We discussed last week the concept of seeking God’s help when making a choice on any question of importance. This is what is known in Islamic terminology as istikharah, or leaving the choice to God to make. We outlined the following points:
* Istikharah does not mean a request to know what is stored for us in the future. It is merely a prayer that seeks God’s help in making the right choice.
* Seeking God’s help in making a choice applies only to permissible matters. We may not resort to istikharah over anything Islam requires of its followers as a duty, or anything forbidden.
* When istikharah is done, one accepts what comes up in the matter concerned, trusting that God has made the right choice for him. This means that if things do not turn up in his favor in the way he expects, he should realize that the alternative would have been even worse.
* The Prophet taught his companions and followers in all generations to resort to istikharah in practically everything of importance.
The Hadith which teaches the istikharah is related by Al-Bukhari, An-Nassaie, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmithi and Ibn Majah on the authority of Jabir ibn Abdullah, a companion of the Prophet. It runs as follows:
When any of you is considering a matter of importance, let him offer two rakaahs other than obligatory prayers and follow that with this supplication: “My Lord, I seek Your help, based on Your knowledge, in making a choice and seek Your assistance based on Your power, for You are powerful and I am not, and You know all while I do not know. My Lord, if You know this matter (he should specify the matter) is beneficial to me in my faith and my living, and in my short-term and long-term affairs, then facilitate it for me, make it easy for me to have, and bless it for me. But if You know this matter (he should specify it again) is disadvantageous for me in my faith and my living, and in may short-term and long-term affairs, then keep it away from me and keep me away from it. Give me what is beneficial to me whatever it may be and make me happy with it”.
The first thing to note about this supplication is the fact that we begin with acknowledging our lack of knowledge, and therefore we request God to choose for us because His knowledge is absolute.
He knows what is beneficial for us and we are seeking His help to give us that. Moreover, we seek God’s help in making what is good and beneficial within our reach, because we may get to know what it is but we may not have the power to attain it. Therefore, we appeal to God to make it, by His power, easy for us to obtain. We also acknowledge God’s abundant grace, His power over all things and His knowledge of every secret.
Having established this basis, we then concentrate on the specific matter in hand. If God knows it to be good and beneficial for us in our present life and in the life to come, then we appeal to Him to make it easy for us to get and to give us His blessings to enjoy it.
If He knows it to be otherwise, then our appeal trusts to His wisdom and seeks to be spared that totally. We further seek God’s help to forget all about it. We also appeal to Him to give us what is good and beneficial whatever it may be.
All this supplication, made at a time when one is fully aware of one’s own inability and lack of knowledge, consciously and deliberately seeking God’s help, is a sign of strong belief in God, and a complete trust in His choice. It also shows a well satisfied heart. Hence, whatever result takes place, the believer who has done his istikharah will accept it, knowing it to be the choice God has made, which means that it is certain to be good.
Answering supplication is something God will always do, because when we pray Him, we actually acknowledge His Lordship, power and kindness. He returns that acknowledgment with a positive response. This is what He has promised us in the Qur’an: “Your Lord says: Pray Me and I will answer you.” (40: 60) This is a very clear promise, and God never fails to keep His promises. However, it is important to add whatever we can to ensure that we are sincere and consciously accept God’s will. This will increase the chances of seeing our wishes fulfilled by God.
What ensures such a response even more is to make our supplication at a time which is designated by God as one when He answers prayers. One such time is between the two day prayers, Dhuhr and Asr. This is clear from the following Hadith narrated by Jabir: “The Prophet made a supplication in Al-Fath Mosque on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and his prayer was answered on Wednesday between the two day prayers. Whenever I had something of importance, I would make sure to pray God at that particular time, in between the two day prayer on Wednesday, and I always found my prayers answered.” (Related by Ahmad and Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).
The above report is that related by Al-Bukhari. We note that Jabir does not mention here the nature of the Prophet’s supplication on that occasion. In Ahmad’s version, it is clear that the prayer was to defeat the army raised by the two tribes of Quraysh and Ghatafan, together with the Jews in and outside Madinah. That was the time when these forces combined in an attack aiming at eradicating Islam and the Muslims altogether. Ahmad also mentions that after the Prophet made his supplication on Wednesday, his companions saw him with his face beaming with pleasant expectation. He must have been assured of God’s positive answer of his prayer.
What happened in the case of those forces was that God subjected them to a fierce wind of hurricane power which sent a sense of fear, frustration and total helplessness in their hearts. They decided to withdraw and began to march away that night, after having besieged Madinah for nearly a month. Thus God foiled their purpose, gave the believers victory without having to engage in a fight, and made their city safe and secure. That was a turning point ensuring a permanent switch in the balance of power in favor of the Muslims.
We also note Jabir’s keenness to pray for the resolution of grave matters at the same time the Prophet had his prayer answered. That was on Wednesday between Dhuhr and Asr prayers.
This is an opportunity for all of us to take, particularly because it demonstrates following the Prophet’s example to the letter. This is something God loves as it demonstrates total belief.
