Chapter on the Prayer of Seeking Guidance

Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām|Volume 3|Book 1|Chapter 16

Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām

Volume 3, Book 1, Chapter 16

Chapter on the Prayer of Seeking Guidance

Hadith #6

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ اَلْبَصْرِيِّ عَنِ اَلْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اَلرَّحْمَنِ اَلْهَاشِمِيِّ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ خَارِجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ:« إِذَا أَرَدْتَ أَمْراً فَخُذْسِتَّ رِقَاعٍ فَاكْتُبْ فِي ثَلاَثٍ مِنْهَا« بِسْمِ اَللّٰهِ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ اَلرَّحِيمِ» خِيَرَةٌ« مِنَ اَللّٰهِ اَلْعَزِيزِ اَلْحَكِيمِ» لِفُلاَنِ بْنِ فُلاَنَةَ اِفْعَلْهُ وَ فِي ثَلاَثٍ مِنْهَا «بِسْمِ اَللّٰهِ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ اَلرَّحِيمِ» خِيَرَةٌ« مِنَ اَللّٰهِ اَلْعَزِيزِ اَلْحَكِيمِ» لِفُلاَنِ بْنِ فُلاَنَةَ لاَ تَفْعَلْ ثُمَّ ضَعْهَا تَحْتَ مُصَلاَّكَ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتَ فَاسْجُدْ سَجْدَةً وَ قُلْ فِيهَا مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ أَسْتَخِيرُ اَللَّهَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ خِيَرَةً فِي عَافِيَةٍ ثُمَّ اِسْتَوِ جَالِساً وَ قُلِ اَللَّهُمَّ خِرْ لِي فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِي فِي يُسْرٍ مِنْكَ وَ عَافِيَةٍ ثُمَّ اِضْرِبْ بِيَدِكَ إِلَى اَلرِّقَاعِ فَشَوِّشْهَا وَ أَخْرِجْ وَاحِدَةً فَإِنْ خَرَجَ ثَلاَثٌ مُتَوَالِيَاتٌ اِفْعَلْ فَافْعَلْ ذَلِكَ اَلْأَمْرَ اَلَّذِي تُرِيدُهُ وَ إِنْ خَرَجَ ثَلاَثٌ مُتَوَالِيَاتٌ لاَ تَفْعَلْ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْهُ وَ إِنْ خَرَجَتْ وَاحِدَةٌ اِفْعَلْ وَ اَلْأُخْرَى لاَ تَفْعَلْ فَأَخْرِجْ مِنَ اَلرِّقَاعِ إِلَى خَمْسٍ فَانْظُرْ أَكْثَرَهَا فَاعْمَلْ بِهِ وَ دَعِ اَلسَّادِسَةَ لاَ تَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهَا»

Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub from more than one person, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Basri, from al-Qasim ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Hashimi, from Harun ibn Kharijah, from Abu Abdillah , peace be upon him, who said: Imam al-Sadiq said: “When you intend to undertake a matter, take six slips (of paper). Write on three of them: ‘In the Name of Allah , the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful. A choice (khirah) from Allah , the Mighty, the Wise, for (so-and-so) son of (so-and-so): Do it.’ And on the other three write: ‘In the Name of Allah , the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful. A choice (khirah) from Allah , the Mighty, the Wise, for (so-and-so) son of (so-and-so): Do not do it.’ Then place them beneath your prayer mat. When you finish, perform a prostration and say in it one hundred times: ‘I seek the best (khirah) from Allah through His mercy a choice in well-being.’ Then sit upright and say: “O’ Allah , choose for me in all of my affairs with ease from You and with well-being.” Then reach your hand toward the slips, mix them up thoroughly, and draw one out. If three consecutive slips come out that say ‘Do it,’ then proceed with the matter you intended. And if three consecutive slips come out that say ‘Do not do it,’ then do not proceed with it. And if one says ‘Do it’ and the other says ‘Do not do it,’ then continue drawing from the slips until you have drawn five. Then look at the majority among them and act according to it. Leave the sixth; you do not need it.”

Ali Akbar al-Ghaffari
Tahdhīb al-Aḥkām fī Sharḥ al-Muqniʿah, vol. 3, p. 199