QUESTION:
What do the scholars of the Dīn and muftīs of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: Which Hadīth is Istikhārah proven from? Please could you mention it and in a similar manner, is Salāh al-Hājāt also proven from any Hadīth?
Questioner: Uways from India
ANSWER:
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
Istikhārah salāh is proven from numerous Blessed Hadīths, just like it is stated in a Sahīh Hadīth, which a group amongst the Muhaddithīn narrated from Sayyidunā Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh (may Allāh be pleased with them both), that he stated that,
“كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعَلِّمُنَا الِاسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا، كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ القُرْآنِ، يَقُولُ” إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالأَمْرِ، فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الفَرِيضَةِ“
“The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ would teach as so in relation to Istikhārah for all matters, just as the Sūrah of the Noble Qur’ān teaches, and he ﷺ stated, ‘When one intends to go ahead with any matter, then one should pray two rak’āt Nafl and recite,
“اَللّٰھُمَّ اِنِّیْ اَسْتَخِیْرُکَ بِعِلْمِکَ وَاَسْتَقْدِرُکَ بِقُدْرَتِکَ وَ اَسْأَ لُکَ مِنْ فَضْلِکَ الْعَظِیْمِ فَاِنَّکَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا اَقْدِرُ وَ تَعْلَمُ وَلَا اَعْلَمُ وَاَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُیُوْبِ اَللّٰھُمَّ اِنْ کُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ اَنَّ ھٰذَا الْاَمْرَ خَیْرٌ لِّیْ فِیْ دِیْنِیْ وَمَعَاشِیْ وَعَاقِبَۃِ اَمْرِیْ اَوْقَالَ عَاجِلِ اَمْرِی وَاٰجِلِہٖ فَاقْدُرْہُ لِیْ وَیَسِّرْہُ لِیْ ثُمَّ بَارِکْ لِیْ فِیْہِ وَاِنْ کُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ اَنَّ ھٰذَا الْاَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِّیْ فِیْ دِیْنِیْ وَمَعَاشِیْ وَعَاقِـبَۃِ اَمْرِیْ اَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ اَمْرِیْ وَاٰجِلِہٖ فَاصْرِفْہُ عَنِّیْ وَاصْرِفْنِیْ عَنْہُ وَاقْدُرْ لِیَ الْخَیْرَ حَیْثُ کَانَ ثُمَّ رَضِّنِیْ بِہٖ”
“O Allāh, I ask guidance from Your Knowledge, and Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are Powerful and I am not. You know and I know not and You know the unseen. O Allāh, if You know that this matter is good for my religion and my sustenance and in my Hereafter, (or said, if it is better for my present and later needs), then You ordain it for me and make it easy for me to get, and then bless me in it, and if You know that this job is harmful to me in my religion and sustenance and in the Hereafter, (or said, if it is worse for my present and later needs), then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, And make me satisfied with it.”
[Sahīh al-Bukhārī, vol 1, pg 393, Hadīth no 1142]
And Salāh al-Hājāt is also proven from several Sahīh Hadīths, just like it is narrated by Sayyidunā ‘Uthmān bin Hanīf (may Allāh be pleased with him), that once a blind person was present in the noble court of the King of Madīnah, the reason for tranquility, the blessed treasure, may Allāh send infinite peace and blessings upon him, and requested, ‘O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, please do du’ā’ to Allāh Almighty that He grants me back my eyesight.’ So the Master of both worlds ﷺ asked, ‘Should I supplicate for you?’ He requested, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, my eye sight going is very unpleasant for me.’ Then he ﷺ stated, ‘Go, perform wudhū’ then pray two rak’āt, after it pray the following du’ā’:
“اَللّٰھُمَّ اِنِّیْ اَسْئَلُکَ وَاَتَوَجَّہُ اِلَیْکَ بِنَبِیِّیِ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِیِّ الرَّحْمَۃِ یَا مُحَمَّدُ اِنِّیْ اَتَوَجَّہُ اِلٰی رَبِّی بِکَ اَنْ یَّکْشِفَ لِیْ عَنْ بَصَرِی اَللّٰھُمَّ شَفِّعْہُ فِیَّ وَشَفَّعْنِیْ فِیْ نَفْسِی”
“O Allāh Almighty, I ask from You and I become attentive in Your Majestic Court through the wasīlah of the Noble Messenger ﷺ, who is a merciful Prophet. O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, I request through your wasīlah in the Majestic Court of Allāh Almighty that He removes the veil from my blindness. O Allāh Almighty, please accept the intercession of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ for me and please fulfil my request.”
The narrator states that when the person returned, then Allāh Almighty bestowed his eyesight back to him.
[al-Targhīb wa al-Tarhīb, vol 1, pg 272, Hadīth no 1]
In a narration in Tirmizhī Sharīf, the words بِنَبِیِّکَ مُحَمَّدٍ are mentioned in the place of بِنَبِیِّیِ مُحَمَّدٍ.
It is narrated by Sayyidunā ‘Abdullāh bin abī Awfā, may Allāh Almighty be pleased with him, that the Holy Prophet ﷺ stated, ‘Whosoever has a need from Allāh, or from someone, then he should perform wudhū’ properly, then pray two rak’āt, then praise Allāh and send salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ. Then he should pray the following,
“لَااِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللہُ الْحَلِیْمُ الْکَرِیْمُ سُبْحَانَ اللہِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِیْمِ اَلْحَمْدُلِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ اَسْئَلُکَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِکَ وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِکَ وَالْغَنِیْمَۃَ مِنْ کُلِّ بِرِّ وَالسَّلَامَۃَ مِنْ کُلِّ اِثْمٍ لَا تَدَعْ لِی ذَنْبًا اِلَّا غَفَرْتَہ، وَلَا ھَمَّا اِلَّا فَرَّجْتَہُ وَلَا حَاجَۃً ھِیَ لَکَ رِضًا اِلَّا قَضَیْتَھَا یَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِیْنَ”
“No one has the right to be worshiped but Allāh most Patient, the Generous. Glorious is Allāh, Lord of the Majestic Throne. All praise is due to Allāh, Lord of the worlds. I ask You for that which warrants Your mercy, and that which will determine forgiveness from You, and the fruits of every righteous deed, and safety from every sin; do not leave a sin for me without forgiving it, nor a worry without relieving it. Or a need that pleases You without granting it. O Most-Merciful of those who have mercy.”
After praying this du’ā’, ask Allāh Almighty for a worldly matter or of the Hereafter which is in accordance to ones desire, then this matter will be written for such person.’
[Sunan Tirmidhī, vol 2, pg 21, Hadīth no 478]
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Haider Ali
Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0553] Is there any proof for Istikharah and Salah al-Hajat?
