the word istikharah comes from the root word of khayr

8/2/2019 The Word Istikharah Comes From the Root Word of Khayr

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The word istikharah comes from the root word of khayr. Khayr in the Arabic language in its origins is representative of

all that which is good. Khayr is an umbrella word that represents all that which is good. Istikharah means to seek the

good and seek that which is good. This is the meaning of the word istikharah itself.

Just like the meaning, the prayer salat-l-istikharah, which is from the Sunnah of the Prophet , is an authentically

narrated Sunnah of the Prophet and an extremely emphasized practice of the Messenger . Just like the meaning of

the word istikharah, the purpose of the salah is similarly to seek that which is good from Allah . I want to

inshaAllah have this session to explain the procedure and the purpose of istikharah.

I am going to split todays presentation into two parts. The first part will focus on the ritual itself, meaning the

technicalities, procedure, concept and outcome of istikharah. The second part of the lecture will focus on the purpose

of the istikharah, which is explaining the meaning and beauty of the supplication of istikharah itself because that

unlocks the purpose and the reason why we even do istikharah.

Basic Points

To begin with the technicalities, I would like to begin with a few basic points. The first is the concept of istikharah to

understand istikharah conceptually and what it is. I can explain best to you what istikharah is by explaining to you

what istikharah is not. As they say in Arabic, sometimes the best way to get to know something is to know the

opposite of it. The best way I can help you understand what istikharah is conceptually and the role and purpose of

istikharah is by explaining to you what it most definitely is not.

Istikharah is not a Magic 8 ball. Did you ever buy that? You get it at the mall as a gag gift. You ask the Magic 8 ball,

Should I go to the mall today? [Shake it]. Maybe. This is the Magic 8 ball. What I am trying to say by giving you

this silly example is what people play around with when playing with the Magic 8 ball is throw out a random question,

shake the Magic 8 ball and get a magical answer and go with it. It is kind of like rolling the dice. Istikharah is not that.

Decision Making Process: 3 Steps

Istikharah is the third of a three-step decision making process. The first step of a decision making process is to use

the God-given intellect, ability, and critical thinking that Allah has blessed each and every single human being with

in different capacities. Allah has granted every human being the ability to take factors into consideration and weigh

different options and think about, ponder, contemplate, and process. That is the first step of the decision making

process in the life of the believer. He first uses his aql, intelligence and ability to think that Allah has given him.

There is a reason that Allah emphasizes the aql, ulil-albab, and these types of things in the Quran because

these are from the greatest of Allahs blessings. That is the first step of the decision making process: Take your

circumstances into consideration, look at the options available to you, and then sit down and think and try to figure

out and do some research and try to come to somewhat of a conclusion. At least try to narrow your options and come

to somewhat of a conclusion. This is number one.

The second step of a decision making process is istisharah. It is the Arabic word for seeking counsel and seeking

advice. The next step of the process is to then seek some counsel and advice, and it really depends on what type of


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a decision you are trying to make. If you want to buy a car, you first do some research online and do some car

shopping and test drove and narrow down to about three or four different cars that you are thinking about. Then what

you could do, for instance, is go to a brother from the masjid who is a car mechanic. Sit down with that brother and

say, Brother, I want to take advice from you because you are experienced and knowledgeable about cars. What do

you recommend? These are the three or four cars I am looking at. He says, I wouldnt buy that because it has

transmission problems. This car wears out really quickly, etc.

Now you are seeking counsel and advice. If it is a more personal issue, something that is a life type decision, then

you seek the counsel and advice from somebody who sincerely and honestly cares about you, somebody who is

experienced and mature and maybe even spiritually focused so that they have a well-rounded perspective they can

provide to you.

That is istisharah and seeking counsel. This is the second step of the decision-making process.

The third and final step of the decision making process is now istikharah. What has occurred up to this point is that

you started with no idea of what to do. You narrowed it down to maybe half a dozen different options and soughtsome counsel and got some advice from someone and are down to your last couple of options. At this point in time,

you are struggling with this or that and are starting to lean a little more towards one direction. You are thinking about

two cars and are leaning towards buying a convertible, for instance random example. You are thinking about buying

the Camaro over the mini-van. No brainer, but nevertheless for some strange reason you are conflicted. Maybe you

have two kids, but it doesnt matter, they can sit in the backseat.

You are starting to lean in one direction, but you are little conflicted and just need a little bit of a push and convincing.

You are looking for that confidence to make your decision that you have come to by critical thinking apply your

intellect and do some research and you sought some counseling. You are leaning in a direction but need some

confidence and some clarity of heart. This is where istikharah comes in.

What I have just explained to you removes many of the issues and questions that people have about istikharah itself.

A lot of people are confused about istikharah because they try to use it like the Magic 8 ball. I have got to buy a

house. Let me do istikharah. What do you think is going to happen? Are you magically going to see a house in your

dreams and going to go searching for it and find it and buy it? It doesnt work that way. You dont decide that you

need to buy a car and then pray istikharah and a Honda Civic is going to fall on you. It doesnt work that way.

When people try to utilize istikharah in that way, then they walk away confused and say, Shaykh, I made istikharah

and I cant figure anything out. Its not working. You dont change the batteries in your istikharah, right? What is

basically going on is that you are not utilizing it properly. Anything that is not utilized properly is not going to work

right. You have to utilize it properly and appropriately. Make sure you turn it into the third of a three-step decision

making process. This is the concept and role of istikharah.

Prerequisites of Istikharah

The next thing I would like to explain are the prerequisites of istikharah. What is required to do istikharah?


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I am going to give you the actual narration, but for now we are just going to roll with it and speak a little more

generally. What is required for the istikharah is what is required for any other prayer, which is you need to make sure

that you are pure and clean, clothed appropriately, have wud. You do not require a bath of purification. You face

towards the qiblah. That is what is required for istikharah.

Basically whatever is required to normally pray is what is required for istikharah. There are no other extra

prerequisites or requirements for istikharah. You dont have to pray it immediately before you go to sleep. You dont

have to take a shower and then immediately pray istikharah. You need wud for prayer; you need wud for

istikharah. Istikharah is a prayer just like dhuhr is a prayer and nafl would be a prayer. You dont need to stop talking

to people when you decide to do istikharah. You dont need to wake up in the middle of the night and do istikharah.

You dont have to go stand on top of a mountain on one leg and do istikharah. You get my drift at this point anything

extra that you may heard, come across, or assumed that is needed for istikharah aside from what is needed for

prayer. Wud, dressing appropriately, facing the qiblah, Allahu akbar that is istikharah.

The only thing I will add in here is that according to the opinion of the majority of scholars, there are small difference

of opinion Im going to tell you what the majority of scholars say. In salatl-istikharah, there are not major differencesof opinion. There are a few minor opinions here and there that differ from the vast majority. Im just going to go ahead

and share the majority opinion because it is an overwhelming majority opinion.

The overwhelming majority opinion is that the only thing you have to watch out for is what you watch out for in other

prayers. Make sure you dont pray istikharah at the times when prayer is forbidden. Those are three basic times of

the day: while the sun is rising, when the sun is at its peak (which lasts for a minute or so), and the setting of the sun.

Those three times of the day are when we are told not to pray. It is the same requirements of salah and for istikharah.

These are the prerequisites of istikharah.

