[18] How Frequently One Should Seek Istikhara وَ أَلْجِئْ...
[18] How Frequently One Should Seek Istikhara وَ أَلْجِئْ نَفْسَكَ فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا إِلَى إِلَهِكَ فَإِنَّكَ تُلْجِئُهَا إِلَى كَهْفٍ حَرِيزٍ وَ مَانِعٍ عَزِيزٍ وَ أَخْلِصْ فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ لِرَبِّكَ فَإِنَّ بِيَدِهِ الْعَطَاءَ وَ الْحِرْمَانَ وَ أَكْثِرِ الِاسْتِخَارَةَ And shelter yourself in your -asws affairs, all of them, to your -asws God -azwj , for you -asws will be sheltering it to a cave (which is) protective, invincible, mighty; and be sincere in the asking to your -asws Lord -azwj , for the giving and the depriving is in His -azwj Hand and frequent the ‘Istikhara’ (seeking the Choice of Allah -azwj ).
[19] (An extract Bihar vol. 74) وَ خُضِ الْغَمَرَاتِ إِلَى الْحَقِّ حَيْثُ كَانَ وَ تَفَقَّهْ فِي الدِّينِ وَ عَوِّدْ نَفْسَكَ التَّصَبُّرَ وَ أَلْجِئْ نَفْسَكَ فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا إِلَى إِلَهِكَ فَإِنَّكَ تُلْجِئُهَا إِلَى كَهْفٍ حَرِيزٍ وَ مَانِعٍ عَزِيزٍ وَ أَخْلِصْ فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ لِرَبِّكَ فَإِنَّ بِيَدِهِ الْعَطَاءَ وَ الْحِرْمَانَ وَ أَكْثِرِ الِاسْتِخَارَةَ And dive into the depths to the truth wherever it may be, and ponder in the religion, and accustom yourself -asws to be patient.
And shelter yourself in your -asws affairs, all of them, to your -asws God -azwj , for you -asws will be sheltering it to a cave (which is) protective, invincible, mighty; and be sincere in the asking to your -asws Lord -azwj , for the giving and the depriving is in His -azwj Hand and frequent the ‘Istikhara’ (seeking the Choice of Allah -azwj ). [20] (An extract Bihar vol.
74) Istikhara Must be taken Only Once: عَنِ الصَّادِقِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ آبَائِهِ ع قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مَنِ اكْتَحَلَ فَلْيُوتِرْ وَ مَنْ تَجَمَّرَ فَلْيُوتِرْ وَ مَنِ اسْتَنْجَى فَلْيُوتِرْ وَ مَنِ اسْتَخَارَ اللَّهَ فَلْيُوتِرْ.
From Al-Sadiq -asws , from his -asws father -asws , from his -asws forefathers -asws having said: ‘Rasool-Allah -saww said: ‘One who applies Kohl, let him do it once, and one who burns incense let him do it once, and one who cleans from toilet let him do it once, and one who seek the Choice of Allah -azwj (Istikhara), let him do it once’’.
[21] APPENDIX I: Traditions of Masomeen -asws on Istikhara (1) النبي صلى الله عليه وآله : يا علي ما حار من استخار، ولا ندم من استشار The Prophet of Islam -saww said, “O’ ‘Ali -asws !