهْدِني لِلْخَيْرِ وَلاتُضِلَّني ، وَأَرْضِني بِقَضائِكَ ، وَبارِكْ لي في قَدَرِكَ ، إِنَّكَ تَفْعَلُ ما تَشاءُ وَتُعْطي ما تُريدُ .

    أَللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كانَتِ الْخِيَرَةُ لي في أَمْري هذا وَهُوَ كَذا وَكَذا ، فَمَكِّنّي مِنْهُ، وَأَقْدِرْني عَلَيْهِ ، وَأْمُرْني بِفِعْلِهِ ، وَأَوْضِحْ لي طَريقَ الْهِدايَةِ إِلَيْهِ .

    وَ إِنْ كانَ اللَّهُمَّ غَيْرَ ذلِكَ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنّي إِلَى الَّذي هُوَ خَيْرٌ لي مِنْهُ ،  فإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلا أَعْلَمُ ، وَأَنْتَ عَلّامُ الْغُيُوبِ ، يا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمينَ .

            O’ Allah, I seek the best from You like those who have given away their affairs to You, and have surrendered themselves before You, and who rely upon You in their affair, and have surrendered to whatever has reached them. O’ Allah, seek Good for me and do not seek bad, help me and do not help against me, strengthen me and do not dominate someone over me, guide me towards good and do not misguide me, make me satisfied with that You have destined, and make it gracious and blessed for me, indeed You do as per Your will, and grant what You decide. O’ Allah, if there lies good in my intended work, then give it in my hands and grant me with the power of performing it, and command me to perform it, and illuminate the path of guidance towards it. O’ Allah, if it is anything but good, keep it away from me and change it to something which might be better for me, indeed You have the Power, not me, and You know whereas I don’t, and You are the Knower of the Unseen, O’ the most Merciful of the merciful.

Then prostrate and say one hundred times while prostrating: «اَسْتَخيرُ اللَّهَ خِيَرَةً في عافِيَةٍ» (I seek the good from Allah with welfare). Then raise your head from prostration and wait until one of the pieces come out of the clay covering. Perform as per the one which comes out earlier than the other.^[1]