عن جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعَلِّمُنَا الِاسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الْأُمُورِ كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، يَقُولُ: «إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالْأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْفَرِيضَةِ، ثُمَّ لِيَقُلِ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي، وَمَعَاشِي، وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي» أَوْ قَالَ: «عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي» أَوْ قَالَ: «فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي» قَالَ: «وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَه».
Kutoka kwa Jaabir bin Abdillaah -radhi za Allah ziwe juu yao (yeye na baba yake), amesema: Alikuwa Mtume rehema na amani ziwe juu yake akitufundisha kutaka uchaguzi (kwa Mwenyezi Mungu) katika mambo yetu yote kama anavyotufundisha sura katika Qur'ani, Akisema: "Atakapo dhamiria mmoja wenu kufanya jambo, basi na aswali rakaa mbili zisizokuwa za faradhi, kisha aseme: 'Allahumma Inniy As-takhiiruka bi ilmika, wa astaq-diruka biqud-ratika wa as-aluka min fadhw-lika al-adhwiim, fa innaka taqdiru walaa aq-diru wata'alamu walaa a'alamu wa anta allaamul ghuyuub, Allahumma inkunta ta'alamu anna haadhal amru- na atataja jambo lenyewe -Khairun lii fii diiniy wadun-yaaya wamaashii wa aaqibatu amriy (Ajiluhuu wa Aajiluhu) Faq-dirhu lii wayassirhuu lii thumma baarik liiy fiihi, wa in kunta ta'alamu anna haadhal amru sharrun lii fii diiniy wa dun yaaya wa maashiy wa Aaqibatu Amriy Fas-rif-huu anniy was-rifniiy anhu waqdir liyal khaira haithu kaana thummar-dhinii bihi" Tafsiri: "Ewe Mwenyezi Mungu, hakika mimi ninakutaka uchaguzi kupitia elimu yako, na ninakuomba uwezo kupitia uwezo wako, na ninakuomba unipe kutoka katika fadhila zako tukufu, kwani wewe unaweza na mimi siwezi, na unajua na mimi sijui na wewe ni mjuzi wa yaliyofichikana, Ewe Mola wangu ikiwa unajua kuwa jambo hili (Anataja shida yake) ni kheri kwangu katika dini yangu na dunia yangu na maisha yangu na mwisho wa jambo langu (iwe kwa haraka au kwa kuchelewa) basi nakuomba niwezeshe na unifanyie wepesi kwangu kisha unibariki mimi ndani ya jambo hili, Na ikiwa unajua kuwa jambo hili ni shari kwangu katika dini yangu na dunia yangu na maisha yangu na mwisho wa jambo langu, basi liepushe nami na uniepushe nalo, kisha nipangie heri mahala popote itakapokuwa kisha niridhishe nayo".
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach us Istikhārah (guidance-seeking prayer) in all matters, as he would teach us a Surah from the Qur’an. He would say: "When one of you intends to do something, let him perform two Rak‘ahs other than the obligatory prayer and then say: Allāhumma inni astakhīruka bi‘ilmika, wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as’aluka min fadlik al-‘azhīm, fa ’innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta‘lamu wa la a‘lamu, wa anta ‘allāmu al-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta ta‘lamu anna hādha al-’amra khayrun li fi dīni wa ma‘āshi wa ‘āqibati amri, (or he said) ‘ājili amri wa ājilihi, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma bārik li fīh. Wa in kunta ta‘lamu anna hādha al-’amra sharrun li fi dīni wa ma‘āshi wa ‘āqibati amri, (or he said) wa ‘ājili amri wa ājilihi, fasrifhu ‘anni, wasrifni ‘anhu, waqdur li al-khayra haythu kāna, thumma ardini. (O Allah, I consult You for Your knowledge, and I seek strength from You for Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. Indeed, You are capable and I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the All-Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, (or he said), my immediate and future affairs, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know this matter is evil concerning my religion, my livelihood or the outcome of my affairs, (or he said) my immediate and future affairs, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content).'' He said: ''And let him name his need.''
Pupa kubwa ya Mtume rehema na amani ziwe juu yake katika kuwafundisha Maswahaba zake radhi za Allah ziwe juu yao swala hii; kwakuwa ndani yake kuna manufaa na kheri kubwa.
Sunna ya kuomba uchaguzi na kuomba dua iliyopokelewa baada yake.
Kuomba uchaguzi (Istikhaara) ni sunna katika mambo ya halali ambayo hupatikana kusitasita ndani yake, na wala haiwi katika jambo la wajibu au la sunna; kwa sababu asili ni kuyafanya, lakini inawezekana kuomba uchaguzi katika mambo yanayoambatana na hayo kama kuchagua marafiki wa kwenda nao katika Umra au Hija.
Jambo la wajibu na la sunna hayaombewi uchaguzi katika kuyafanya kwake, na haramu na machukizo hayaombewi uchaguzi katika kuyaacha kwake.
Ataichelewesha dua iwe baada ya swala; kwa kauli yake rehema na amani ziwe juu yake: "Kisha na aseme", na ikisemwa kabla ya salamu pia hakuna ubaya.
Ni wajibu kwa mja ayarejeshe mambo yote kwa Mwenyezi Mungu, na ni wajibu kwake ajiweke mbali na ujanja wake na nguvu zake; kwa sababu hana ujanja wala nguvu isipokuwa kwa kutegemea kwa Mwenyezi Mungu.