K..you might have to type in istikhara to find it on that site. Here is the info pasted below...

Istikhara or prayer of guidance
Concerning the ritual prayer for guidance in choosing the best option ,
and the prayer of supplication appropriate to it
According to a traditional report transmitted on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, it was Jabir ibn 'Abdi'llah (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father) who said:

"Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to teach us how to seek guidance in choosing the best option available in a practical enterprise , just as he would sometimes teach us a Chapter from the Qur'an. :

"'If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two cycles of ritual prayer , not as an obligatory observance , but voluntarily. Then he should say:

'"O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.


Allahumma inni astakhiru-ka bi-'ilmi-ka wa astaqdiru-ka bi-qudrati-ka wa as'alu-ka min fadli-ka 'l-'azim fa-inna-ka taqdiru wa la aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu wa Anta 'Allamu 'l-ghuyub

O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.


Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha 'l-amra khairun li fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati wa 'aqibati amri wa 'ajili-hi wa ajili-h :fa-'qdir-hu li wa yassir-hu li thumma barik li fi-h

If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be, and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.'"


wa illa fa-'srif-hu 'an-ni wa yassir liya 'l-khaira haithu kana ma kuntu wa raddi-ni bi-qada'i-ka ya Arhama 'r-rahimin

The information presented here is copyright of Al-Baz Publishing, Inc. and may not be reproduced by any means for distribution or commercial gain. Copyright holder grants to reader license to print single copy for personal use or study only.


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More questions on how to perform isthikhara

Question: I have prayed isthikhara numerous times and never get clear dreams or feelings. I sometimes get a good or bad feeling, but they are not usually consistent. Several people I know are confused on the topic of salatul-Istikhara. Is it meant to be prayed several days in a row until a decision is made, or only once? Is it meant to be prayed after one has pretty much made up their mind, or when someone hasn't really figured out what to do? Are their various valid opinions?

Answer:

When one is not clear about the result of the istikhara, the fuqaha mention that it is recommend to repeat it, upto seven times if necessary (usually done on separate occassions).

It is not necessary that you get a dream or even a "feeling." Rather, the istikhara is a prayer that Allah guide you towards that which is best (khayr) for you. If you do the prayer of guidance (istikhara) with the proper manners, the most important of which is to truly consign the matter to Allah and suspend your own inclinations, then Allah will make events unfold in the direction that is the best for your worldly and next-worldly affairs.

In general, when it is not possible to perform the istikhara prayer itself (such as when one is out on the road, or in one's menstrual period), it is recommended to simply read the dua itself.

The istikhara prayer may be made for a specific matter or be made for a general seeking of all that is best. Some scholars, including Imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha`rani and Ibn `Arafah before him saw this kind of istikhara prayer as being superior. Others, including Shaykh Ibn al-Arabi, recommended performing a general istikhara prayer for all that is good every day, ideally at the time of the Duha prayer (after sunrise).

Imam al-Nawawi mentioned that before the istikhara prayer, one should seek advice (istishara) from those whose knowledge, wisdom, and concern one is confident. Ibn Hajar al-Haytami and others mentioned that one of the benefits of this is to further distance oneself from the desires of one's own egotistic inclinations.

It is recommended to open the dua of istikhara , with praise of Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace), and to close it in this manner, too.

Like other duas, it is recommended that one face the qibla.

It is disliked to 'hasten' in seeking the answer to one's istikhara, like other duas, because the Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) said, "Your prayers are answered, unless you hasten, saying, 'I prayed, but no answer came.'"

One should be pleased with what Allah chooses for one, and not seek to follow one's whims after the answer to one's supplication becomes clear.

Answered by Sidi Faraz Rabbani of the Hanafi fiqh list.



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Someone else wants to do istikhara for me

Question: There is a pious lady in our community who has offered to pray istikhara for me to help me make a decision for marriage... my question to you is if you know if this idea of relying on someone else's istikhara is a good idea and compatible with the teachings of Islam on how to make dua and decisions. Should I follow her advice (according to her dreams and feelings) to me on this issue or not?

Answer:

This is one means you can take: to seek the istikhara of a pious person. The permissibility of this was mentioned explicitly by the Malikis and Shafi`is. The Hanafis do not appear to have discussed this issue , but there is nothing in it that would indicate its impermissibility. Rather, it is merely the taking of a means, which is permitted as long as one knows that the one who gives and takes, benefits and harms is Allah alone.

In such cases, though, one should not leave doing the istikhara oneself.

Answered by Sidi Faraz Rabbani of the Hanafi fiqh list.



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Follow-up question on istikhara

Question: I received an email regarding istikhara and I had further questions regarding it if you could please clarify. I too have attempted to do istikhara regarding marriage and was unable to get some sort of dream or "feeling" as people commonly say. You had responded that one should do istikhara 7 times. Is this 7 times in a row? Also when is an appropriate time to perform istikhara? Some places I have read after isha, others after fajr. What is advisable? Must one also memorize the duaa or is it ok to read it from a book? It would be very helpful to me if you could perhaps provide elaboration on the correct manner in which to perform istikhara.

Answer:

1. 7 times on separate occasions. When possible, on separate nights (e.g. for big non-urgent issues);

2. Any time, but after isha, before sleep is best.

3. After fajr??? It is not permitted to pray anything after the fard of fajr except makeup prayers until sunrise. And after fajr time comes in, one only prays 2 rakats of the sunna of fajr. All other prayers (including the prayer of greeting the masjid) are disliked, besides the fard of fajr itself, until sunrise.

4. It is best to memorize the dua, and to actually be ASKING Allah with it, not just reading it out or merely SAYING it. Allah's turning to one is commensurate to one's turning to Him.

5. The best way to know how the istikhara prayer works is to pray it regularly, for big and small specific matters and for general guidance. It becomes a knack, the scholars say.

And Allah alone gives success.

Answered by Sidi Faraz Rabbani of the Hanafi fiqh list.

See also The Etiquette of Du'?

Assalamu Alaikum. Here is a great site that has the instructions, the dua, & the meaning. Istikhara's dua is a great tool to learn--most ppl don't look for signs-it's really to ask Allah (swt) to guide you to whatever is in your best interest. The dua is jsut asking for guidance, and you really shoudl ask for it yourself. Here's teh link. Hope it helps Inshallah. May Allah (swt) bless you.
www.themodernreligion.com

Isthikhara isnt just about dreams or signs...you are praying for guidance.

The salah is from the sunnah, and as muslims, we should endeavour to follow the sunnah :)

The prayer is a blessing from Allah swt...make the most of it :D

I think people do this too easily these days..how about working it out yourself!..

Mim...haven't done it as yet...am I being lazy or am I afraid of an answer I am not ready to accept?

That is a really good question. Seeing as how I haven't done it yet, I can't tell you what I would do!

Aren't people scared of doing istikhaara?..what if the signs you get are not what you wanted?..will you change the course of your life?

Wa alaykum as salaam

Done (H)

Salaams,

Your link didn't work...you can send me an email!

Thanks!

Dear Sister

Assalaamu alaykum :)

Please see the following link: qa.sunnipath.com ID=1056& CATE=4

I do recommend that you pray yourself.

Give me a salaam/email if you need some help.

All the best and wa salaam :)

Thanks for the advice. I would like to get the website you mentioned. I did find one with English transliteration, but I think my vowels got mixed up!

Do you know how many days or at what time?

You know what sis... i really think you should do Ishtikara yourself... lekin if you cant find anyone else to do it, ide be happy to do it on your behalf...im no Alim or Fazil or anything but hay, an extra pair of hands up in prayer cant hurt... right ?