(3) وَ لَا تَسُمْنَا عَجْزَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ عَمَّا تَخَيَّرْتَ فَنَغْمِطَ قَدْرَكَ...

(3) وَ لَا تَسُمْنَا عَجْزَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ عَمَّا تَخَيَّرْتَ فَنَغْمِطَ قَدْرَكَ، وَ نَكْرَهَ مَوْضِعَ رِضَاكَ، وَ نَجْنَحَ إِلَى الَّتِي هِيَ أَبْعَدُ مِنْ حُسْنِ الْعَاقِبَةِ، وَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى ضِدِّ الْعَافِيَةِ (4) حَبِّبْ إِلَيْنَا مَا نَكْرَهُ مِنْ قَضَائِكَ، وَ سَهِّلْ عَلَيْنَا مَا نَسْتَصْعِبُ مِنْ حُكْمِكَ (5) وَ أَلْهِمْنَا الِانْقِيَادَ لِمَا أَوْرَدْتَ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ مَشِيَّتِكَ حَتَّى لَا نُحِبَّ تَأْخِيرَ مَا عَجَّلْتَ، وَ لَا تَعْجِيلَ مَا أَخَّرْتَ، وَ لَا نَكْرَهَ مَا أَحْبَبْتَ، وَ لَا نَتَخَيَّرَ مَا كَرِهْتَ.

(6) وَ اخْتِمْ لَنَا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْمَدُ عَاقِبَةً، وَ أَكْرَمُ مَصِيراً، إِنَّكَ تُفِيدُ الْكَرِيمَةَ، وَ تُعْطِي الْجَسِيمَةَ، وَ تَفْعَلُ مَا تُرِيدُ، وَ أَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ قَدِيرٌ . Imam Zain-ul-Abideen -asws says in Sahifa-e-Kamila”O’ Allah -azwj , I beg from You -azwj for the best in Your knowledge, may blessings be upon Muhammad -saww and his pure progeny -asws and command me that You -azwj see the best!

Inspire me with knowledge so that I could choose the most appropriate and enable me to act on what you have destined and judged for me and make me content with its outcome! Inspire us to yield to that which You -azwj will Bring upon us by Your -azwj Will, unless we love the delay of what You -azwj have not hastened and the hastening of what You -azwj have delayed, and dislike what You -azwj Love the most, and choose which You -azwj dislike the most!

Seal us with that which is the most praised in outcome and most generous in issue! Surely You Give generous gain, Bestow the Immense, do what you Will and You have the Power over everything.’ [5] (3) وقال صلى الله عليه وآله: من سعادة ابن آدم استخارة الله ورضاه بما قضى الله.

ومن شقوة ابن آدم تركه استخارة الله وسخطه بما قضى الله The Prophet of Allah -saww said: `One of the blessings of Allah -azwj extended to the children of Adam is to seek the best advice from Allah -azwj and be pleased with what Allah -azwj has decided for him. One of the misfortunes of the children of Adam is not to consult Allah -azwj for what is best for him and to remain unsatisfied with what Allah has decided for him.

[6] (4) جعفر بن محمد، عن أبيه عليه السلام قال: كنا نتعلم الاستخارة كما نتعلم السورة من كتاب الله عز وجل It is narrated from Imam Jafar bin Mohammed -asws that Imam -asws said: “We (the Ahl al-Bait) teach the method of Istikhara just as we teach the Surahs of the Book of Allah, the Glorious and the most High.

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