قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ اسْتَخِرِ اللَّهَ فَوَ اللَّهِ مَا اسْتَخَارَ اللَّهَ مُسْلِمٌ إِلَّا خَارَ لَهُ الْبَتَّةَ.
“Abu ’Abdillah (a.s.) said, ‘Perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer) and ask Allah to choose for you what is good. By Allah, if a Muslim asks Allah to choose for him what is good, He certainly chooses for him as such.’”
كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ص إِذَا هَمَّ بِأَمْرِ حَجٍّ أَوْ عُمْرَةٍ أَوْ بَيْعٍ أَوْ شِرَاءٍ أَوْ عِتْقٍ تَطَهَّرَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى رَكْعَتَيِ الِاسْتِخَارَةِ فَقَرَأَ فِيهِمَا بِسُورَةِ الْحَشْرِ وَ بِسُورَةِ الرَّحْمَنِ ثُمَّ يَقْرَأُ الْمُعَوِّذَتَيْنِ وَ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ إِذَا فَرَغَ وَ هُوَ جَالِسٌ فِي دُبُرِ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ كَذَا وَ كَذَا خَيْراً لِي فِي دِينِي وَ د
2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from ‘Amr ibn Shimr from Jabir who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Whenever Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, would think of performing Hajj, ‘Umrah or buying, selling or setting free a slave, he would first clean
إِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَمْراً فَخُذْ سِتَّ رِقَاعٍ فَاكْتُبْ فِي ثَلَاثٍ مِنْهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ* خِيَرَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ* لِفُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانَةَ افْعَلْهُ وَ فِي ثَلَاثٍ مِنْهَا بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ* خِيَرَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمِ* لِفُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانَةَ لَا تَفْعَلْ ثُمَّ ضَعْهَا تَحْتَ مُصَلَّاكَ ثُمَّ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَاسْجُدْ
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that when you think of doing something, take six pieces of paper and write on three of them, ‘In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. It is to ask from Allah, the Majestic, the Wise, what is good for so and so son of so and so, “do it.’” On the other, three write, ‘In the na
سَأَلَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ الْجَهْمِ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ ع لِابْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ فَقَالَ مَا تَرَى لَهُ وَ ابْنُ أَسْبَاطٍ حَاضِرٌ وَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعاً يَرْكَبُ الْبَرَّ أَوِ الْبَحْرَ إِلَى مِصْرَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِخَيْرِ طَرِيقِ الْبَرِّ فَقَالَ الْبَرُّ[1] وَ ائْتِ الْمَسْجِدَ فِي غَيْرِ وَقْتِ صَلَاةِ الْفَرِيضَةِ فَصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ اسْتَخِرِ اللَّهَ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ ثُمَّ انْظُرْ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ يَقَعُ فِي قَلْبِكَ فَاعْمَلْ بِ
“Al-Hassan ibn Jahm asked abu al-Hassan (a.s.), for ibn Asbat; ibn Asbat and we all were present. ‘Should he travel by land or by sea to Egypt? Please tell him about the best road by land.’ The Imam said, ‘By land, but go to the Masjid in a time other than that for obligatory Salah (prayer). Perform two Rak‘at Salah (p
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا تَرَى آخُذُ بَرّاً أَوْ بَحْراً فَإِنَّ طَرِيقَنَا مَخُوفٌ شَدِيدُ الْخَطَرِ فَقَالَ اخْرُجْ بَرّاً وَ لَا عَلَيْكَ[3] أَنْ تَأْتِيَ مَسْجِدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ تُصَلِّيَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فِي غَيْرِ وَقْتِ فَرِيضَةٍ ثُمَّ لَتَسْتَخِيرُ اللَّهَ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ وَ مَرَّةً ثُمَّ تَنْظُرُ فَإِنْ عَزَمَ اللَّهُ لَكَ عَلَى الْبَحْرِ فَقُلِ الَّذِي قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ
“I said to abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause. Do you advise if I travel by land or by sea? Our road is very dangerous and frightening.’ The Imam said, ‘Travel by land but there is no offense, if you go to the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah; perform two Rak‘at Sal
قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِذَا أَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ شَيْئاً فَلْيُصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لْيَحْمَدِ اللَّهَ وَ لْيُثْنِ عَلَيْهِ وَ لْيُصَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ خَيْراً لِي فِي دِينِي وَ دُنْيَايَ فَيَسِّرْهُ لِي وَ اقْدِرْهُ[3] وَ إِنْ كَانَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي فَسَأَلْتُهُ أَيَّ شَيْءٍ أَقْرَأُ فِيهِمَا فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ فِيهِمَا
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘If one of you may think of doing something, he should perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer), then praise Allah, speak of His greatness and say, “Allahumma Salli ‘Ala Muhammad wa ‘Ali Muhammad (O Allah grant Muhammad and his family a compensation worthy of their serving Your cause).” The
قُلْتُ لَهُ رُبَّمَا أَرَدْتُ الْأَمْرَ يَفْرُقُ مِنِّي فَرِيقَانِ[4] أَحَدُهُمَا يَأْمُرُنِي وَ الْآخَرُ يَنْهَانِي قَالَ فَقَالَ إِذَا كُنْتَ كَذَلِكَ فَصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ اسْتَخِرِ اللَّهَ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ وَ مَرَّةً ثُمَّ انْظُرْ أَحْزَمَ الْأَمْرَيْنِ لَكَ فَافْعَلْهُ فَإِنَّ الْخِيَرَةَ فِيهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَ لْتَكُنِ اسْتِخَارَتُكَ فِي عَافِيَةٍ فَإِنَّهُ رُبَّمَا خِيرَ لِلرَّجُلِ فِي قَطْعِ يَدِهِ وَ
“I said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Sometimes I may get two different opinions: one for and the other against what I think to do, what then I should do?’ The Imam said, ‘If such is the case, then perform two Rak‘at Salah (prayer) and ask Allah, one hundred and one times, to choose for you what is best. Thereafter choose
لِبَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ وَ قَدْ سَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْأَمْرِ يَمْضِي فِيهِ وَ لَا يَجِدُ أَحَداً يُشَاوِرُهُ فَكَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ شَاوِرْ رَبَّكَ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ كَيْفَ قَالَ لَهُ انْوِ الْحَاجَةَ فِي نَفْسِكَ ثُمَّ اكْتُبْ رُقْعَتَيْنِ فِي وَاحِدَةٍ لَا وَ فِي وَاحِدَةٍ نَعَمْ وَ اجْعَلْهُمَا فِي بُنْدُقَتَيْنِ مِنْ طِينٍ ثُمَّ صَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَ اجْعَلْهُمَا تَحْتَ ذَيْلِكَ وَ قُلْ يَا اللَّهُ إِنِّي أُشَاوِرُكَ ف
“The Imam (a.s.), said to one of his companions who had asked about an issue that he wanted to do but did not find any one to consult with. The Imam said, ‘Consult your Lord.’ He then asked, ‘How should I do so?’ The Imam replied, ‘Keep in your mind what you wish to do, then write two pieces of paper, “yes” on one and