Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh

رَوَى هَارُونُ بْنُ خَارِجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «إِذَا أَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَمْراً فَلاَ يُشَاوِرْ فِيهِ أَحَداً مِنَ اَلنَّاسِ حَتَّى يَبْدَأَ فَيُشَاوِرَ اَللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى» قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ مَا مُشَاوَرَةُ اَللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وتَعَالَى جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ «يَبْدَأُ فَيَسْتَخِيرُ اَللَّهَ فِيهِ أَوَّلاً ثُمَّ يُشَاوِرُ فِيهِ فَإِنَّهُ إِذَا بَدَأَ بِاللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وتَعَالَى أَجْرَى لَهُ اَلْخِيَرَةَ عَلَى لِسَانِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنَ اَلْخَلْقِ.

Harun ibn Khurajah narrate from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) who said: "If one of you intends to undertake a matter, let him not consult any person before first consulting Allah (swt), the Blessed and Exalted." I asked: "What is meant by consulting Allah (swt), may I be your ransom?" Imam (a.s) said: "He should first seek guidance (istikhara) from Allah (swt) regarding it, then he may consult others about it. For if one begins by turning to Allah (swt), the Blessed and Exalted, He will guide him to the best through the tongue of whomever He wills from among His creation."

وَ رَوَى مُرَازِمٌ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «إِذَا أَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ شَيْئاً فَلْيُصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لْيَحْمَدِ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ لْيُثْنِ عَلَيْهِ وَ لْيُصَلِّ عَلَى اَلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ وَ يَقُولُ اَللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا اَلْأَمْرُ خَيْراً لِي فِي دِينِي وَ دُنْيَايَ فَيَسِّرْهُ لِي وَ قَدِّرْهُ لِي وَ إِنْ كَانَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي » قَالَ مُرَازِمٌ فَسَأَلْتُ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ يُقْرَأُ فِيهِمَا فَقَالَ «اِقْرَأْ فِيهِمَا مَا شِئْتَ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَاقْرَأْ فِيهِمَا، بِ «قُلْ هُوَ اَللّٰهُ أَحَدٌ» وَ «قُلْ يٰا أَيُّهَا اَلْكٰافِرُونَ» وَ «قُلْ هُوَ اَللّٰهُ أَحَدٌ» تَعْدِلُ ثُلُثَ اَلْقُرْآنِ.

Murazim narrated from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) who said: "If one of you intends to undertake something, let him pray two units of prayer (rak'ahs). Then, let him praise Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, and glorify Him, and send blessings upon the Prophet (saws), and say: 'O’ Allah (swt), if this matter is good for me in my religion and my worldly affairs, then make it easy for me and decree it for me. But if it is otherwise, then turn it away from me.'" Murazim asked: "What should be recited in these prayers?" He (Abu Abdullah) replied: "Recite whatever you wish in them, and if you like, recite in them: 'Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad' (Surah Al-Ikhlas) and ‘Qul ya-ayyuhal kaafirun’ (Surah al-Kafirun) Reciting 'Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad' (Surah Al-Ikhlas) is equivalent to one-third of the Quran."

وَ سَأَلَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ اَلْقَسْرِيُّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ عَنِ اَلاِسْتِخَارَةِ فَقَالَ «اِسْتَخِرِ اَللَّهَ فِي آخِرِ رَكْعَةٍ مِنْ صَلاَةِ اَللَّيْلِ وَ أَنْتَ سَاجِدٌ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ وَ مَرَّةً» قَالَ كَيْفَ أَقُولُ قَالَ «تَقُولُ أَسْتَخِيرُ اَللَّهَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ أَسْتَخِيرُ اَللَّهَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ.

Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Qasri asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) about seeking divine guidance (istikhara). Imam (a.s) said: "Seek guidance from Allah (swt) in the last unit (rak'ah) of the night prayer while you are in prostration, repeating it one hundred and one times." Muhammad asked: "How should I say it?" Imam (a.s) said: "You should say, Astakheeru Allāha bi-raḥmatihi, astakheeru Allāha bi-raḥmatihi. 'I seek guidance from Allah (swt) by His mercy, I seek guidance from Allah (swt) by His mercy.'"

