Divine GPS
By AbdulBary Yahya | 2026-01-15T11:31:19.571315+00:00 | Topic: Iman
Divine GPS: Understanding Salatul Istikhara
Opening Supplication
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah. We praise Him, we seek His help, and we seek His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whom Allah guides, no one can misguide. And whom He misguides, no one can guide.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
"O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims."
"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer."
"O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment."
Introduction: The Divine Guidance System
Insha'Allah, in today's talk, I will speak about Salatul Istikhara. As Brother Ibtiza mentioned, when we think about Istikhara, we always think about marriage. Any lecture or topic that has marriage in it, Insha'Allah you get people's attention. But there are two main topics that will always get people's attention: marriage and Jinn. So, I think we should have a third topic that will keep everybody awake—which is Jinn marriage. So, you combine the two, Insha'Allah.
With Salatul Istikhara, there are so many misconceptions concerning how to pray it, when to pray it, and how many times to pray this particular prayer. It's so important, but there are many misconceptions and misunderstandings concerning Salatul Istikhara.
The Foundation of Trust in Allah
In Islam, when we make decisions and in everything that we do, we always return to Allah, because we put our trust in Him. And if we put our trust in Allah, Insha'Allah, He will take care of everything.
Last night, for those who attended the program at Al-Huda, Shaykh Muhammad Sharif mentioned going through life with a GPS. If you had a GPS system, every time you get lost, it would tell you: off-route, rerouting, or something like that go to the left or to the right, and so forth.
If there was ever a GPS system, an Islamic GPS system for your lives, it's Salatul Istikhara. Because Salatul Istikhara is divine guidance from Allah. So maybe the more appropriate title, instead of the divine compass, is the divine GPS, Insha'Allah. Maybe next time we'll entitle it that way.
The Power of Divine Guidance
When you put your trust in Allah and ask Him for guidance, and if you are sincere in that aspect, then Insha'Allah, you have a great tool. Imagine every decision that you make, Insha'Allah, will always be the best for you.
How many decisions have we made in the past that we now regret? How many decisions? Just think about the decisions that we have made that we actually have regretted doing or following. Now think: did we pray Istikhara when we made those decisions? If we prayed Istikhara when we made those decisions, we will never regret. Because there will be divine guidance from Allah, and He'll guide us to that which is more appropriate and that which is best.
The Significance of Istikhara in Islamic Teaching
That is why the Prophet taught Istikhara to the companions, just like he taught the ayat of the Qur'an- because of its significance and importance also.
Misguided Methods of Decision-Making
In this world, in this society in general, and every society, there are ways in which people make decisions. Sometimes people make decisions according to their signs, astrological signs—Pisces or Aries or whatever it is -and they read these things that people write in newspapers and make decisions based on that. These people who are writing these things don't even know anything. To them, they're just writing anything that they feel might generally fit the public. There's nothing firm or principled that they base their writings on.
Some people make their decisions—some Muslims even—using the misbaha, the tasbih. You know, they say: I'll do it, I should, I shouldn't, I should, and I shouldn't. And then in America, of course, you get the rose petal, right? You say: he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not, and so forth. "He doesn't like me. Uh-oh. I don't think I should get married to this particular person."
So people make decisions in different ways. All of these decisions, all these methods and ways that people use to make decisions, they're just trivial. They are of no basis, no benefit whatsoever. How can we ourselves, as humans, put our trust in these petals? It doesn't even make sense logically or by reason. It doesn't even make sense at all.
Pre-Islamic Practices of Divination
The Arabs used to do the same thing. They used to do what's called azlam. They used to use divination with arrows, and they used to pick such and such. If they had the long arrow or the short arrow or the short stick or the long stick, they would travel or not travel. Sometimes they would wait and wait for signs.
If a bird was traveling—a black bird or a crow or something like that—and they saw it flying, the first bird that they saw flying towards the east or west or north or south, they would base their decisions on whether to travel or get married or start a business on these birds, like the flights or the direction of the flights of these birds.
Islamic Prohibition of Divination
Of course, when Islam came, Allah forbade all of that. Allah says in Surah Al-Ma'idah:
"Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah."
And also in the end, after that, Allah mentions:
"And that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience."
