But how, then, is consultation to be conducted? Whenever an issue arises and the ruler feels hesitant, he should gather those whom he deems qualified—people whose insight and uprightness make them worthy of being consulted—and take their counsel.

Istikhāra, on the other hand, is conducted with Allah alone. When a person is about to embark on a matter and does not know its outcome or what the future holds, he should perform istikhāra, which literally means asking Allah to grant the better of the two options. The Prophet ﷺ instructed that one should offer two units of prayer other than a prescribed prayer, at a time when prayer is not forbidden. If, however, he fears that the opportunity will slip away before the forbidden period ends, there is no harm in performing istikhāra even during that time.

If the matter is not time-sensitive, it is impermissible to perform istikhāra during a prohibited period; thus, one should not do so after the ʿAṣr prayer, nor after Fajr until the sun has risen the length of a spear, nor at the sun’s zenith until it begins to decline. Istikhāra during these times is allowed only when the affair would otherwise be missed.

He therefore prays two units of non-obligatory prayer, ends with the taslīm, and upon finishing says:

“O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, I seek ability through Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. For You are able while I am not, and You know while I do not; You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if this matter”—and he names it—