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Istikhara (guidance prayer)

الاستخارة

Two rak'as and the istikhara supplication before a decision one wavers over; the Prophet ﷺ taught his companions it as he taught a sura of the Qur'an.

Depth

At a glance

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Worship and the pillarsSpirituality and Sufism

Overview

Istikhara is asking for the good choice in a matter: directing one's resolve to what is chosen with God and better, through the prescribed prayer or the reported supplication. 1

Related terms

It is distinguished from tiyara (taking a bad omen), fa'l (a good omen), ru'ya (the dream), istiqsam with azlam arrows which is forbidden, and from probing the unseen through the mushaf, geomancy, or lots. 1 2

Ruling and form

The scholars agree it is a sunna; the Prophet taught it for all matters like a sura of the Quran: "when one of you resolves on a matter, let him pray two non-obligatory rak'as, then say…" — and "among the felicity of Adam's son is his seeking God's choice." 2

People and things also explored

Dhikr (the remembrance of God in the rulings of fiqh)· Niyya (intention in deeds)· Dhikr (remembrance of God)· Du'a (supplication)· The ruling on one who abandons prayer· Ada' (performance of an obligation within its time)· Prophetic adab (proper conduct)· Adhan (the call to prayer: its ruling, wording, conditions, recommended features and the muezzin)

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.2322
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.2323
  • Sahih al-Bukhari
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Istikhara (guidance prayer)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/practice/istikhara/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Related

Dhikr (the remembrance of God in the rulings of fiqh)

In the rulings dhikr is the servant's remembrance of his Lord by statement, recitation, supplication or praise. It is recommended at all times, except in certain places and conditions such as relieving oneself, intercourse and the Friday sermon. It is by tongue and heart together; by the majority, the tongue's dhikr counts only when the speaker says it and hears himself. The Qur'an is the best dhikr for one who acts on it, and then the four words: glory be to God, praise be to God, there is no god but God, and God is greatest. The forms include the tahlil, tasbih, tahmid, takbir, hawqala, istirja', basmala and blessing on the Prophet; forms that imply shirk or deficiency are forbidden. Chanting in unison is disputed: some allow it when it does not disturb and is not thought obligatory, while al-Shatibi calls the unison of a fixed form an innovation.