The Prophet also said in a hadith which is Sahih: when the Prophet went into the Ka'bah and he saw that there was a picture of Prophet Ibrahim and Isma'il, and in their hands were these arrows that they used to decide matters, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"May Allah destroy them. They indeed knew that Ibrahim and Isma'il never used these methods. They never used divination with arrows and so forth."
And the Prophet said:
"A person will not reach the highest levels of Paradise if he practices fortune-telling, or uses divination, or sees a bird flying and goes back and doesn't travel because of that, because of these signs and so forth."
So this is not part of Islam.
The Combination of Istikhara and Istishara
Islam teaches us to solely put our trust in Allah. Another method, one of the things that can be put together with Istikhara is Istishara. Istishara is consultation. You consult with Allah, and you consult with your Muslim brothers and your Muslim sisters if you are going to decide in an affair.
If somebody asks you for advice, then it becomes something of an obligation upon you to advise them if you know it. The Prophet said:
"The rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim are six."
And one of which he said:
(Sahih Muslim 2162)
"If he asks you for advice, then give him advice."
So consultation and giving each other advice when making decisions is also a part of Islam. Of course, our deen is based upon nasiha.
The Promise of No Regret
Some of the scholars have mentioned:
"A person will never regret if he prays and asks Allah for the best, and he consults with the people."
So there are two things: you have to pray Istikhara and consult. You can do either one or the other first—it doesn't really matter. The scholars have mentioned you can ask for advice and then pray Istikhara, or you can pray Istikhara and ask for advice. Either way. And after that, Insha'Allah, you should just go forward with it.
Permissible Matters for Istikhara
When we pray Istikhara, you are only allowed to pray Istikhara on affairs or matters that are allowable. So you can't pray Istikhara on affairs that are haram, because you're not supposed to do them anyway.
For example, if somebody wants to go to Las Vegas and is deciding on whether to go gambling or not, he says: "Let me pray Istikhara, should I go or not?" You don't have to pray Istikhara on things that are haram, because they're haram and you're not supposed to do them to start with.
So you only pray Istikhara on things that are mubah, or things that are makruh—things that are disliked and things that are makruh. Those matters you don't pray Istikhara on whether to do them or to leave them.
You do not pray Istikhara on things that are obligatory. For example, you owe somebody money, and you know you have to pay them back. "Should I pay this person back or not? Let me pray Istikhara." No, you owe them— it's obligatory upon you to pay. Or "Should I pray or shouldn't I pray? Should I fast or shouldn't I fast?" You don't pray Istikhara on those matters because they are obligatory upon you, and you have to pray. You have to do them.
Also regarding things that are recommended: if they're sunnah, you should always do them. If they are sunnah, you should always do them, and you don't need to pray Istikhara in that matter.
But if there are two things that are considered mubah—meaning you're allowed to do them, whether you do them or not, or whether you leave that particular matter or do that particular matter, it's permissible for you either way in these affairs, that's when it's permissible, and that's when you should pray Istikhara.
Seeking Proper Consultation
When we pray Istikhara-for example, getting married to this person or that person, or whether you should get married right now or continue your studies and so forth—in these affairs, you consult with those of knowledge. When you consult, consult with people who have experience, or consult with people who have previous experience, or they have knowledge, or they specialize in that particular matter or affair.
So consulting with the people and then praying Istikhara—if you do these two things, you will never regret when you make those decisions.
The Hadith Teaching Istikhara
With the Istikhara, another thing is: when do you say the Istikhara, and when do you say the du'a of Istikhara, and how you say them? To get the answer to this question, we have to read the hadith of the Prophet from Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he said:
"The Prophet used to teach us Istikhara in all our affairs, just like he taught us the Qur'an. Just like he taught us the Qur'an." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162)
Some of the scholars have said: what does this word "just like" mean? Is it just like meaning because of its importance? Yes, some of the scholars have said it's because of its importance. Others have said it's because the Prophet used to teach the du'a just like he taught the Qur'an, because he used to teach them word by word. He would say recite this, and so the companions would recite them.
But Allah knows best. When we read this particular hadith, when the Prophet said he used to teach them just like the surah of the Qur'an, it's because the Qur'an is something that you read all the time. You should be reading. And thus, Istikhara is something that we are always in need of. We have decisions to make all the time.