Procedure

What is the procedure of istikharah? There is a sequence of events or procedure. Once you fulfill the prerequisites,

you will stand up and pray two rakahs, two units, of nafl (voluntary, supererogatory) prayer. Why am I emphasizing

and specifying it to be two rakahs of a voluntary prayer? When we read the text of the hadith together inshaAllah, at

that time you will see it. It is mentioned explicitly within the text of the hadith by the Messenger of Allah . No debate

and no question here.

What that means is that you cant pray salatl-isha and make the supplication of istikharah two for one, all done.

You cant do that.

The Prophet explicitly said that you have to invest two more extra rakahs of prayer that are voluntary and

optional. You pray those two rakahs of prayer. There is nothing different about those two units of prayer. You pray

them as you should pray any other salah. Theres obviously room for improvement in my prayer, and Im pretty sure

everybody feels there is room for improvement within their prayers, so aside from that entire discussion, basically you

pray istikharah like you would pray any other prayer, which is two rakahs, qiyam, ruk, sujd. You sit at the end,

tashahhud, salawat on the Messenger , supplication, salam, and thats it. That is the procedure of the istikharah.


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There is no extra special srah that should be recited here. Theres nothing that is authentically narrated from the

Prophet about reciting this in the first rakah and that in the second rakah. There is nothing of that sort. Just pray two

rakahs of prayer.

Once you finish these two rakahs of prayer, which means the taslim, you then at that time recite the exact

supplication taught to us by the Prophet in the Arabic language. You read it in Arabic. Again, here, the vast

overwhelming majority of scholars are of the opinion that the supplication of istikharah is to be done after the prayer.

There are a couple of opinions here and there to do it before the taslim; however, the vast majority overwhelming

majority, and again, if you analyze the text of the hadith, which Im going to point out to you when we do read the

hadith of the Prophet , you will see that the Prophet mentions a word which makes it very clear that the

supplication is meant to be said after the prayer is done.

Now at this point we recite the supplication. Read the supplication in Arabic. Why am I explicitly saying that? Again,

the hadith very clearly mentions that fact. A question comes up here: what if I dont have it memorized? Read it off of

a piece of paper. Fuqaha have stated that very clearly if somebody needs to read it off of a piece of paper, that is ok.

Read it out of a book, read it off of a piece of paper, photocopy it, do what you have to do. Nevertheless, read theactual Arabic of the supplication. Dont read the summarized English translation. When we read the text of the hadith,

we see the Prophet explicitly said, Read it as I have taught you.

The other thing I want to state is just in case anyone is watching the video or listening to the lecture what if

somebody cant read Arabic? Use a transliteration or something of that nature to the best of your ability. Of course if

somebody recently took shahadah or somebody recently came into connection with their din, there is always an

exception to the rule.

We do not give enough consideration to people who have had a major turning point in their life, whether we are

talking about people who may have been born in Muslim families but just not raised with the din and come to practice

the din later on in their lives, or if we are talking about reverts and converts, people who took shahadah later in life.

Consideration should always be given to them, and it should be understood that they are doing the best that they can,

and they should definitely make an effort to try to learn Arabic as much as possible and as quickly as possible, but

until and unless they are able to get to that point, they are completely capable of practicing their din to the best of

their ability, and it is ok for somebody like that to read it in English or to read the translation of it. That is a very, very

specific situation and consideration should be given to those types of cases.

Nevertheless, going back to the procedure. We talked about praying two rakahs, completing the prayer, reading the

supplication in Arabic to the best of your ability. That is the procedure of istikharah. Read the supplication in Arabic,

and it is done. You dont have to make any extra dua after that. The supplication that you read in Arabic is the

supplication and dua itself. There is no other extra procedure after. Once you are done reading the supplication, you

are done.

Outcome of Istikharah

The next issue I would like to address is what is the outcome of the istikharah? Again, I can start by telling you what

is not the outcome of the istikharah. You will not wake up in the middle of the night and have a 3D vision of what you


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should. I can tell you that is not going to happen. It is istikharah and not Avatar. That is one thing we need to be clear

on. While it might seem like a joke or silly to some people, sometimes people just dont know. The outcome of the

istikharah is nothing out of this world.

The primary outcome of the istikharah is the clarity of mind and confidence to make the decision that you need to

make that I alluded to earlier. You feel confident and good about making your decision. You were already leaning

towards one option option A and there is another option on the table, but you are a lot more confident about

option A or maybe you have come to a decision about option A but you just need that extra little confidence.

You do your istikharah and naturally start to feel more confident and feel clearer and feel ready to make that decision.

That is the outcome of your istikharah. The outcome of the istikharah is to reflect internally and be a bit introspective

and look inside and see if you feel good and confident about making your decision.

How do you know that the outcome of the istikharah is maybe this isnt the best decision for you? You will naturally

feel down. You will feel conflicted, doubtful, very scared or anxious or hesitant about making your decision. Then at

that point, this is your response of istikharah that maybe this isnt the best decision for you. That is how simple andeasy istikharah is.

The reason why istikharah has become complicated for us a lot of times is because we are looking for something out

of this world and something supernatural and really far out. We look for something crazy like that, and when we dont

find it, we feel unfulfilled.

If we learn to just think of it internally and learn to be a little more reflective and introspective, naturally you will find

the response to your istikharah to be a lot more facilitated for you. You are thinking internally and feel naturally

confident in your decision. That is the outcome and result of the istikharah.

What about Dreams?

The question always comes up: what about dreams? The issue of dreams is one thing that needs to be understood.

We dont completely dismiss dreams altogether. Authentic narrations of the Prophet tell us that dreams are

something that a believer derives inspiration from. Even the greatest of scholars like Ibn Sirin of the tabin and great

scholars of interpretation of dreams, one of the first things they would say or one of the first things they taught their

students was that dreams are not a basis of making decisions. Decisions should not be based on dreams. These

were the first and foremost to tell their students that even though these were the scholars of the interpretation of

dreams. They said at the most it is inspiration, motivation, encouragement. That is all it is. It is not something you

base a decision on.

I would like to clarify that right here. If you have a dream and it kind of inspires you or motivates you, alhamdulillah.

Dont read too much into it because you are not supposed to.

Two Miscellaneous Issues


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That is the outcome of the istikharah. There are two miscellaneous issues I would like to explain. The first issue is

related to the outcome.

What if I make istikharah and I just still dont feel comfortable or confident in my decision? I still dont feel confident or

clear and am still not comfortable making a decision, and I made istikharah and followed the procedure properly.

What do I do at that time? The course of action at that time is: do it again. If it doesnt work again, then do it again. If

you are still not comfortable, then do it again. Keep doing it until you feel confident and comfortable in making your

decision.

There is even a narration from Abdullah b. Zubayr , one of the companions of the Prophet and probably aishahs

best and brightest student. He says, I made istikharah with Allah three times. Then I was comfortable and confident

in making my decision. He explicitly mentions while explaining to his students that if you have to make istikharah

multiple times, then you have to make istikharah multiple times and thats ok. He said, I had to pray istikharah three

times one time to make a decision. Dont be afraid of repeating the istikharah multiple times.

A lot of times, it is just a matter of and this is a tragedy of our times becoming spiritually numb and we are notvery introspective and not very reflective. Sometimes the superficial nature of the culture we live in or activities make

us a little spiritually dull or numb. We might have to do istikharah a few times to break through the surface or crack

the shell, and thats ok.

