Salat Al Istikhara

Hi!!!! Sorry for taking so long to write. I got sick with a cold for about a week and fell behind with everything. I am feeling better now, alhamdulellah. I don't know why I got sick as I had been taking very good vitamins, eating fresh homemade vegetable and fruit juice and eating very healthy and exercising. I think maybe because of the change of weather, it has gotten very cold suddenly here. I am very happy because I was accepted for admission to both universities I want to attend - University of Washington and Pepperdine in California. I still don't know which one I will choose. One is private and very expensive, but it would be in California where there are many opportunities and many people of all nationalities. It is very interesting. It is also a very prestigious school. The other has one of the top twelve business schools and also offers Islamic studies as a major. I will pray about it a lot. There is a special prayer in Islam for this type of thing. It is called Istikhara. It is actually considered a du3a. SALAT AL-ISTIKHARA is a ritual prayer for seeking guidance from Allah in seeking the best option. The prophet Mohammad, peace be upon him, used to pray this, and he is quoted as having said in teaching others this prayer:

"O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best, through Your knowledge, and I ask You to empower me, through Your power, and I beg You to grant me Your tremendous favor, for You have power, while I am without power, and You have knowledge, while I am without knowledge, and You are the One who knows all things invisible.

Allahumma inni astakhiru-ka bi-'ilmi-ka wa astaqdiru-ka bi-qudrati-ka wa as'alu-ka min fadli-ka 'l-'azim fa-inna-ka taqdiru wa la aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu wa Anta 'Allamu 'l-ghuyub :

O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is in the best interests of my religion, my life in this world, and my life in the Hereafter, and can yield successful results in both the short term and the long term, then make it possible for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it.

Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha 'l-amra khairun li fi dini wa dunyaya wa akhirati wa 'aqibati amri wa 'ajili-hi wa ajili-h :fa-'qdir-hu li wa yassir-hu li thumma barik li fi-h :

If not, then turn it away from me, and make it easy for me to do well, wherever I may happen to be, and make me content with Your verdict, O Most Merciful of the merciful.'"

wa illa fa-'srif-hu 'an-ni wa yassir liya 'l-khaira haithu kana ma kuntu wa raddi-ni bi-qada'i-ka ya Arhama 'r-rahimin :

* When making the du'a, the actual matter or decision should be mentioned instead of the words "hathal-amra" ("this matter").*

AMIN! This is excellent. Allah knows best!

So I will keep you posted as to my decision. I was going to talk about angels this post, but I will leave it for my next one.