The Scope of Istikhara
Sometimes we regret our decisions because we don't pray Istikhara. And Istikhara isn't just for marriage. It isn't just-most people think it's just for marriage or starting a business and so forth. No, it's for any affair that you have doubts in, and you don't know which one to decide.
For example, we have a lot of us, right? A lot of us are always regretful of the phone plan that we choose, right? Or the phone company. "Should I pick Sprint, T-Mobile, or whatever?" Right? Later on they start charging all this money and so forth. SubhanAllah, maybe if we prayed Istikhara at that time, we would have chosen the right plan with the right minutes and the right company that doesn't steal our money all the time.
So even in these affairs, you can pray Istikhara because you don't know what to decide upon. And if we pray Istikhara, Insha'Allah, SubhanAllah, you will have this divine compass and divine GPS which will guide you. And when we read more about Istikhara, Insha'Allah, we will see.
The Method of Praying Istikhara
The Prophet ﷺ then said:
(Source Name)
"If one of you wants to do something, then make two rak'ahs of sunnah prayers besides the obligatory prayer."
So you pray sunnah prayers-two rak'ahs of sunnah prayers—and then you make the Istikhara. Some of the scholars have said you should make the du'a inside the prayer before you give the taslim. And others have said you can say it afterwards. In other words, after the taslim, you say "salamu alaykum," and afterwards you can make Istikhara.
When the Prophet ﷺ said:
(Source Name)
"When one of you wants or has a desire or he wants to do something and he's undecided..."
Now in the ahadith, it says that the Prophet ﷺ taught Istikhara in all the affairs. But we mentioned that not every single thing-like obligatory matters and so forth—but also the matters that are very trivial, just the normal things, we don't need to pray Istikhara for.
For example: "Should I make steak today or should I make spaghetti?" These are like little things that are not really significant-just trivial little things. You don't really have to pray Istikhara for them. Anything that maybe by making them has a lot of effects in your life and so forth—but these little things about eating and drinking and so forth, you don't really have to pray Istikhara for them.
The Timing of Istikhara Prayer
Then the Prophet ﷺ said:
(Source Name)
"Make two rak'ahs of sunnah prayers, meaning not obligatory prayers."
So the person prays. After prayer, if he makes his du'a—this du'a, this particular du'a—after he makes this particular du'a after the taslim, if he wants to, he can raise his hand. If he wants to, he can raise his hand and make du'a.
If he makes it inside the prayer before the taslim, he makes it when he finishes the tashahud and the Salat al- Ibrahimiyyah, then he makes the du'a of Istikhara afterwards.
The majority of the scholars are of the opinion that you don't pray in the times that prayer is forbidden. So you don't pray, for example, Istikhara if it's after Fajr prayer or after Asr prayer or any times in which prayers are forbidden-you don't pray Istikhara.
Even the Shafi'i scholars are of the opinion that if there's a reason for you to pray sunnahs, even in the times when you're not allowed to pray, you can pray if there's a reason. But they divided their reasons into three types. The reasons and the asbab are divided into three categories and three types.
The first is the asbab which is previous to that particular matter, which comes before that particular matter. For example, when the Prophet ﷺ said:
(Sahih al-Bukhari 444, Sahih Muslim 714)
"When one of you enters the masjid, then let him not sit down until he prays two rak'ahs first." (Sahih al- Bukhari 444, Sahih Muslim 714)
So if that matter, if that action comes before the Salatul Istikhara-even the Shafi'i scholars, they say you should, or it comes before that salat in the times that are forbidden—then for them you should pray. Of course, the majority of scholars say you don't pray.
Now in the middle, you come at the same time, like Salatul Khusuf-the eclipse prayer. So the eclipse is happening and you're praying at the same time.
And then sometimes the action follows the prayer. So the scholars have said: if the action follows the prayer, then you don't pray. Even the Shafi'i scholars have mentioned this. You don't pray the Salatul Istikhara. You don't pray the Salatul Istikhara even if it's in the time when it's forbidden—not before the prayer.
So if it's before, then there's a difference of opinion. So in general, the majority of scholars have the opinion that you don't pray after Asr, you don't pray after Fajr, when you pray Salatul Istikhara.
