3 step approach to istikhara:
1- Use your aqal/wisdom to shortlist the available options you have to choose between. Do some research, do your best to know as much as you can about the options and then use your aqal so that you can get a vague idea which option is better.
2- Do istishaara/consultation/mashwara. Ask people you trust or ask someone you look up to or some religious person or anyone who has knowledge about the options to guide you which option is better, and give you a suggestion,most likely this will shortlist your options and now you are more inclined towards option B out of A,B,and C
3- Then do ISTIKHARA (ISTIKHARA is baab e istifaal-it means to SEEK khayr/talab e khayr/seek that which is best)
Method is to do wuzu,wear clean proper clothes,face the Qibla,pray 2 rakaat voluntary optional nafal prayer, and after the prayer pray the dua of istikhara,do not pray it on the makrooh times(when the sun is rising,setting or at its zenith),pray the dua in arabic and best to memorize it
You do not have to sleep right after it, You do not have to seal your lips, You don't wait for a dream,it's not a magic ball that will give you your answer immediately,Don't have unrealistic expectations
What will happen is that now you will feel more confident about an option,for example if you were inclined towards option A, you will feel more confident and that's the answer of your question
OR it could be that you develop doubts about option A and no longer feel good about it and are now more inclined towards option B
>IF more than one person are involved in the decision e.g. 3-4 people are making a business deal then EACH should make their own istikhara, one istikhara is not enough for everyone. Everyone should make their own istikhara
>DREAMS are not the base of making any decision in islam,they can just be a source of inspiration, but don't wait for dreams and don't take them as the ultimate source of making a decision
>ASKING someone else to do istikhara has no base in Hadith. It's best to do istikhara yourself. There is no condition that you have to be very pious or naik for istikhara. Allah listens to everyone and answers everyone. He has NOT set any condition that he will only listen to the one who is very pious. Even if you do not pray Salaat, just pray 2 nafal yourself for this istikhara. It doesn't matter if you do not pray generally. And if someobody asks for money to do istikhara for you,then back off because thats most likely a scam.
>You cannot do isitikhara for something that is prohibited e.g. whether I should drink alcohol or not
You cannot do istikhara for something that is obligatory e.g. whether I should pray isha or not
>IF you don't get any confidence even after doing istikhara,what to do? JUST keep doing it until you get inclined and feel confident. Just keep repeating it. In shaa Allah you will get a clear mind eventually.
In the DUA of istikhara we tell Allah that we are incapable and Allah is capable so He should direct us to the thing which is good for us in dunya and akhirah. Make it accessible for me. If it is not good then turn me away from it and turn it away from me,and make it possible for me that which is good,wherever and however it may be,make me content with it
There are 2 narrations, one has arzini bihi and the other has razzini bihi,because there are 2 kinds of people:
Arzini bihi=means someone who takes his time to make his decision and then when he makes it he stays firm
razzini bihi=means someone who takes decision but keeps getting second thoughts, for him it means keep me reassured with it and firm
When you say haazal amr= then think of the problem you are facing and for which you need guidance
ISTIKHARA is like taking consultation from Allah and telling Allah that I will not take any decision without asking you for your blessings and guidance, it reflects adab from Allah and tawakkal on Allah
BE confident and aware that you are consulting the one who has power over all, just have a firm level of conviction and imaan and yaqeen
