Make it clear to yourself from the onset that you will NOT necessarily see a vision, dream, or sign. If your Istikharah dua is accepted, it should result in Allah SWT placing an inclination in your heart towards going through with the action or not.
Results of Istikharah
When someone feels good after performing Istikharah, they should move forward in accordance with that feeling. They will acquire success and goodness if their dua is accepted. However, many individuals feel positive after performing Istikharah, so they proceed accordingly but do not see success. It can be explained by the following:
- In dua-e-Istikharah, a person first asks Allah SWT for goodness in one’s day, which is the main objective of a believer, and thereafter they ask for the goodness of the world. Therefore, if after Istikharah one finds apparent worldly loss, but his day remains safe, one should trust that through the barakah of Istikharah, Allah SWT has granted him a minute loss of this world and saved him from the greater loss of Hereafter.
- So many times, the dua as a result of Istikharah is accepted by Allah, and He grants him some form of goodness which manifests in two different ways. Either the person’s decision is completely positive without a bit of harm, or that person is guided towards the better of two possible outcomes.
Let’s take an example of a person who bought a home after acquiring a positive feeling due to Istikharah. Right after six months, a new neighbor moved in next door and began abusing them. This person needs to realize that, in this case, Istikharah‘s kind deeds have spared him from a bigger calamity; otherwise, if he had chosen another house, the neighbor would have bothered him even more.
- Occasionally, a person feels positive even if their dua was not accepted because of the aforementioned difficulties. In this instance, the heartfelt positive feeling a person was experiencing was not from Allah SWT. It was either a condition that existed before Istikharahor a sense emanating from Shaytan. Sometimes a young man madly in love with a female feels at ease after doing Istikharah. What can be anticipated from an Istikharah like that? Are his positive feelings due to the result of Istikharah, or was that condition present before?
When making an important decision in life, it is common to seek guidance from Allah through Istikharah. It is a prayer that asks for Allah’s guidance and wisdom in making a decision. And the answer to our Istikharah may not be immediately obvious. Sometimes, we may need to interpret the signs and omens that Allah directs toward us.
That is where Istasara comes in. Istasara offers trusted Istikharrah and counseling services across Ontario, Canada. Salome Yusuf has years of experience in this profession and has served spiritual counsel to many families and individuals. Her hikmah (wisdom) has allowed many individuals and families to make the right decisions and live their lives according to Allah’s will.
