Q&A with Tasneem Noor (1/31/2020)

Q&A Discussion Circle with the Imam -- Tasneem F. Noor leads the congregation through an intuition exercise and answers questions specifically about Istikharah - the Guidance Prayer. Several different congregants share their own istikharah experiences and how they learned to trust their own intuition and direct connection with God.

Istikharah (Guidance Prayer): "O God! Behold I ask You the good through Your Knowledge, and ability through Your Power, and beg Your favor out of Your infinite Bounty. For surely You have Power; I have none. You know all; I know not. You are the Great Knower of all things. O God! If in Your Knowledge, [this matter] be good for my faith, for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs (in this world and the Hereafter), then ordain it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless me therein. But if in Your Knowledge, [this matter] be bad for my faith, for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs (in this world and the Hereafter), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and cause me to be pleased therewith.
Ameen."

Tasneem's Heartfelt Dua as an example of how to ask God to guide you toward connecting with your intuition: "Bismillah Ar Rehman Ar Raheem. Subhanallah Alhamdulilliah La Ilaha Ilallah. Ya Allah, my Lord, My Creator. You are the source of all creation and of all substance. You have created me, my gifts, my dreams. You are All-Knowing and know what Is in my heart and mind. You are Most Magnificient and Most Merciful and Most compelling. Please help me Ya Allah to surrender deeply to you, to be moved by you, held by you, used by you. I surrender to you my Lord, I surrender. You are the Ultimate creator and THE Master of this universe. Everything is yours and yet you have blessed us with the power of choice. The choice to choose you or choose our ego. To choose serving you or serving ourselves. Choose truth or choose illusion. I choose You My Lord! I choose You. I choose to serve you my Sustainer that sustains all that I am and all that I can. I choose you My lord who is All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Hearing. It is You I trust. It is you I seek to please. It is you I love. It is you whose approval I crave and need. Please forgive me for my inconsistencies and short comings and mistakes and for all the precious time I waste. Please forgive me with your Mercy My lord. Please forgive me. Please help me, guide me, and continue to compel me so I stay present and surrender and do my best to express through you, to serve for you and with you. I love you Ya Allah. And I surrender to you. I surrender. I love you. And I am ready to be used by you. I trust you. I surrender. I surrender. I surrender. Let my words be yours. Let my thoughts be from you. Let my intuition be your voice. I am ready now, Ya Rabb. I am ready. I am yours and you are mine. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am eternally grateful that you chose to create me and create work through me in ways You know to be the best. I trust you. And I am ready now. Ameen."