The istikhara prayer is a very simple prayer of seeking guidance.

What Are The Benefits Of A Dua Istikhara Prayer?

A Dua Istikhara prayer is a time-limited prayer. It has to be done in the early morning (usually before sunrise) or in the evening (before Maghrib).

Dua Istikhara prayers are beneficial for people who are seeking answers to their problems. It helps them get rid of doubts and fears that might be preventing them from taking positive steps or making decisions about an issue that they are dealing with.

How To Perform Istikharah

First pray Two Rakaah of ritual Prayer (nafil) such that in the first raka' after Surah Fatiha recite Surah al-Kafirun (Chapter 109) and in the second raka' after Fatiha (Allhamd…) recite Surah al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112). After finishing prayer recite this Dua in Arabic as above.

Conditions Of The Prayer

One must take ablution ahead of the Salat al-Istikharah, in the same manner as one would do when entering into any salah.

Ibn Hajr said, commenting on this hadith: "Istikharah is a word which means asking Allah to help one make a choice, meaning choosing the best of two things where one needs to choose one of them."

With the salah completed one should immediately say the supplication of Istikhaara.

Istikhaara is done when a decision is to be made in matters which are neither obligatory nor prohibited. So one does not need to seek counsel from Allah for deciding whether he should go for hajj or not. Because if he is financially and physically able to do it then hajj is obligatory and he does not have a choice.

But seeking counsel from Allah (Istikhaara) can be done in all kind of other permissible matters where a choice needs to be made such as buying something, taking a job or choosing a spouse etc.

It is recorded in hadith that Muhammad used to teach his disciples to seek counsel from Allah (Istikhaara) for every matter just as he used to teach them the Sürah from the Qur'an.[2] In another Hadith Muhammad said:

"He who seeks counsel from Allah (Istikhaara) will not fail and he who consults and seeks advice from people will not regret".