The Du'a of Istikhara
Then the Prophet ﷺ said: and then say these words:
"Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika wa astaqdiruka biqudratika"
"Oh Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and I ask that You give me the ability and give me the strength to go forward with it by Your strength."
In other words, because we say that there's no strength and no might except from Allah.
"Wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'azeem"
"And I ask You from Your great generosity or Your great favors."
"Fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu wa anta 'allamul-ghuyub"
"And indeed You are the All-Powerful and I am not, and You are the All-Knowing and I am not, and You are the Knower of the unseen."
Allah knows the unseen. And part of the unseen, one of the knowledges of the unseen, is something that is in the future. So anything in the future, Allah knows better than us. And so that's why we ask Allah to guide us and show us the straight path that will be most beneficial for us in this life and in the hereafter.
Because Allah alone knows the unseen, and He alone knows the future and knows what will happen if we chose a particular decision.
Mentioning the Specific Matter
And then we say-He said, the Prophet ﷺ said: and then say, "O Allah, if You know that this particular affair..." And then in this area you mention that affair or you mention that particular deed that you want to do or not.
So in this area you would say: "O Allah, if marriage to so-and-so is better, or traveling, or starting this business is better..." Then you say: "It's better for me in this life and in the hereafter, in my livelihood, and also in the final affairs in the end, it will always be better for me."
"Faqdurhu li"
"So make it possible for me. Make it possible for me."
"Thumma yassirhu li"
"And then make it easy for me also."
So make it possible for me.
"Wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fihi"
"And then give me barakah in it. Give me blessings in it."
Because anything that we do, if there's no blessing, then there will be no good in it whatsoever. But if there's goodness in it, there will be continual goodness. There will be continual goodness. And this is the meaning of barakah it's continual goodness. It's goodness that will always be there, and from all aspects, it will always be good for you.
"And if You know that this particular affair is bad for me, if it's not good for me, then take me away from it and take it away from me."
"Waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kana thumma raddini bihi"
"And then O Allah, make possible for me all the good that is possible, and then make me pleased with the decision You have given to me or that You have chosen for me."
Understanding the Results of Istikhara
So when we pray this Istikhara, Allah will make it easy for us to choose the right path or to choose the right way. And from this, from the words of Salat al-Istikhara, the scholars have said: once you make it, how many times do you pray it, first of all?
There are narrations that you should pray it seven times, but most of the narrations, as mentioned by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, these narrations are weak narrations and they cannot be the basis of that. So the time that you pray it actually, some of the scholars have said that you should just pray it and make your decision. Pray it and then make your decision. Make the decision according to what you think is best for you in this life and the hereafter.
And even if you made the wrong decision, even if you made the wrong decision, Allah will guide you to the right one. Let's say, for example, you wanted to marry this particular brother or this particular sister, and you really wanted to marry her, and you prayed Istikhara. And then, of course, you saw her beauty or saw his so-
and-so, and you wanted to marry that particular person. And you chose that decision. So you went forward with it.
Now let's say by marrying that person, in the end it will be bad for your deen. It will not be good for you. If that is going to be the case, even if you went forward with it, Allah will take her away. Something will happen that will cause that particular engagement or particular marriage before it happens—Allah will take it and not allow you to marry that person. So something will happen. Why? Because we say:
"O Allah, if this particular affair is not good for me in this life or in the hereafter, then take it away from me. Keep it far away from me. And keep me far away from it."
So Allah will take you away from it.
Making the Decision After Istikhara
So from this hadith, when you pray, the understanding from it is: as soon as you finish praying, Insha'Allah, just make your decision because you have already put your trust in Allah. And of course, as I mentioned, if you haven't consulted with people yet, then consult with them.
But then after consulting, that brother changed your mind or that sister changed your mind. That consultation is part of the Istikhara. Allah made you consult this particular person, and this person told you not to do such and such action. And thus, that would be part of the Istikhara. That would be part of Allah guiding you away from that particular affair or guiding you closer to a particular affair.
And thus, just go for it. And just put your trust in Allah.