The last issue I want to mention here that is associated with istikharah is that there is one very commonly asked

question and issue that comes up quite often. That is: can I have somebody else do istikharah for me? There is no

precedent. There is no religious verification for having someone else do istikharah for you. There is nothing

mentioned in the ahadith of the Prophet . There is no precedent from the generation of the sahabah. The classical

fuqaha have explicitly stated that istikharah is meant to be done by the individual himself or herself. That is a rule.

Thats it. A person has to do the istikharah himself or herself.

There is a very honest and sincere question and concern that is in the minds of people who ask this question. The

question or that concern is often: I am not a very good person, I dont pray five times a day, I have a lot of sins and

issues in my life, I feel distant from Allah, I dont know if I make istikharah if it will be clear or wont be clear, so I want

to ask someone to make istikharah who is a lot more righteous and pious, and someone who is a lot better person

than I am. That is a concern a lot of people have.

I would like to answer that concern by first saying that maybe part of the reason that you feel that way about your

relationship with Allah is because of the mentality and approach that you have where you dont feel like you are good

enough to talk to Allah . You feel like you dont have access to Allah.

The first thing that you have to get over is the simple fact that Allah is just as available and just as accessible to the

sinful person as He is to the most righteous and pious person. Allah is available and accessible to everyone. We can

all pray to Allah . We can all ask Allah for whatever we need. We can all do istikharah with Allah.

The second answer to that concern is if you are feeling a bit guilty and self-conscious about the fact that you are

distant from Allah and not praying and maybe that is why you should not be doing istikharah, then why not fix the


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problem? Why not say, I have a situation. I need to do istikharah. I dont pray five times a day and thats why I dont

feel comfortable doing istikharah. Well, its time for salatl-maghrib right now or time for salatl-isha right now, why

dont I go ahead and take that first step? Why dont I go make wud, stand up and pray salatl-isha and then pray

two rakaat to do my istikharah. Get it out of the way and get it done. That is the answer to the question.

There is no validity to having somebody halfway across the world in some village do istikharah on your behalf and

that person doesnt even know who you are and whats going on with you. By the way, as a side note and a word of

advice, if that person is charging you, its probably a scam. Just a little note of caution. If a person is charging you,

you need to stay away from that entire situation.

Nevertheless, I did want to address that in a serious issue and serious manner. There is no validity, there is no

precedent, and there is absolutely no authenticity to having somebody do istikharah on your behalf. The person him

or herself needs to be doing their own istikharah whatever situation they are dealing with.

Their might be situations where a decision affects multiple people. Then everybody involved in the situation makes

their own istikharah. If I will be implicated by this decision, then we all make our own istikharah. Nevertheless, it is notlike doing a business deal. If Im getting into a business deal with a couple of people and we need to come to the

decision whether it is good or not, we decide weve looked at the facts, crunched the numbers, and spoken to a

couple of people and gotten some consultation, we need to do istikharah. Let everybody go and do their own

istikharah. Even when it is a joint decision, everybody should be doing istikharah. Definitely when it is your own

personal decision, make your own istikharah. Dont put it off on somebody else. Nobody can do your istikharah you

do your own.

The concern that is there that Im not good enough, Im not pious enough, Im not righteous enough, it doesnt make

any sense. Allah is Allah. He is accessible to you. All you have to do is go get clean, make wud, face the qiblah,

Allahu akbar, and you are talking to Allah . Done deal.

Secondly, if you do feel that you are distant from Allah, then fix the problem. Dont create another problem. Repair the

relationship and fix the issue.

It obviously goes without saying that we dont make istikharah for anything that is impermissible. There is no

istikharah for: Should I drink alcohol (nadhu billah) of course that is very bad. Should I gamble, what should I

put my money on. It goes without saying and it is common sense that you dont make istikharah about the things that

are impermissible.

Also, we do not make istikharah about things that are obligatory. There is no making istikharah about should I pray

salatl-isha or not. That goes without saying that things that are obligatory and things that are a part of the din and

things that we are supposed to do like fasting Ramadan, there is no making istikharah should I fast in Ramadan or

not. Similarly, we do not make istikharah for things that are impermissible. Of course that is common sense, but I just

wanted to mention that.

PART TWO istikhara


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Supplication of Istikharah

Now, lets go ahead and discuss the supplication of istikharah itself. Ill go ahead and read the hadith to you. This is a

hadith from Sahih Bukhari.

Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him), a very knowledgeable companion of the Prophet of Allah , says, The

Messenger of Allah would regularly teach us to do istikharah in all of our affairs and issues just like he would teach us

a srah from the Quran. What does that mean? He is drawing a parallel. This is the same type of verbage used to

talk about the tashahhud in the prayer. He would teach us the tashahhud like he would teach us a srah from the

Quran. It is also said about the istikharah supplication.

That means two things and has two implications. Implication #1: he emphasized the importance of memorizing it. Just

like we memorize a srah of the Quran, similarly he emphasized the importance of memorizing the supplication of

istikharah. Implication #2: read it in the Arabic language like we read a srah in the Arabic language. When we read a

srah from the Quran in our prayers, we read it in Arabic. Again, there is that rare exception that I talked about,

nevertheless the general rule is that we read the supplication in Arabic. The Prophet taught us to read thesupplication of istikharah in Arabic like we read a srah in Arabic.

He would say, When any one of you is concerned with an issue or a matter, then he should pray two rakahs of

optional, voluntary prayer aside from the fard obligatory prayer. This is where I was explicitly saying it has to be

voluntary optional prayer because the Prophet explicitly in the hadith in the narration says it must be voluntary

optional prayer.

Then the Prophet says, Thumma Thumma in the Arabic language in classical Arabic, the Quranic and prophetic

language, is to say afterwards, after that, then afterwards. It states that this occurs after the previous thing has been

completed or concluded. Based on this, the vast overwhelming majority of scholars are of the opinion the supplication

of istikharah is to be read after the prayer has been completed, after the taslim.

The Prophet reads the supplication for us and teaches us the supplication. Im going to explain the meaning of the

supplication.

O Allah, I seek most definitely that which is good from You by means of Your Knowledge because O Allah, You know

what is good for me, and I dont know what is good. The ayah of the Quran says, You may like something initiallyand it turns out to be bad for you. You might dislike something initially and it turns out to be something good for you.

Based on that, Allah is the only One who knows what is good for me, so that is why I am saying, O Allah, I seek that

which is good from You by means of Your Knowledge.
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And I seek the ability to do what I have to do by means of Your Power and Your Ability. Meaning: I am weak and I

am incapable, but I seek the ability to make my decision and to do what I need to do by means of Your Ability and

Power.

And I ask You, to grant me from Your great, majestic benevolence and great blessing to bless me. I ask You to bless

me from Your Blessings and to grant me some from Your Blessings.

This is personally my favorite part of the supplication. This states the mentality behind istikharah.

because most definitely You are fully capable, and I am completely incapable.

And You know everything and I dont know anything.

And O Allah, You are Alam. Alam is the exaggerated, hyperbolized noun which basically means the Complete

Knower of al-ghuyb. Ghuyb is the plural of the word ghayb all those things that are unseen, all those things that

are hidden, all those things that are unknown. You are the Complete Knower, inside out, of all those things that are

unseen, unknown, and hidden.

Now here comes the crux of the supplication:

O Allah, You know that this issue, decision, matter if this is good for me in my religious affairs and my worldly

affairs and in the end of my affairs What do you think the end of my affairs is referring to? The akhirah. If You

know, O Allah, that this decision that Id like to make and have been struggling with is good for me in my din and my

religion, in my worldly matters and issues, and if this is good for me in the akhirah
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Another narration of this same supplication, the Prophet said,

In my short term and in the long term

What do you think short term refers to? Dunya, this life. ajilihi, the long term, makes reference to akhirah, the life of

the hereafter.

