Salat al-Istikharah is a prayer recited by Muslims who are in need of guidance from Allah when facing a decision in their life. The prayer is performed in two units of prayer or rakaah followed by the supplication of Salat al-Istikhaara. Istikhara literally means "to seek that which is good" and is the third part of a 3-step decision-making process. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to perform Istikhara:
- Perform Wudu to make sure youre cleansed, which involves washing your hands, face, nose, mouth, and lower forearms three times.
- Center your thoughts on what you want to pray about.
- Point your right index finger towards the sky and recite a prayer of witness, which is, "I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah alone; he is one; he has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is his chosen servant and true messenger."
- Prepare your space for Istikhara.
- Recite two rak’ah, then recite any Surahs youd like after Fatiha in each rakah as there are no Surahs specified by The Prophet ﷺ.
- Once you finish, say your salām for the prayer, recite the duʿāʾ (prayer) of Istikhara in Arabic as recommended to us by the Prophet ﷺ, and then explicitly state your need in any language youd like.
- Do not be impatient after saying the prayer. Be patient, and avoid showing haste or desperation. Remember not to expect miracles or symbolic visions when praying Istikhara, but to be open to answers in the forms of advice and subtle signs or feelings.
It is important to note that Istikhara is done when a decision is to be made in matters which are neither obligatory nor prohibited.
