Al-Kafi · Hadith 7

The Book of Prayer · Salah (prayer) for Istikharah (asking Allah to Choose for One What Is Good) · Volume 3, book 4, chapter 93, Hadith 7

Original Arabic text

7ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ خَلَفِ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلام) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ رُبَّمَا أَرَدْتُ الأمْرَ يَفْرُقُ مِنِّي فَرِيقَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا يَأْمُرُنِي وَالآخَرُ يَنْهَانِي قَالَ فَقَالَ إِذَا كُنْتَ كَذَلِكَ فَصَلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَاسْتَخِرِ الله مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ وَمَرَّةً ثُمَّ انْظُرْ أَحْزَمَ الأمْرَيْنِ لَكَ فَافْعَلْهُ فَإِنَّ الْخِيَرَةَ فِيهِ إِنْ شَاءَ الله وَلْتَكُنِ اسْتِخَارَتُكَ فِي عَافِيَةٍ فَإِنَّهُ رُبَّمَا خِيرَ لِلرَّجُلِ فِي قَطْعِ يَدِهِ وَمَوْتِ وَلَدِهِ وَذَهَابِ مَالِهِ.

Published English translation

7. Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from ‘Amr ibn Ibrahim from Khalaf ibn Hammad from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “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 the matter for which your determination is stronger; the choice is for it, by the will of Allah. Your choice should be based on what is safe; sometimes it is better for a man to see his hand cut off, or his son die or his property gone.”’

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف على المشهور

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (15/454)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: Catalogue non-inclusion note (not an authenticity grade)

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī

Source records non-inclusion in this scholar's selection; this is not itself a weak or authentic grade.

Source, rights, and attribution

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edition: Al-Kafi, volume 3, Thaqalayn digital edition / Muhammad Sarwar translation
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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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