O Allah, You know if this is good for me in the short term and the long term, dunya and akhirah.

Make it possible for me. Make it happen for me.

But thats not it. Now we get to see the real beauty and magnificence of the supplication.

Dont just make it possible and available to me, make it easy and facilitate it for me. Make it simple, easy, and

accessible for me.

Thumma means after the fact. After what fact? After I have achieved it. Put blessing in it for me. We are going for the

premium package. I want the works, all the options. I want it to be possible for me, O Allah. I want it to be easy,

simple, accessible, and facilitated for me, O Allah. Then after I have it, I want barakah and blessing in it, O Allah.

What a comprehensive supplication. What a beautifully comprehensive supplication. It then goes on:

O Allah, You know if this issue, decision, matter is bad for me in my din, in my worldly matters and in the end of my

affairs in the akhirah.

Another narration again says:

in my short term and in the long term meaning my dunya and my akhirah.
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Here we get to again see the beauty and eloquence of the supplication, the prophetic eloquence on full display. Let

me explain the words to you here. The word sar means to turn something. There are two entities here: you and whatyou are making istikharah for. The supplication says, If this is bad for me in my dunya and akhirah, then turn it away

from me and turn me away from it. Do you see the eloquence in the supplication and the visual that it provides?

Imagine you and what you are making istikharah for.

O Allah, if this is bad for me in my dunya and my akhirah, then I want nothing to do with it. Dont just turn it away from

me but turn me away from it. I want nothing to do with it. I got no business with it. If there is no khayr, then what

would I want with it? This is what the supplication teaches us to say.

That doesnt solve the problem. There is still an issue left. What is the problem? Whatever it is you are making

istikharah for your need, your necessity, your situation, your decision is still not complete. You made istikharah and

realize that this is not good for you and felt uncomfortable, hesitant, or apprehensive about the decision and backed

away, but your need still remains.

The Prophet doesnt leave us hanging. He completes the supplication.

And then make possible for me that which is good. This particular situation wasnt good for me, so I asked Allah,

Turn it away from me and turn me away from it. I want nothing to do with it. O Allah, make that which is good

possible for me. The problem is I dont know where, how, when, or anything about it. Where do I start? Haythuka

wherever and however that good may be. Make that which is good possible for me whenever, wherever, and

however it may be. I leave it to you, O Allah. I will still do my due diligence and stay at work trying to find the right

option, but O Allah, lead me to that khayr. I was saved from sharr, but make something good for me down the road.

This is consolation at the end of the supplication. This situation didnt work out, which is actually good because it

wasnt khayr. You are asking Allah for khayr, and Allah will make khayr possible for you.

The yaqin, the conviction, needs to be there when you make supplication. Allah will make that which is good possible,

you just have to keep sticking to what you are doing and keep your hopes high in Allah .

So make that which is good possible for me wherever and however it may be. Then make me pleased and satisfied

with it.
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In another narration, the Prophet says the words, Then make me satisfied with it. Make me content, satisfied,

fulfilled with it. Make me pleased with it.

Again, it sounds like the same thing. Even somebody who doesnt have any background in formal Arabic studies can

hear the difference. Thumma ardini bihi and thumma raddini bihi. Ardini and raddini sound a lot alike, but are they

completely the same word? There is a little bit of a difference, which is a difference in verb pattern. The thing about

these verb groups and verb patterns is that they all have their own special implication. In the classical form of the

language, they have their own special implications.

When you have the same root word coming in two verb patterns, the subtle difference between the two is that ardini

means make something happen all at once. Make me all at once completely satisfied and fulfilled with it. Raddini

has the implication for something to happen continuously, little by little, step by step.

SubhanAllah, the Prophet said it with the two different verb forms, and this shows us not only the eloquence of the

Prophet but how well he understood people. There are two types of people when it comes to making a decision.

Some people might take their time and do their due diligence and research and take time to come to a decision.

When they finally come to a conclusion, they are done. The decision is made, and khalas they are confident and

going forward now.

Some people are a little different. They come to a conclusion and decision and feel good and everything is ok and

they are going for it. Then later at midnight you get a text message from that friend saying, Im freaking out. I dont

know what to do. Im nervous. You say, Dont worry about it. Its all ok. Its midnight, go to sleep. Everything will be

alright inshaAllah. Then they say, Ok, Im good. You wake up to pray salatl-fajr, and he calls you. You answer the

phone and he says, Bro, I need to talk to you right now. Im not sure about this. Thats ok some people are like

that and need that constant reassurance.

SubhanAllah look at the Messenger of Allah and how well he knows his people and understands people. He

accommodated both types of people. Thumma ardini bihi for the type of guy who might take his time to make a

decision but once he makes it, he is done. Thumma raddini bihi for the person who O Allah dont just make me

pleased with it, but keep me pleased with it. Constantly reassure me about my decision, O Allah.

At the end of the supplication in the narration of Bukhari, the Prophet says, And then he mentions his need. When

you go back into the supplication, remember the part that I said was the crux of the supplication?
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O Allah, You know that this decision, if this is good for me that is the moment where the Prophet says the person

should mention his or her need. The scholars explain that there are two options. Somebody could just simply think of

whatever it is that they are making istikharah about, and that would suffice. If somebody just visualizes or

conceptualizes or thinks of what they are making istikharah about, that is sufficient. Otherwise, a person can feel free

and should feel free to go ahead and verbalize it. They dont need to verbalize it in Arabic if that is not their language.

They can say it in their own language. Allahumma in kunta talamu anna hathal-amra and then at that time the

person says, Buying this particular car, purchasing this house, marrying so-and-so that this is good for me. Then the

supplication goes on and continues.

Similarly, there is a second moment when you mention it as well when you mention the other part of it. O Allah, you

know that if this decision and issue is bad for me, then again you can think about it, conceptualize it, or verbalize it.

The Prophet taught us to do that. It becomes very practical and real. It is a real experience and you are literally

stating your need, and this is something the Prophet taught us to do.

That concludes the discussion on the meaning of the supplication of istikharah and it gives you an insight as to why

we do istikharah and what the purpose is and the spirit of istikharah.

One thing I would like to explain here about the supplication of istikharah is that it is the perfect example of prophetic

eloquence of the Prophet and how beautiful the supplications are that he taught us. There is a lot of good and khayr

in learning the prophetic supplications, and we should invest some time and energy in learning these beautiful

supplications.

Quotes from Scholars

The last little note I wanted to mention here is a few little basic quotes from some scholars

about the blessing of istikharah and why we do istikharah.

Ibn Abi Jamra (rahimahullah), a great scholar, said, The wisdom behind putting the salah before the istikharah is the

istikharah combines both the good of this world and the next. Just like in this dunya a person needs to go the one he

needs something from and win their favor and then put their need before them, the salah precedes the supplication is

like knocking at the door of the King and presenting yourself before Allah and making sujd and humbling yourself

and putting your face on the ground before Allah and then spreading your hands and presenting your need before

Allah . This is the beauty of the sequence of events.

Ibn Taymiyyah says, He who seeks guidance from the Creator and then consults with the creation (people) and then

once he comes to a decision that he is confident in and goes forward with, such a person will never regret and have

no remorse about the decision that he makes.

