Assalamualaikum brothers. Apologies for the delayed posting. Inshallah, those of you on the East Coast dealing with the numerous blizzards have been safe. Things have been going very well for me recently, alhamdulillah. I was just offered a position at a lawfirm in DC that specializes in food, drug and pharmaceutical law (the area I want to focus on). I will be accepting the offer and starting in March, inshallah.
While I was applying and interviewing for the position, and trying to figure out if I was making the right decision to leave my current firm, I found it very helpful to pray salah tul istikhara, as a way to seek help from Allah in my decision making process.
The Prophet Muhammad said, "If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two raka nafl prayer." Then he/she should say the following du'a:
Allahumma inni astakheeroka bi ilmik. Wa'astaq-diroka biqodratik. Wa'as'aloka min fadlikal-azeem. Fa'innaka taqdiru wala aqdir. Wata lamo wala-a lam. Wa'anta-allamul ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta lamu anna (hathal-amra*) khayul-lee fi deenee wama ashi wa ajila amri wa'ajilah, faqdorho lee, wayassirho lee, thomma-barik lee fih. Wa'in konta ta lamo anna (*mention the matter*) sharrul-lee fi deenee. Wama ashi. Wa ajila amri. Wa'ajilaho. Fasrifho annee. Wasrifnee anh. Waqdur leyal-khayr haytho kan. Thomma ardini bih.
Translation:
Oh Allah! I seek Your guidance by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power; I have none. And You know; I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things.
Oh Allah! If in Your knowledge, (this matter*) is good for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge, (this matter*) is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in the future, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
See: http://www.islamicacademy.org/html/Dua/How_to_do_Istakhara.htm
jazakallah khair,
Azim