وَ رَوَى حَمَّادُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ اَلنَّابُ عَنْهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «فِي اَلاِسْتِخَارَةِ أَنْ يَسْتَخِيرَ اَللَّهَ اَلرَّجُلُ فِي آخِرِ سَجْدَةٍ مِنْ رَكْعَتَيِ اَلْفَجْرِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ وَ مَرَّةً وَ يَحْمَدَ اَللَّهَ وَ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى اَلنَّبِيِّ وَ آلِهِ ثُمَّ يَسْتَخِيرَ اَللَّهَ خَمْسِينَ مَرَّةً ثُمَّ يَحْمَدَ اَللَّهَ وَ يُصَلِّيَ عَلَى اَلنَّبِيِّ وَ آلِهِ صَلَوَاتُُ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ يُتِمَّ اَلْمِائَةَ وَ اَلْوَاحِدَةَ.

Hammad ibn Uthman al-Naab narrated from Him (a.s) that He said: "For istikhara (seeking divine guidance), a person should seek guidance from Allah (swt) during the last prostration (sajdah) of the two rak'ahs of Fajr prayer by repeating it one hundred and one times, praising Allah (swt), and sending blessings upon the Prophet and his family. Then, seek guidance from Allah (swt) fifty times, praise Allah (swt) again, and send blessings upon the Prophet and his family until completing the count of one hundred and one."

وَ رَوَى حَمَّادُ بْنُ عِيسَى عَنْ نَاجِيَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا أَرَادَ شِرَاءَ اَلْعَبْدِ أَوِ اَلدَّابَّةِ أَوِ اَلْحَاجَةَ اَلْخَفِيفَةَ أَوِ اَلشَّيْءَ اَلْيَسِيرَ اِسْتَخَارَ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهِ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ فَإِذَا كَانَ أَمْراً جَسِيماً اِسْتَخَارَ اَللَّهَ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ.

Hammad ibn Isa narrated from Najiyah, from Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (a.s) that "Whenever He (a.s) intended to purchase a servant, an animal, or a light matter, or something of little importance, he would perform istikhara (seek Allah’s (swt) guidance) seven times. But if it was a serious matter, he would perform istikhara one hundred times”.

وَ رَوَى مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْهُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «مَا اِسْتَخَارَ اَللَّهَ عَبْدٌ سَبْعِينَ مَرَّةً بِهَذِهِ اَلاِسْتِخَارَةِ إِلاَّ رَمَاهُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِالْخِيَرَةِ يَقُولُ يَا أَبْصَرَ اَلنَّاظِرِينَ وَ يَا أَسْمَعَ اَلسَّامِعِينَ وَ يَا أَسْرَعَ اَلْحَاسِبِينَ وَ يَا أَرْحَمَ اَلرَّاحِمِينَ وَ يَا أَحْكَمَ اَلْحَاكِمِينَ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَ خِرْ لِي فِي كَذَا وَ كَذَا.

Mu'awiya ibn Maythara narrated that Imam (a.s) said: "No servant who performs istikhara (seeks Allah’s (swt) guidance) seventy times with this istikhara will be left without Allah (swt), the Mighty and Majestic, granting him guidance." The supplication is: "O’ the best of those who see, O’ the most hearing of the hearers, O’ the swiftest of reckoners, O’ the most merciful of the merciful, O’ the wisest of judges, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family and guide me in such and such matter."

وقال أبي رضي الله عنه في رسالته إلى: إذا أردت يا بني أمرا فصل ركعتين واستخر الله مائة مرة ومرة فما عزم لك فافعل وقل في دعائك: " لا إله إلا الله الحليم الكريم، لا إله إلا الله العلي العظيم، رب بحق محمد وآله صلى على محمد وآله وخر لي في كذا وكذا للدنيا والآخرة خيرة في عافية.

My father, may Allah (swt) be pleased with him, advised in his letter: "If you, my son, desire to undertake something, pray two rak'ahs (units of prayer), and then perform istikhara one hundred and one times. Whatever is made firm in your heart, proceed with it, and say in your supplication: 'There is no god but Allah (swt), the Forbearing, the Generous. There is no god but Allah (swt), the Exalted, the Great. O’ Lord (azj), by the right of Muhammad and his family, bless Muhammad and his family and grant me guidance in such and such matter for this world and the hereafter, as a choice in well-being.'"