Imam Al-Nawawi says, After performing the istikharah, when a person is wholeheartedly inclined and feels good

about a decision, then the person should say bismillah and go ahead with the course of action and the conclusion

and decision.


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Istikharah is like a training in adab with Allah. O Allah, I will not make a decision without praying to You. Even though

Im fully confident, I will still do istikharah. It shows adab with Allah, and part of the adab with Allah is that when you

do come to a conclusion and decision and did make istikharah and feel confident about your decision, then you go

with it. You remove doubt at that time and dont second guess and dont doubt because that would show disrespect to

Allah and this practice of istikharah.

Final Note

The last and final note I want to mention here is one other requirement for istikharah. I didnt mention this in the

prerequisites because I was talking about more in terms of fiqh. The primary ingredient of the istikharah is conviction.

Know who you are praying to. You are praying to Allah, rabbl-alamin. You are praying to the One who created each

and every single thing. He watches and controls every single thing. He sustains and maintains each and every single

thing. He is capable of doing whatever He wills.

Have that level of confidence when you do istikharah. I am not just consulting with anyone. I am talking to Allah, andAllah will help me in my situation. Allah will give me clarity of mind, and Allah will bless me with confidence. When you

do make istikharah and you do feel hesitant, remember what the end of the supplication said. Dont feel disheartened

at that time because at the end of the supplication, you do ask Allah for khayr, and if you have the level of conviction

in Allah, you will have the conviction that Allah will provide to you that which is best for you.

Have that conviction. Have that level of iman and yaqin in Allah and His Ability to take care of you and Allah will

inshaAllah take care of us. As it says in the hadith qudsi, I deal with My slave according to how he perceives Me. If

he perceives that I can take care of him, I take care of him. When he is doubtful, maybe he wont be taken care of.

The onus is on us. How do we perceive our relationship with Allah?

May Allah give us the ability to practice everything that we said and heard.

I will end with this one last hadith mentioned in the Musnad of Imam Ahmed and narrated by Sad b. Abi Waqqas who

said that the Messenger of Allah said, From the blessing of the son of adam is the ability to seek good from Allah,

doing istikharah with Allah. Also from the blessing of the son of adam is that they are pleased with whatever Allah has

decreed for them. From the wretchedness of the children of adam is when he leaves doing istikharah with Allah. Also

from the wretchedness of the human being is that the human being is displeased with what Allah has decreed for

him.

May Allah bless us all to do istikharah and to be pleased with Allahs Decree and decision in our affairs and issues.

Jazakum Allah khayran. Al-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah.

HOPE

There Will Come Light


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In a recent khutbah, I heard Allahs divine name, Al-Afoo, The Pardoner, and a very touching qudsi hadeeth that

exemplified it:

A servant [of Allah's] committed a sin and said: O Allah! Forgive me my sin And Allah said: My servant has

committed a sin and acknowledged he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes them. Then the man sinned again

and said: O Lord! Forgive me my sin. And Allah said: My servant has committed a sin and acknowledged he has a

Lord who forgives sins and punishes them. Then the man sinned again and said: O Lord! Forgive me my sin. And

Allah said: My servant has committed a sin and acknowledged he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes them.

[My slave!] Do what you wish, for I have forgiven you! (Bukhari and Muslim)

This is no free ticket to sin as you please. But it did make me realize we should always have hope that Allah willforgive our sins and guide us to become better Muslims.

How many times have we sat down to count our mistakes and recognized weve sinned so much we cant even keep

track anymore?

We think that theres no way Allah can forgive us now. To our minds, we dont even deserve forgiveness.

This shows only the extent of Allahs mercy, which no human mind can even imagine. And do not despair of Allahs

mercy. For, most surely, none despairs of Allahs mercy except the disbelieving people. [Quran 12:87]

Take note. Hope is no luxury to make our lives better. It is a Muslim obligation, part and parcel of faith.

At All Points, Hope

Having established that we cannot despair of Allahs mercy, we need also to understand that despair, in any form, is

not acceptable in a Muslims life.
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When life is at its worst, a sinister feeling in the pit of the stomach, growing and spreading and inching its way toward

your heart, may threaten to take over. Financial burdens, work woes, and relationship troubles look like the pinnacle

of all problems. How will we recover from excessive debt, a layoff, or divorce? The future stares back, bereft of hope,

and looks pretty ugly. The temptation to give up grows strong, and bed seems a nice place to lie down for a long time

(covers overhead!) thinking about nothing at all.

Despair has set in. And its downhill from thereunless somethings done quickly to free us from it. So here are some

stories to keep that despair at bay.

Chronicles of Hope

Among the very best hope narratives is the Qurans account of Prophet Moses. What could be more distressing than

an enemy army hot on your heels with nothing but sea in front of you? Then when the two multitudes saw each

other, Moses companions said: Indeed, we are most surely overtaken. (Moses) said: No, indeed! Most surely, my

Lord is with me! He will guide me! [Quran 26:61-62]

In the same dramatic straits, most of us would succumb to feelings of utter helplessness. Our hearts would see no

purpose in even the hope for a way out. Yet all along it was there, with Allah. He told Prophet Moses: Strike the sea

with your staff! Thus it split, so that each divide became as a great mountain [Quran26:63].

Who could have imagined such an escape? We may not always see the exodus from a problem. But Allah does, for

He is the One who creates it.

Consider also the story of Prophet Yunus (Jonah). Trapped in the belly of the whale in the midst of the sea, he still did

not lose hope in Allahs mercy. He prayed With unfailing constancy. And from him we learn one of the greatest duaa:

There is no God but You! Highly exalted are You! Indeed, I was of the wrongdoers! [Quran 21:87]. It is because of

his hope, and the deep sincerity of his prayer, that Allah saved him. Yet were it not that he was one who highly

exalted [God alone], he would have remained in its belly until the Day all are raised up. [Quran 37:143-144]

What of our own beloved Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam? He walked to the mountain city of at-Taif

to bestow them with divine guidance. But its people belied him and ran him out with stones.

Allah sent an angel with a question to the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. Did he desire to bring at-Taifs twin

mountains down upon it? The Prophet refused. He had hope that one day they or their children would enter into

Islam.

The prophetic narratives of the Quran tell us something vital. In their bleakest hours, the hope of the prophets held

unshakable, for they issued directly from mighty faith. Despair is not a Muslim option. Our own woes will never gather

the weight of the prophets. Nor shall our troubles mount to such heights. In that, let us take due comfort.

Think of the nature of night and day. The darkest hour comes just before dawn. So when life looms gloomy, and you

feel as though youre groping in total darkness, know that new light lingers just over the near horizon.


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The power istkhara

Power of Istighfar (A moving story)

This story about Istighfar is from the life of Imam Ahmed Bin Hanbal, who is considered as a renowned scholar of

Islam and a famous theologian. Imam Ahmed is also considered to be the founder of the Hanbali school of fiqh

(Islamic jurisprudence) and is one of the most celebrated Sunni theologians, often referred to as the Sheikh ul-Islam

or the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah.

During his old age, while Imam Ahmed was travelling he stopped by a town. After the prayers, he wanted to stay for

the night in the masjid yard because he didnt know anyone in the town. Owing to his humility, he hadnt introduced

himself to anyone thinking that if he did, he would be welcomed by many people.

