Will you give detailed information about istikharah?

- Is it permissible to make istikharah about marriage?
- If one makes istikharah about whether to do something or not, and one sees both black and red and white and green in the dream, how does he know whether it is good to do it or not, and whether he should do it or not?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Istikharah means performing a prayer of two rak'ahs, to feel whether it is good to do something or not, and praying to Allah for the good to appear. This prayer (salah) is called istikharah prayer and the dua (supplication) is called istikharah dua.

Sleeping or dreaming is not essential for istikharah. In fact, if time is short and there is no time to sleep, it is sunnah to perform the istikharah prayer for any good issue. However, after the prayer and supplication, it is Sunnah to lie down with wudu facing the qiblah; and if one sees white or green in the dream, it may mean that the issue is good, and if he sees black or red, it may mean that the issue is not good...

If a person who wants to start something such as trade, marriage, traveling, etc., doubts whether it will be good for him or not, he wants to look for remedies that will remove his doubt and hesitation.

The first thing to do in this regard is to investigate the legality and lawfulness of the issue, and to examine whether it complies with religious standards. If the person cannot come to a conclusion on his own, the best way is to consult a competent and qualified person, to get his opinion, and if necessary, to discuss the matter in detail; in short, to make consultation. The person to be consulted must be experienced, knowledgeable and trustworthy.

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Question: We were about to say yes to a marriage proposal but some people told us to make istikharah. We did not trust ourselves, so we asked an elderly woman to make istikharah for us. The next morning, we received a comment saying, “It does not look good in istikharah; give it up.” However, in the consultation with our relatives, they said it was appropriate, suitable and good. We were about to say yes. What will happen now? Should we act according to istikharah or consultation?

First, let us analyze istikharah briefly. It is not easy to know whether what is seen in istikharah indicates a yes or a no. It depends on interpretation.

Is what is seen Satanic or Divine? It is not easy to predict. You need to be competent for that too.

Besides, istikharah is not binding. There is no obligation to act according to the sign that was seen.

As for consultation, there is a conclusion reached by competent people after discussing and thinking about the matter at length. This conclusion is in accordance with reason, logic and science. Or, it should be. In that case, there is no other way but to act in accordance with the consultation.

It is probably a sound examination to think about the issue with the minds of those who participate in the consultation, to see it with their eyes, and to observe it with their knowledge. One may be wrong; another one may not see it, but they will not all be wrong in the same way.

After that, it is necessary to rely on Allah (tawakkul).

In fact, the best precaution in such vital matters for the parties is to get to know each other as they really are. One should not pretend to have qualities that do not exist and then be surprised at the end.

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