Frequently asked questions

Estekhara in Arabic means supplication. “Istakhartu Allah” means: I asked Allah to grant me success in what is best among the things I intend. Many texts stress its importance, encourage it, and call for accepting its outcome. Sayyid Ibn Tawus al-Hasani wrote a book on it titled “Fath al-Abwab bayna Dhawi al-Albab wa bayna Rabb al-Arbab”, in which he explained the reality of estekhara and cited verses that point to it, such as: وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ “Your Lord creates whatever He wills and chooses; they have no choice. Glory be to Allah, exalted above what they associate with Him.” (al-Qasas 28:68) And: … لِلَّهِ الأَمْرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُ … “… The matter belongs to Allah, before and after …” (al-Rum 30:4)

Among them: Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) sent me to Yemen and said to me: “O Ali, whoever seeks Allah’s choice is never perplexed, and whoever seeks counsel never regrets.” Among them: Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: “Part of My servant’s misfortune is that he undertakes deeds without seeking My choice.” He (peace be upon him) also said: “Whoever enters into a matter without estekhara and is then afflicted will not be rewarded.” Some of his companions asked him: Who is the most honoured of creation before Allah? He said: “The one who remembers Allah the most and acts the most in obedience to Him.” I said: And who is the most hated of creation before Allah? He said: “The one who accuses Allah.” I said: Would anyone accuse Allah? He said: “Yes. Whoever seeks Allah’s choice, and the choice comes with what he dislikes, and he becomes resentful: that one accuses Allah.”

Estekhara has been reported in different ways: with slips of paper (riqa‘), with small balls (banadiq) and with prayer beads (subha). The most important of them is estekhara and seeking good guidance through the Glorious Quran. The person seeking estekhara should observe the following etiquette:

• To be in a state of purity, facing the qibla.
• To turn with his heart to Allah, Majestic is His Majesty, with a sincere intention.
• To seek forgiveness and repent at once.
• Not to speak with anyone else while taking the estekhara, nor busy himself with worldly matters.
• If the estekhara comes out against what he wanted, to meet it with thanks to Allah, Majestic is His Majesty, for making him worthy of consulting Him.

The most important factor in a sound estekhara is the person performing it. He should have a pure, gnostic spirit and distinguished piety, a rank reached only by those of great fortune. Some of our scholars attained it, among them the gnostic scholar Grand Ayatollah al-Sha‘rani, may his noble soul be sanctified. When performing estekhara, he would write down the meanings drawn from the verse at the top of each page of the Holy Quran.

By the grace of Allah the Exalted, we found that Quran. Since the special quality belongs to the Holy Quran, which is in a well-guarded Book, and not to the written copy itself, and acting upon His words وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ “And as for the favour of your Lord, proclaim it” (al-Duha 93:11), we have made it available on the internet, so that everyone torn between two paths, unsure about a matter, may benefit from it. If you are one of them, put your trust in Allah the Exalted, observe the etiquette of estekhara, and read Surat al-Qadr three times and the estekhara supplications.