In Islamic traditions, dreams have been, and continue to be, regarded as a conduit for accessing the divine will. Since the origin of Islam, 1400 years ago, Muslims have used the ritualized form of dreaming called Istikhara to get some indication on whether or not a particular choice in life is worth making. Even today, many people count on Istikhara while taking a decision relating their career, marriage, business, travel, or any other important matter in their life.
Literally, “Istikhara” can be translated variously as “awareness” or “seeking peace”. Religious scholars in Islamic traditions trace its origin back to Hadith, i.e. teachings of Prophet Mohammad. According to these, the process of dreaming for learning the divine will can be performed by any grownup Muslim man or woman, though the dream of pious people will be more reliable a clue to the proper course in one’s life. The process itself consists of offering a particular number/units of prayer in the evening, usually a while before going to bed, followed by recital of certain verses a specified number of times, and then thinking of a question in one’s mind – something for which one is asking the God’s will to guide him/her. With this in mind, the person performing Istikhara goes to bed (alone of course).
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