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Posts on Prayers

Istikhara explanation by Hadhur: https://www.instagram.com/p/BMwzqX_DIv6/?taken-by=ahmadianswers

Istikhara – Asking Allah For Goodness: https://www.instagram.com/p/BmV9L_8HzGm/?taken-by=ahmadianswers

  • Many ask about istikhara. Firstly, the dua is istikhara, another name for this is istikhbara, meaning asking Allah for news (Ruhani Khazain, vol. 5, p. 351). It means asking Allah for goodness, and news. Allah may Answer through a dream, but this is not the only way. It is often read for a task you are about to do and we ask Allah that if its better for us then may Allah make it happen and if not then take us far away from us. We read two naf;, and read the dua and then sleep. Some do it for 40 days, while others are content even in a few days. Istikhara does not mean dreams or revelation, rather simply is asking Allah to make things easy for you. Hadhrat Musleh Maud(ra) before marrying Hadhrat Sarah Begum, observed istikhara at least 300 times. Hadhrat MIrza Nasir Ahmad(rh) also observed it for 40 days and asked three others to observe it for seven days as well. –
    In the istikhara prayer, we are that the matter we are praying about should be made easy for us as if it is good for us, and that we should be turned away from it if it is harmful. This can be understood as a certainty that begins to develop in our hearts. Hadhrat Ahmad(as) stated:
    “If that matter is better for him, God Almighty will open his heart for it, otherwise his disposition will be closed. The heart is a strange thing. A person has control of his hands to move them when he pleases, but the heart is not in his control in this way. (Fiqhul Masih, pg 133)

    This prayer should be observed in Arabic since the wording has its significance. If needed, one can read it in their own language. Hadhrat Ahmad(as) said that this prayer is in Arabic but if one has not memorized it, then it is sufficient to read it in ones own language. One should also pray while sleeping “ya khabeeru Akhbirnee” meaning ” O All Aware inform me!” (Fiqhul Masih Pg 136)
    A big misconception is that istikhara is only for marriage. This is false. The Holy Prophet(saw) taught istikhara and taught its importance as if it was a surah of the Qur’an. The Promised Messiah(as) many times told his opponents to perform this dua with a clear heart and that it would guide them. Many became Ahmadi through this prayer. Many sahaba did as well.
  • In regards to marriage, this dua is used a lot. Hadhrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad(ra) stated that there are two types of istikhara. One is general istikhara and the other is specific. The general istikhara is done first and the specific one is done after. The general istikhara is that a person prays without thinking of anyone and prays that O Allah grant me a spouse with whose soul I have affinity. The specific istikhara is observed when an opportunity arises. One should pray with the name of the person with whom there is a proposal. In this way, the general istikhara safeguards the specfic istikhara. Both should be observed.

    One must have a clear mind or else biases after ones heart and then the purpose of istikhara is not attained.
    Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad(aba) explained in regards to marriage that The matter is that if you are reading istikhara prayer in order to definitely see a dream, then it is wrong. The meaning of istikhara is to ask guidance from Allah, to ask if a future spouse is best in His eyes , as Allah has knowledge of the unseen and to grant you goodness in that and give my heart comfort. There are numerous means of gaining comfort – some receive good dreams from which their hearts are comforted and they are in happiness and the person believes it’s an answer to their prayers. If the person is content then they should accept, but if one is not content then they should not marry the person.
  • The Arabic of the dua:اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
  • The dua translation is as follows :
    O Allah! I seek good from You out of Your knowledge and seek power from You out of Your power, and beg of You out of Your boundless Grace, for You have power and I have no power; and You have knowledge and I have no knowledge; and You have the best knowledge of all the unseen. O Allah! If according to Your knowledge, this project is to my good in the matter of spiritual affairs, and my worldly affairs, and in respect of my ultimate end, then make it possible for me and grant me facility concerning it; and bless it for me, but if according to Your knowledge, this project is harmful in my spiritual and worldly affairs, and in respect of my ultimate end, then cause it to move away from me and cause me to move away from it, and designate for me good, wherever it may be, and then make me pleased with it.
  • Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad(rh) used to say that its istikhara (asking for goodness) and not istakhbara (asking for dreams etc). Istikhara will help you feel inclined towards what is right but even that should not be done with bias. You should also keep in mind that faith should be your priority because if you do not make this your priority, you are risking the future for yourself and your progeny. Surah al Kafirun in the first raka and surah ikhlas in the second. It is usually performed after Isha prayers but should be done regularly and constantly, for every journey for example.

