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Fatwa CenterDrawing lots to know the result of Istikhaarah
Question
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may his blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. Dear Sheikh my question is about drawing a lot. If we want to decide urgently regarding any sudden issue which needs to be decided like after praying the Istikhara dua : Bismillaahi wass-Salaatu wass-Salaamu'alaa Rasoolillaah. When someone is in a dilemma, or has to make a very important decision, one ought to pray two rak'aat of nafl salah, and ask for the Guidance of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala by supplicating Allaahum-ma in-nee ustakheeruka bi'ilmika wa ustaqdiruka bi qudratika wa us`aluka min fadlikal 'azeem. Fa`in-naka taqdiru wa laa aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa laa a'lamu wa anta 'al-lamul ghuyoob. Allaahum-ma inkunta ta'lamu in-na haadhal amra khairul-lee wa deenee wa ma'aashee wa 'aaqibati amree ao'aajili amree wa`aajilihee faqdirhu lee wa yass-sirhu lee thum-ma baarik lee feehi. Wa inkunta ta'lamu an-na haadhal amra shar-rul-lee fee deenee wa ma'aashee wa'aaqibati amree. Ao'aajili amree wa aajilihee fasrifhu 'an-nee wa usrifnee 'anhu wa aqdirlil khaira haithu kaana thum-mardinee bihee. My question is can we pray the Istikarah duas and draw a lot to find a quick answer for Allah’s help and guidance in case we have offer for a job from different companies and we don’t know which one will be good for us in the future or we have many marriage proposals and we want to decide which one will be good for us. For example how the lots were drawned with regards to Prophet Yunus (pbuh), and Zakaria to be Mary’s guardian. Can you please advise. Jazakaallahu Khaira
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Drawing lots after the Istikhaarah prayer to decide what is better for the person is an impermissible act about which there is no evidence. A person performs Istikhaarah in order to ask Allaah to guide him to what is better for him, and Allaah did not make drawing lots as an indication for what Allaah knew to be better for the person.
Therefore a Muslim should perform the Istikhaarah prayer and then do whatever he feels comforted with. However, it is also permissible to do whatever one does not feel comforted with. Since, he had asked Allaah for guidance, there would be good in anything that he undertakes, Allaah willing.
As regards drawing lots and choosing according to it, then this act is permissible only when there are many people sharing one right, or when there is a dispute about a particular right, it is in this case that drawing lots is a means for finding out who deserves it among a group of people, all of whom deserve it.
For more benefit about drawing lots, please refer to Fatwa 92578 and 86264.
Allaah Knows best.
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