Failing to recognize Ahmed bin Hanbal, the caretaker of the mosque refused to let him stay in the mosque. As Imam

Ahmed was quite old, the caretaker had to drag him out of the mosque. On seeing this, a baker from a nearby place

felt pity for this man (Imam Ahmed) and offered to be the host to him for the night. During his stay with the baker,

Imam Ahmed observed that the baker would constantly recite Istighfar (seek forgiveness from Allah). Imam Ahmed

asked the baker if the constant practice of saying Istighfar had any effect on him. The baker responded by telling

Imam Ahmed that Allah had accepted all of his duas (supplications), except one. When he asked him what dua was it

that hadnt been accepted, the baker replied that he had been asking Allah to provide him the privilege to meet the

famous scholar Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal.

On this, Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal said that Allah had not only listened to his dua but had dragged him onto his (the

bakers) doorsteps. [Summarized from Al Jumuah magazine, vol 19, issue 7]

This story is a reminder of the power of saying Istighfar (seeking forgiveness) frequently. Lets remember that the

prophet used to say Istighfar frequently during the day. Tafseer Al-Qurtubi states:
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A man complained to Al-Hasan about a drought, and he said to him: Pray to Allah for forgiveness.

Another man complained to him of poverty and he said to him: Pray to Allah to forgive you.

Another man said to him: Pray to Allah to bless me with a child. He said: Pray to Allah for forgiveness.

Another complained to him that his garden was dry. He said to him: Pray to Allah for forgiveness.

He was asked about it and he said: This is not my personal opinion, for Allah says in Surah Nooh

(interpretation of the meaning): Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft Forgiving; He will send rain

to you in abundance. And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on

you rivers. Tafseer Al-Qurtubi (18/301-302)

One of the narrators of a Hadith was asked about the manner in which forgiveness is to be sought, to which

he answered: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to say: Astaghfirullah!

Astaghfirullah! (I beseech Allah for forgiveness, I beseech Allah for forgiveness). [Sahih Muslim].


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How to avoid Depressions according to islam

How to Remove Depression and Worries

Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee hafidhahullaah

Introduction

Mankind comes across many afflictions and trials, sometimes in overwhelming sequences. Removing the darkness

of these worries, distresses, depression and grief is a very important matter to which Islaam gives serious attention

Indeed the greatest darkness to envelope mankind and surely his greatest affliction is disbelief in Allah and to

associate partners with Him in any form (kufr and shirk).

Allah is the Protector of those who have faith He will lead them from the depths of darkness into light. . As for those

who disbelieve, their patrons are the devils: from light they will lead them forth into the depths of darkness. They will

be companions of the fire, to dwell therein (for ever). AL-BAQARAH 2.257

Whereby Allah guides him who seeks His good pleasure to paths of peace and safety. He brings them out of

darkness unto light by His decree, and guides them unto a straight path. AL-MAAIDAH 5.016

Those who deny Our revelations are deaf and dumb in darkness. Whoever Allah wills He sends astray, and whom

He wills He places on a straight path. AL-ANAM 6.039

The scholars of Islaam have extracted from the Quraan and the authentic Sunnah many remedies and cures to help

us in our daily affairs and remove our problems.
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At-Tawheed

Singling out Allah alone, Glory be to Him, for all types of worship and recognising His Lordship and having faith in the

unity of His Lofty Names and Attributes. There would be anarchy if there was more than one deity.

If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been confusion in both! But

glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above what they attribute to Him! AL-ANBIYA 21.022

Allah strikes a comparison between a Muslim and a mushrik (disbeliever). The man with one master (i.e. upon

Tawheed) has no worries as to who to obey, so he has no confusion nor dilemmas. The second man is confused as

to who to obey first, in whom he must put his trust especially as they are quarrelling amongst each other. The

mushrik is left to Shaitaan and his desires to direct him out of his confusion. However the Muslim who recognises his

Lord as One, knows that Allah is the One who rescues His slave when he is in grief.

Allah puts forth a parable; a man belonging to many partners quarrelling with each other, and a man belonging

entirely to one master: are those two equal? Praise be to Allah! But most of them have no knowledge. AZ-ZUMAR39.029

In the beautiful story of Yusuf (alayhe as-salaam) his fellow prisoners were in distress to know the meaning or

interpretation of their dreams.

Now with him there came into the prison two young men. Said one of them: I see myself (in a dream) pressing

wine. The other said: I see myself (in a dream) carrying bread on my head, and birds eating it. (They said) Tell us

the meaning of the dreams, for we see that you are a good doer. YUSUF 12.036

O what was the first thing that this noble prophet of Allah (alayhe as-salaam) said to his companions? What was his

reply? He called them to that which will provide them with immediate relief the b lief that there is no deity worthy of

worship except Allah at-Tawheed.

O my two companions of the prison! (I ask you): are many lords differing among themselves better, or Allah, the

Supreme and Irresistible? YUSUF 12.039

Mankind without Tawheed is astray, captured by Shaitaan and there lives in chaos as explained in Allahs statement:

Dont you see that We have set the devils on the disbelievers to confound them with confusion? MARYAM 19.083

So the one upon true Tawheed, Allah helps him and removes grief from him. There are many verses which eludes tothis but suffice us for the moment the story of Yunus (alayhe as-salaam). He (alayhe as-salaam) had lost hope in his

people who were not responding to his call to Islaam. So he (alayhe as-salaam) left them and eventually Allah

caused him (alayhe as-salaam) to be in the belly of a large fish.

So wait with patience for the Command of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish, when he cried out in

deep sorrow. AL-QALAM 68.048


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In his sorrow and anguish, Yunus (alayhe as-salaam) cried out, but to whom? He (alayhe as-salaam) called his Lord.

And remember Dhun-Nun (Yunus), when he went off in anger: He imagined that We had no power over him! But he

cried through the depths of darkness, There is no deity worthy of worship except You, glorified and exhalted be You,

indeed I was from the wrong-doers! AL-ANBIYA 21.087

Darkness upon darkness enveloped him (alayhe as-salaam):

a) the darkness of the depths of the ocean,

b) the darkness of the belly of the fish,

c) the darkness of the night.

He (alayhe as-salaam) called upon Allah, the One who can remove all distresses, he called upon Him with correct at-

Tawheed and Allah removed his worries immediately.

Responding and Complying (Istijaabah)

To accept and answer to the deen of Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad (SAAS) completely as the aayah says:

O you who believe! Respond to Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger (SAAS) when He calls you to that which

will give you life; and know that Allah comes in between a man and his heart, and that it is He to Whom you shall (all)

be gathered. AL-ANFAL 8.024

The repercussion of rejecting the Call to His deen is grievous and its result is the greatest of sorrows in the

Hereafter. The disbeliever will be raised and wail to His Lord (Whom he denied in the world):

He will say: O my Lord! Why have You raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)? TA-HA 20.125

Allah will reply to him with complete justice:

He (Allah) will say: So (it must be). Our revelations came to you (in the world) but you did reject them. In like manner

this Day you are forgotten (rejected). TA-HA 20.126

Not only will Allah reject the disbeliever but he will also be humiliated by Shaitaan who the mushrik took as his close

companion and responded to his (Shaitaans) call.