Tahajjud Without Sleeping: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1aWN9GlQEQ/

If after Isha Namaz, we can’t fall asleep or are doing some duty, can you still read Tahajjud?
Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh) stated:
”The real understanding of Tahajjud is waking up after sleep. (Allah States) تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ this is what the Qur’an States. That in the Love of God, they leave the comfort and warmness of their beds, and turn their sides. So Tahajjud in reality means to try. To strive and put effort. In that time, when sleep overtakes a person, and a person wants to rest and is tired, he still wakes up. So the effort of trying to wake up, this is tahajjud. Otherwise, it will be nawafil, not tahajjud. So why do you try to ruin the meaning of tahajjud for your own exception? So you would call it nawafil at the time of Tahajjud but because it does not include the meaning of Tahajjud, it will not be called Tahajjud” (30th June 1995 Urdu Mulaqat)

Should I Stop Praying? https://www.instagram.com/p/B1bBpCrFXNu/

Some people ask whether we should stop praying if our prayers are not being accepted. Our job as Ahmadi Muslims is to continue to Ask Allah. It is His Decision of whether He Gives us what we want or does not. Allah is a like a friend to the believers. Hadhrat –
Ahmad(as) states:
“But it needs to be remembered that it is a wrong notion that every prayer of those who are God’s favourites is accepted. The truth is that the dealing of God Almighty with them is like that of a friend; sometimes He accepts their prayers and sometimes He imposes His will upon them. That is what happens in friendship. At one time, a friend accepts what his friend proposes and acts accordingly, and at another time makes him accept what he himself wishes” (Haqiqatul Wahi)

We have the story of Hadhrat Zakariyya (as) who was a prophet of Allah. He saw Hadhrat Maryam(as) and how pious she was and would always pray to Allah that he also gets a pious son. It took years and years for this prayer to be accepted in the form of Hadhrat Yahya(as). If a Prophets prayer took that long, imagine how long some of our prayers might take? We should not give up.

We also have the famous story of a saint who would pray regularly for 30 years for some specific things. Once his follower decided to stay with him for some days. The elderly saint prayed tahajjud and Allah Replied that I will not accept your dua. The folower heard this too and remained quiet. The next day the same happened and the follower heard it again. It happened for a third time as well and now the follower said that I don’t know what you’re asking Allah but I heard Him say He will not accept so you should stop praying. The elderly saint said you only heard this for three years but I heard it for 30 years daily. Whether Allah Accepts it or not, I am happy that He is Speaking to me. Now the next day, when he prayed Tahajjud, Allah responded, that now I have accepted all of the prayers you have done for the past 30 years! The elderly saint then told his follower, imagine if I had stopped the first day? I would not be blessed in this way.

This is a lesson for us all. We should continue to pray and ask for forgiveness for our sins and in sha Allah this way we can be blessed.

Tahajjud Time : https://www.instagram.com/p/B2G3c2QFBNN/

Prohibited Prayer Timings: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3UvkylFszj/

In Islam there are some times in which prayer is not allowed. They are called the prohibited prayer timings.

It is to be remembered that at the times of sunrise, sunset and when the sun is at its zenith, it is forbidden to offer Prayers. Also, when the ‘Asr Prayer has been performed, no optional Prayer should be offered between that time and the time of sunset. Similarly, between morning Prayer and sunrise no optional Prayer should be offered.

Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh) stated: “The fact is that prayer during the rising of sun and setting of sun which is forbidden relates to a tradition of shirk. To a large extent, the Roman government and some other countries as well, India as well, there is worship of the sun. THe sun itself considered a dota and a partner of God, it is worshipped. According to some the biggest god is the sun. Hadhrat Ibrahim (as) debates, the people he debated, one debate is mentioned in the Qur’an when the King said I also make people living, if God gives life and death, I also give death, meaning whoever I give a command about, he is killed and whoever I want to save, he lives. Hadhrat Ibrahim(as) gave the answer that Allah Raises the Sun from the East and Brings it to the West so bring it out from the West instead of the East, and make it set in the East.”
“He had no answer to this. He had no control over the sun and the sun was his god. He was put into a dilemma.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0WirDuRY8o)

Sunnah Prayers During Khutba Thania: https://www.instagram.com/p/B4tF6xpllAo/

Offering Sunnah prayers during Khutba Thania? https://www.instagram.com/p/B4tF6xpllAo/

Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) stated: “When you enter the mosque, you should read the sunnah prayers. Some do wrong that they hear the Urdu khutba but they stand up during the masnoon khutba (the second khutba which begins after we see the Imam get up) and do not focus and begin to pray their sunnahs. This is wrong. When you come, read your sunnah prayers then sit and listen to the khutba. And the time in between is so short that the people rush their prayers by doing takrain (bumping) which is wrong. If someone has the opportunity to read them at home, then they should read them at home. If you want to read them in the mosque, then read them as you enter the mosque. But this tradition, that we begin our sunnahs during masnoon khutba, (the second khutba, where the dua is read) we shouldn’t do this.”