What is Istikhara?Istikhara is an Arabic term that means seeking Allah's help before deciding. It is from the root word "khayr", - meaning "goodness", which means "asking for those which are good". Whenever a person wants to make an important decision in his life regarding any matter, he should pray to rakahs of nawafil prayer and supplicate the dua of Istikhara to seek Allah's help.

Allah mentions in the Quran about seeking help from Him in Surah Baqarah -

"O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. Allah is truly with those who are patient". (Surah Baqarah : Verse 153)

Istikhara is done when someone is in a confused state of making a choice or decision and desperately wants Allah's help to be guided in deciding the right thing. However, Istikhara can only be done for the good and regarding halal matters of a person's personal and religious life and not for haram and Islamically disliked issues such as interest, gambling, alcohol, Zina, etc. 

Let's see how you can seek Allah's guidance to find your ideal property. 

Istikhara To Find Your Ideal Property

Owning a property is undoubtedly a big deal! It means a lot to the person who owns one. It is one of the blessings to have something that belongs to you. A property can be in the form of a home or for business purposes. Owning a home means that so many people depend on it as it is a safe shelter as long as one lives. 

Given the complexity, careful consideration and much thought go into making this dream a reality. This is why many people deciding to buy property need a lot of advice and guidance to make the right choice. Talk to Afiyah Financial Services if you're clueless. 

Seeking Allah's Help

A Muslim believes that whatever good he does in life should be done through Allah's help. This is why we find Muslims turning towards Allah five times a day, bowing down in prayer and asking him for all they need through duas. Seeking Allah's help regarding any matter shows one's faith and also gives a believer hope and peace that Allah will surely set things right. 

Since getting property is an important part of a person's life, it is advisable to pray Istikhara before sealing property deals. This can reduce confusion and guide the person to make the right decision. You should also know that Allah has not advised seeking guidance without doing your due diligence. So make sure to run background checks; if it's still challenging, talk to experts. 

How to perform Istikhara

The Istikhara prayer is prescribed by Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) as a sunnah for those who are hesitant in deciding any lawful matter. As Allah's guidance is needed in all we do, we must always ask Him to bless us with good in all that we wish to do and guide us in all matters. 

Some common instances where people pray Istikhara are - before getting married, when buying a house or any property, starting a new job or venture etc.

Dua for Istikhara

Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) taught us how to perform Istikhara. If you have decided to buy a property and want to perform Istikhara to receive Allah's guidance and good in it, then you must: 

Offer two rakats of prayer other than the compulsory ones and recite the dua below. The matter you have brought forward to decide must be mentioned when reciting the dua. 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمَكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ، وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ- خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي- عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ- فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي- عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ- فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ

Allaahumma 'innee 'astakheeruka bi'ilmika, wa 'astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa 'as'aluka min fadhtikal-'Adheemi, fa'innaka taqdiru wa laa 'aqdiru, wa ta'lamu, wa laa 'a'lamu, wa 'Anta 'Allaamul-Ghuyoobi, Allaahumma 'in kunta ta'lamu 'anna haathal-'amra-[then mention the thing to be decided] Khayrun lee fee deenee wa ma'aashee wa 'aaqibati 'amree - [or say] 'Aajilihi wa 'aajilihi - Faqdurhu lee wa yassirhu lee thumma baarik lee feehi, wa 'in kunta ta'lamu 'anna haathal-'amra sharrun lee fee deenee wa ma'aashee wa 'aaqibati 'amree - [or say] 'Aajilihi wa 'aajilihi - Fasrifhu 'annee wasrifnee 'anhu waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kaana thumma 'ardhinee bihi

O Allah, I seek the counsel of Your Knowledge, and I seek the help of Your Omnipotence, and I beseech You for Your Magnificent Grace. Surely, You are Capable and I am not. You know and I know not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter [then mention the thing to be decided] is good for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it.

And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then distance it from me, and distance me from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and help me to be content with it. Whoever seeks the counsel of the Creator will not regret it and whoever seeks the advice of the believers will feel confident about his decisions. Allah said in the Qur'an: "And consult them in the affair. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah." Al-Bukhari 7:162

Conclusion

When we find ourselves stuck in certain moments in our lives where we have to make important decisions, Istikhara is the ideal way to get through our matters, gaining the best from Allah. There are many benefits of Istikhara, and it is also important never to lose hope regarding the situation. Istikhara can be done repeatedly, and performing one separately for each matter is even better. We hope you get to seal a good property deal, and may Allah help you make it happen.