And Shaitaan will say when the matter has been decided, Verily Allah promised you a promise of truth. I toopromised you but I betrayed you. I had no authority over you except that I called you and you responded to me. So

blame me not, but blame yourselves. I cannot help you, nor can you help me. I deny your former act in associating

me (Shaitaan) as a partner with Allah. Verily, there is a painful torment for the transgressors. IBRAHEEM 14.22

So we urge you brothers and sisters to respond to and comply with Allahs religion and enter it completely


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O you who believe! Enter into Islam whole-heatedly and follow not the footsteps of the Shaitaan, for he is to you an

open, avowed enemy. AL-BAQARAH 2.208

Belief in the Divine Decree (Qadr)

Qadr is an established part of the religion and is included in our belief. In the famous Hadeeth of Jibreel (alaihe-as-

salaam) when he asked the Messenger (SAAS) about Islaam, Eemaan and Ihsaan, he (SAAS) replied about

Eemaan:

That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgement, and you

affirm your faith in Qadr, the good and the evil consequences of itMUSLIM

We must accept and be content with Qadr, knowing that whatever Allah decrees he does so out of His all-

encompassing Knowledge and Wisdom. With this belief in Qadr (the good and the evil of it) firm in our hearts Allah

will guide our hearts:

No calamity befalls, but with the leave of Allah, and whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart, and Allah is the

All-Knower of everything. AT-TAGHAABUN 64:11

Abdullah Ibn Abbas (radhiyAllahu anhu) related one day he was riding behind Allahs Messenger (SAAS) who said,

Young man, if you are mindful of Allah (of His commands and prohibitions), He will be mindful of you, and if you are

mindful of Allah you will find Him before you. When you ask for anything ask it from Allah, and if you seek help, seek

help from Allah. Know that if the people were to unite to do you some benefit they could benefit you only with what

Allah had decreed for you, and that if they were to unite to do you some injury they could injure you only with what

Allah had recorded for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages are dry.AHMAD, TIRMIDHI, AN-NAWAWIS

FORTY HADEETH

So with this knowledge that no harm or good can touch a servant of Allah except with the permission of the All-

Knower and All-Wise, the hearts find tranquillity and contentment. This therefore encourages the Muslim to

patientiently persevere during an affliction and motivates him to praise Allah when He bestows some portion of good

upon him. Whatever his situation, if the Muslim acts accordingly he has only rewards to gain and nothing to lose.

Suhaib ibn Sinan al-Romi related that Allahs Messenger (SAAS) said:

Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else

except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he praises (Allah), thus there is a good for

him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shown resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in

it. MUSLIM

Sincerity (Ikhlaas)

Abdullah Ibn Umar (radhiyAllahu anhu) said that the Prophet (SAAS) said,


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While three people were walking, rain began to fall and they had to enter a cave in a mountain. A big rock rolled over

and blocked the mouth of the cave. They said to one another, Ìnvoke Allah (since ely) with the best deed you have

performed (so that Allah may remove the rock). One of them said, Ò Allah! My parents were old and I used to go out

to graze (my animals). On my return I would milk (the animals) and take the milk in a vessel to my parents to drink.

After they had drunk from it, I would give it to my children, family and wife. One day I was delayed and on my return I

found my parents sleeping, and I did not wish to wake them up. The children were crying at my feet (because of

hunger). That state of affairs continued until it was dawn. O Allah! If You think that I did it for Your sake, then please

remove this rock so that we may see the sky. So the rock was moved a little. The second said, Ò Allah! You know

that I was in love with a cousin of mine, the deepest love a man may have for a woman, and she told me that I would

not have my desire fulfilled unless I paid her one hundred deenars (gold pieces). So I struggled for it until I gathered

the desired amount. When I sat between her legs, she told me to fear Allah, and asked me not to deflower her except

rightfully (by marriage). So I stood up and left her. O Allah! If You think that I did it for Your sake, kindly remove this

rock. So two-thirds of the rock was removed. Then the third man said, Ò Allah! No doubt You know that once I

employed a worker for one faraq (three sas) of millet, and when I wanted to pay him, he refused to take it. So I

sowed it and from its yield I bought cows and hired a herdsman. After a time the man came and demanded his

money. I said to him: Go to those cows and the herdsman and take them for they are for you. He asked me whether I

was joking with him. I told him that I was not joking with him, and all that belonged to him. O Allah! If You think that I

did it sincerely for Your sake, then please remove the rock. So the rock was removed completely from the mouth of

the cave.BUKHARI

So invoking Allah sincerely, seeking His Pleasure is one of the ways of removing afflictions from us.

Supplication (Ad-Duaa)

O Ever Living, O Self-Subsisting and Supporter of all, by Your mercy I seek assistance. Rectify for me all my affairs

and do not leave me to myself, even for the blink of an eye. AL-HAAKIM, SAHEEH AT-TARGHEEB WAT-TARHEEB,

HISN-UL-MUSLIM (ENG. TRANS. P125)

In al-Saheehayn it was reported from Ibn Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be

upon him) used to say, when he felt distressed:

La ilaaha ill-Allaah al-Azeem ul-Haleem, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb il-arsh il-azeem, Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb is-

samawaati wa Rabb il-ard wa Rabb il-arsh il-kareem (there is no god except Allaah, the All-Mighty, the Forbearing;

there is no god except Allaah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god except Allaah, Lord of the heavens, Lord

of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne).

And it was reported from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be

upon him) used to say, when something upset him:

Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom, bi Rahmatika astagheeth (O Ever-Living One, O Everlasting One, by Your mercy I seek

help).


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And it was reported that Asmaa bint Umays (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace

and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: Shall I not teach you some words to say when you feel distressed?

Allaah, Allaah, Rabbee laa ushriku bihi shayan (Allaah, Allaah, my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him).

It was reported from Abd-Allaah ibn Masood that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: No

person suffers any anxiety or grief, and says:

Allaahumma innee abduka wa ibn abdika wa ibn amatika, naasiyati bi yadika, maadin fiyya hukmuka, adlun fiyya

qadaauka, asaluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw allamtahu ahadan

min khalqika aw istatharta bihi fi ilm il-ghaybi andak an tajala al-Quraana rabee qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaaa

huzni wa dhahaaba hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your female slave, my forelock is in

Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every Name

belonging to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or

You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quraan the life of my heart and the

light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety)

- but Allaah will take away his sorrow and grief, and give him in their stead joy.

Al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, edited by Shaykh al-Albaani, p. 72

Seeking refuge in Allah (Istiaadhah)

Anas ibn Malik (radhiyAllahu anhu) relates that the Prophet (SAAS) said to Abu Talha (radhiyAllahu anhu),

Choose one of your servant-boys to serve me on my expedition to Khaibar. So Abu Talha took me, letting me ride

behind him, when I was a boy nearing the age of puberty. I used to serve Allahs Messenger when he stopped to

rest. I heard him saying repeatedly, O Allah! I seek refuge with you from distress and sorrow, from helplessness and

laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from being heavily in debt and from being overcome by men. BUKHARI

and HISN-UL-MUSLIM (P.157)

Detachment from this world (Az-Zuhd)

Anas ibn Malik and Zaid ibn Thabit (radhiyAllahu anhum) related that the Prophet (SAAS) said,

For the ones whose concern is this world, Allah will scatter his affairs, place poverty between his two eyes and he

will not get from the world except what is written for him. As for the one whose intention is the Hereafter, Allah will

gather for him his affairs, place contentment in his heart and the world will come to him willingly IBN MAJAH,

SAHEEH-UL-JAAMI NO. 6386

Ten tips to help your memory improve


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Before you study for your next exam, you might want to use a few strategies to boost your memory of important

information. There are a number of tried and tested techniques for improving memory. These strategies have been

established within cognitive psychology literature and offer a number of great ways to improve memory, enhance

recall and increase retention of information.

