Istighosah Prayer

Practical modern "Istighosah Prayer" digital book

The word "istighosah" استغاثة comes from "al-ghouts" الغوث which means help. In Arabic grammar sentences that follow the pattern (wazan) "istaf'ala" استفعل or "istif'al" denote the meaning of request or supplication. So istighotsah means asking for help. Like the word ghufron غفران which means forgiveness when followed by the istif'al pattern it becomes istighfar استغفار which means begging for forgiveness. So istighotsah means "thalabul ghouts" طلب الغوث or asking for help. Scholars distinguish between istghotsah and "istianah" استعانة, although linguistically the meaning of the two is more or less the same. Because isti'anah is also the pattern of istif'al from the word "al-aun" العون which means "thalabul aun" طلب العون which also means asking for help.