Special Cases: When Unable to Pray
Sometimes there are times in which we are not able to pray Istikhara. Sometimes we're not able to pray Istikhara because, for example, for a woman—for a woman, she might be in her menses, and if she's in her menses, she cannot pray.
And thus, if this is the case, some of the scholars have mentioned that if she can, if the decision can wait, then she can wait until she is able to pray, and then she can pray the Istikhara. And if the decision-if she has to make the decision, if it's something that she has to make immediately and they don't have time to do it, you don't have time to decide and you only have maybe one day or a few hours—then just make a du'a. Say the Istikhara without the prayer, because the Istikhara itself is the du'a.
And the reason why we pray-some of the scholars, you know, by praying it opens up the doors of the heavens for us, and then after that we make the du'a to Allah—the du'a al-Istikhara.
The Certainty Required in Istikhara
And after making the du'a al-Istikhara, you have to have in your heart the certainty, the yaqeen, that Allah will guide you to that which is best. Have that certainty, have that belief in your heart that Allah will guide you to that which is best for you, because that's part of iman and part of du'a. Allah will guide you and He will make you choose the correct decision, Insha'Allah.
Practical Matters About Istikhara
Now, Salat al-Istikhara can be prayed, as I mentioned, anytime. And after prayer, of course, if you memorize the Salat al-Istikhara, the du'a al-Istikhara, it is better for you. This is something that every Muslim should do. You have to memorize it.
But if you don't memorize it, you can read from a piece of paper. You can read and make du'a from that paper after you pray. Just hold up the piece of paper and make du'a to Allah by reading from the paper. And that's also permissible.
Misconceptions About Dreams and Repetition
When we pray al-Istikhara, there's another misconception that people have. They think that you have to see a dream or you have to pray three times or four times. "Oh, if you see this particular dream, Insha'Allah, just go for it. If you don't see a dream, keep on praying."
And some people-I heard of a brother who said he prays al-Istikhara, and before he goes to sleep, he puts two pieces of paper under his pillow: "Do, don't do." He taught one of these papers: "Do or not do." If it says do, then he'll do it without any thinking whatsoever.
And this is the same as somebody, almost similar to those people who pick lots and so forth. You don't really have to do that. Just make your decision, whatever you think. But you have to be sincere in your heart and make the decision that you think will be best for you in this life and the hereafter.
Being Sincere in Your Decision
Sometimes you have a very strong inclination towards this particular decision. You really want it. Let's say you really want to marry this particular sister or this particular brother, but you know they don't really have good manners or their deen isn't very strong and so forth, but man, she's beautiful, right? You have that strong inclination towards that particular area.
But you know yourself—you know, (سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ - SubhanAllah), if I get married to her, I don't think it would be good for my deen. So you already know in your heart that actually not marrying her or not marrying that particular person is better for you, for your deen.
So pick that one and be sincere. So know—and that's what Imam An-Nawawi said. He mentioned that be sincere and first just pick the decision you think will be best for you in this life and in the hereafter.
And sometimes, you know, you'll be inclined to making a certain decision, and afterwards, after praying Istikhara, you see the opposite. And of course this is, Insha'Allah, from Allah.
No Need to Wait for Dreams
So you don't have to wait for a dream. You don't have to wait for somebody else's dream. "My sister, does anybody see a dream about this decision that I'm going to make or not?" No. You don't have to wait for that. You just go forward with it and put your trust in Allah.
How Many Times to Pray Istikhara
Some of the scholars have said that, you know, "I should repeat the Istikhara," but Allah knows best that you don't really have to repeat the Istikhara. Pray the Istikhara prayer, and we have some of the scholars have mentioned you have to have the intention of the Istikhara before, before you pray that particular sunnah.
And it could be combined with another sunnah. For example, let's say you're going to the masjid and you're about to enter the masjid. So you can combine your Tahiyyat al-Masjid—the greeting of the masjid—with the Salat al-Istikhara, with Salat al-Istikhara.
So when you're praying Tahiyyat al-Masjid, you have the intention that afterwards or at the end of that prayer you will make it an Istikhara prayer and a Tahiyyat al-Masjid prayer. Or you can make it maybe a Witr prayer in the middle, you know, the two rak'ahs before you pray the final rak'ah. Or any sunnah prayer you can combine with them. But you have to have this particular intention before.