1. Focus your attention on the materials you are studying. Attention is one of the major components of memory. In

order for information to move from short-term memory into long-term memory, you need to actively attend to this

information. Try to study in a place free of distractions such as television, music and other diversions.

2 Avoid cramming by establishing regular study sessions. According to Bjork (2001), studying materials over a

number of sessions gives you the time you need to adequately process the information. Research has shownthat students who study regularly remember the material far better that those did all of their studying in one marathon

session.

3 Structure and organize the information you are studying. Researchers have found that information is organized in

memory in related clusters. You can take advantage of this by structuring and organizing the materials you are

studying. Try grouping similar concepts and terms together, or make an outline of your notes and textbook readings

to help group related concepts.

4. Utilize mnemonic devices to remember information. Mnemonic devices are a technique often used by students to

aid in recall. A mnemonic is simply a way to remember information. For example, you might associate a term you

need to remember with a common item that you are very familiar with. The best mnemonics are those that utilize

positive imagery, humor or novelty. You might come up with a rhyme, song or joke to help remember a specific

segment of information.

5. Elaborate and rehearse the information you are studying. In order to recall information, you need to encode what

you are studying into long-term memory. One of the most effective encoding techniques is known as elaborative

rehearsal. An example of this technique would be to read the definition of a key term, study the definition of that term
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and then read a more detailed description of what that term means. After repeating this process a few times, your

recall of the information will be far better.

6. Relate new information to things you already know. When you are studying unfamiliar material, take the time to

think about how this information relates to things that you already know. By establishing relationships between new

ideas and previously existing memories, you can dramatically increase the likelihood of recalling the recently learned

information.

7. Visualize concepts to improve memory and recall. Many people benefit greatly from visualizing the information they

study. Pay attention to the photographs, charts and other graphics in your textbooks. If you do not have visual cues to

help, try creating your own. Draw charts or figures in the margins of your notes or use highlighters or pens in different

colors to group related ideas in your written study materials.

8. Teach new concepts to another person. Research suggests that reading materials out loud significantly improves

memory of the material. Educators and psychologists have also discovered that having students actually teach new

concepts to others enhances understanding and recall. You can use this approach in your own studies by teachingnew concepts and information to a friend or study partner.

9. Pay extra attention to difficult information. Have you ever noticed how its sometimes easier to remember

information at the beginning or end of a chapter? Researchers have found that the position of information can play a

role in recall, which is known as the serial position effect. While recalling middle information can be difficult, you can

overcome this problem by spending extra time rehearsing this information or try restructuring the information so it will

be easier to remember. When you come across an especially difficult concept, devote some extra time to memorizing

the information.

10. Vary your study routine. Another great way to increase your recall is to occasionally change your study routine. If

you are accustomed to studying in one specific location, try moving to a different spot to study. If you study in the

evening, try to spend a few minutes each morning reviewing the information you studied the previous night. By

adding an element of novelty to your study sessions, you can increase the effectiveness of your efforts and

significantly improve your long-term recall.

Tips for Exam Success


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Given its the time of the year when many are either sitting exams or about to over the coming weeks, I thought I

would share my top tips for exam success. I pray you find them beneficial and that Allah grants you success in this

life and the hereafter, Ameen.

1, Avoid unnecessary talking outside the exam hall before the exam. Its too late to do anything now and listening to

others about what they have revised, or not, might just damage your confidence

2, Commence with Bismillah. Read the paper/ exam question carefully (note how many questions need to be

answered)

3, Decide on which questions you will answer. At first you might tick all those you can answer and then narrow them

down further by preference if you have too many.

4, Divide your time equally in proportion to the marks available for each question/ sub question.

5, Re read the question, highlighting any key words

6, Make an answer plan. Even if it is only brief notes beside the question it will help you cover all your points and give

a structure to your answer.

7, Pray Bismillah and start answering the question, sticking with the time allocation you planned out and referring

back to the question so you actually answer the question and not go off track.

8, Write clearly the examiner cannot mark what they cannot read! Leave a line space between your main points/

paragraph to help the examiner mark your work.

9, Avoid the post-mortam analysis after the exam with friends and other students.
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Jabir narrates from Rasool-Allah , Whoever does duaa to Allah, Allah fulfills his seeking or in exchange

averts misfortune until the duaa is not related to sin or breaking some relation. (Tirmizi)

Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , Do duaa to Allah with this confidence that HE will accept it and

know this well that Allah doesnt accept the duaa done with a negligent and careless heart. (Tirmizi)

Salman Farsi narrates from Rasool-Allah , Duaa turns away destiny and good deeds lengthen age.

(Tirmizi)

Umar narrates that, Whenever Rasool-Allah raised his hands for duaa He did not put down them

down until HE took both hands over his face. (Tirmizi)

Aisha (Radi Allahu Anha) narrates that, Rasool-Allah liked duaas that were inclusive and he left the rest. (Abu

Dawood)

Abdullah bin Umar narrates from Rasool-Allah , Duaa for a person not present is accepted quickly by

Allah. (Tirmizi and Abu Dawood)

Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , Three duaas are such in which there is no doubt of their

acceptance: 1) Fathers duaa 2) Travelers duaa 3) Duaa of the oppressed. (Timizi, Ibne Majah)

Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , Three types of peoples duaas are not rejected: 1) At the time

of iftar the person who has fasted 2) Adil rulers duaa 3) The duaa of the oppressed. Allah raises the duaa of the

oppressed on the clouds and the doors of heaven are opened for it and Allah says, Oath of MY Majesty and Honour!

I will help and aid you. Even though if the help is after few days. (Tirmizi)

Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , When anyone of you does duaa then dont say Oh Allah!

Forgive me if you want, Have mercy on me if you want, Give me subsistence if you wish rather believe completely

that HE will do whatever HE wishes. Nobody can force HIM. (Bukhari)

Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , Allah excepts the duaa of a person till the duaa is not related

to sin or breaking of some relation and until he does not haste in that duaa. The people (May Allah be happy with

them) asked, Oh Rasool-Allah! What is meant by haste? He replied, That the person say I did duaa

again and again but my duaa wasnt accepted and afterwards he becomes hopeless and leaves the duaa. This is

called haste. (Muslim)

Jabir narrates from Rasool-Allah , Dont do Bad-duaa [against] yourself, your wealth, or for your children.

May it be the moment of acceptance in the court of Allah and your Bad-duaa be accepted. (Muslim)


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Boraidah narrates that Rasool-Allah heard a man performing duaa like so *1, so He said, He [the

man] has performed duaa with the Ism-e-Azam and when Allah is asked through the Ism-e-Azam, Allah grants and

when duaa is performed with it HE accepts it. (Tirmizi and Abu Dawood)

Asma binte Yazeed (Radi Allahu Anha) narrates from Rasool-Allah , Ism-e-Azam is in these two

ayahs and in the beginning of Ale-

Imran . (Tirmizi and Abu Dawood)

Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , Saying is

dearer to me than this world and all that is in it. (Mislim)

Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , Whoever said hundred times in one

day his sins are erased even if they are equal to the foam of the sea. (Muslim and Bukhari)

Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , Every Prophet had a special duaa which is accepted in the

court of Allah. All Prophets were in quick in their duaas. On the day of Judgment, for the intercession of my Ummah, I

have saved my duaa. My duaa will reach to every person in my ummah, who did not make any partners with Allah.

(Muslim)

May ALLAH give Hidayah to understand, follow and to spread.

the word istikharah comes from the root word of khayr

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