And some scholars have said that after each sunnah prayer you can just make an Istikhara.
Everyday Examples of Using Istikhara
So when we're buying anything—again, next time when you go buy a car, you know, a car is something that, especially buying used cars, right? You know, the new cars have these guarantees, so it's a little more—but you still should pray Istikhara because you have to choose which car is better and so forth, right?
But especially buying used cars. When you pray Istikhara, maybe that person might not tell you that there are faults with that car, and you drive it for two or three months and you find out, like, the transmission was about to be blown or something like that. But if you were to pray Istikhara, Insha'Allah, Allah will allow, will choose for you. Will choose for you, Insha'Allah, and will help you in that particular decision.
Making Du'a When Unable to Pray
And if you're in the mall or if you're buying something—because sometimes there's no time or sometimes there's no place, but you need to buy. Maybe you're at the mall already and you don't know if you should buy this or that, and it's something very important for you. It's something good.
But if you're buying something that's haram, for example, you don't pray Istikhara on that. "Should I buy a TV or not?" You know the TV is bad, so you put it aside. You don't have to pray Istikhara for that.
And so you can actually just make the du'a if you don't have the time or the place to pray and your time frame for making that decision is very limited. So you just make the du'a right there. Just face the Qibla. Insha'Allah, with the du'a al-Istikhara. Insha'Allah.
Increasing Iman Through Istikhara
Now, Insha'Allah, as we mentioned, that Istikhara prayer if a person prays Istikhara, Insha'Allah-this is something that helps you also to increase your iman and belief in Allah.
So anything that happens to you, sometimes immediately you might make a particular decision. You might have made that particular decision, and you know in your heart you feel like, "I should have made the other one," and so forth.
This part of Istikhara is that you ask Allah to make you pleased with a particular decision. And sometimes, and sometimes, that decision that you have just made, you might think that it's bad for you, and there are so many bad things that are happening to you. There are so many things that are happening to you that you might think that it's bad for you.
And you might not realize that it's actually good for you until maybe ten years from now. Maybe five or six or seven years from now that you'll realize that it's good for you.
A Personal Example
You know, for example, I'll just give, Insha'Allah, and I'll end it with a personal example in my own life. When I graduated, after graduating from Medina, I actually-I never even thought about going to Cambodia or Vietnam. I never even thought about Cambodia or Vietnam.
But, you know, one of my teachers, he told me, he said, "You know, you actually should go there because the people are really in need." And you know, growing up in America and you're going to go to Cambodia—you know, it's like total opposite. There's no water. There's no electricity. And there are no roads. Hardly any roads. It's dusty. This is not the end of the world. There's no end to this world. This is it. This is it. There's nothing after this. You just look and there's nothing after it.
And, I mean, who would go there, you know? Like leave all this and you just go there. And, you know, I really didn't want to go. But I said, Insha'Allah, let me just pray Istikhara: should I go or not?
And when I prayed the Istikhara, it just came upon me and said, Insha'Allah, you know, it's like I learned so much from it. I learned so much from it. I even got married from it. And, alhamdulillah, even though I don't have my wife with me, even all the problems that have occurred and so forth—after, you know, just after ten years, you know, there were so many problems that happened also—but after ten years, you say, (سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ - SubhanAllah), alhamdulillah, that was the best decision ever. Really.
You know, it was like 90-10. But I just prayed it, and then afterwards, it was like the opposite. It was 90-10 the other way that I had to go. Like immediately after I put my hands down, it was like, "That's it, I have to do this."
And then, (سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ - SubhanAllah), you know, during the middle, you start thinking, "Man, was that really the right decision?" Because it's really difficult. But because of it, you say, alhamdulillah, that I went.
The Long-Term Wisdom of Istikhara
So, you know, the Istikhara prayer-you might not realize that it was good for you until maybe in the end. In the end, you might not even realize that it will be good for you until you enter Jannah. Say, (سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ - SubhanAllah), alhamdulillah, I made this particular decision because it was good for me. All those trials and tribulations and so forth, because of the reward that you are getting, Insha'Allah.
Conclusion: Never Regret with Istikhara
So pray Istikhara. You will never regret if you pray Istikhara and you consult.
"May Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his companions."