✅ Answer: Consider the following narrations:

1⃣عَنِ الْفَضْلِ أَبِی الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِی قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ أَتِمُّوا الْحَجَّ وَ الْعُمْرَةَ لِلَّهِ قَالَ هُمَا مَفْرُوضَانِ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 5, p. 459

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), regarding the words of Allah, Exalted and Glorious (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 196): 'And complete the Hajj and Umrah for Allah,' said: These are obligatory acts!

2⃣عَنْ عِیسَی بْنِ أَبِی مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ: قَالَ لِی جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ یَا عِیسَی إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَأْکُلَ الْخُبْزَ وَ الْمِلْحَ وَ تَحُجَّ فِی کُلِّ سَنَةٍ فَافْعَلْ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, Vol. 5, p. 442

Isa ibn Abi Mansur reported: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to me: O Isa! If you can live on bread and salt and perform Hajj every year, then do so!

3⃣عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ یَحْیَی عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَیْنِ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ شُعَیْبٍ عَنْ یُونُسَ بْنِ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ مِیثَمٍ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ لِی مَا لَکَ لَا تَحُجُّ فِی الْعَامِ فَقُلْتُ مُعَامَلَةٌ کَانَتْ بَیْنِی وَ بَیْنَ قَوْمٍ وَ اشْتِغَالٌ وَ عَسَی أَنْ یَکُونَ ذَلِکَ خِیَرَةً فَقَالَ لَا وَ اللَّهِ مَا فَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَکَ فِی ذَلِکَ مِنْ خِیَرَةٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا حُبِسَ عَبْدٌ عَنْ هَذَا الْبَیْتِ إِلَّا بِذَنْبٍ وَ مَا یَعْفُو أَکْثَرُ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 270

Sama’ah narrated: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) asked me: Why did you not perform Hajj this year? I replied: There was a business deal with a group that kept me busy, and I hoped it would be good! The Imam said: No, by Allah! Allah has not decreed any good for you in this matter! Then he added: No one is prevented from the House (Kaaba) except due to sin, and what Allah forgives is greater!

4⃣عَنْ عِدَّةٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِیَادٍ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ لَیْسَ فِی تَرْکِ الْحَجِّ خِیَرَةٌ.

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 4, p. 270

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: There is no good in abandoning Hajj!

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 3, p. 470

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ کَانَ «کَذَا وَ کَذَا» خَیْراً لِی فِی دِینِی وَ دُنْیَایَ وَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِی وَ آجِلِهِ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ وَ یَسِّرْهُ لِی عَلَی أَحْسَنِ الْوُجُوهِ وَ أَجْمَلِهَا اللَّهُمَّ وَ إِنْ کَانَ «کَذَا وَ کَذَا» شَرّاً لِی فِی دِینِی وَ دُنْیَایَ وَ آخِرَتِی وَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِی وَ آجِلِهِ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ وَ اصْرِفْهُ عَنِّی رَبِّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ وَ اعْزِمْ لِی عَلَی رُشْدِی وَ إِنْ کَرِهْتْ ذَلِکَ أَوْ أَبَتْهُ نَفْسِی

Jabir reported: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: When Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) intended to perform Hajj or Umrah, make a sale or purchase, or free a slave, he would perform ablution or take a ritual bath, then pray two Rak’ahs of Istikhara prayer. In these Rak’ahs, he would recite Surah Al-Hashr and Surah Ar-Rahman (in the first Rak’ah after Al-Fatiha, he recited Al-Hashr, and in the second, Al-Rahman). After completing the prayer, while sitting, he would recite Surah An-Nas, Surah Al-Falaq, and Surah Al-Ikhlas, and then say:

✅ In place of 'this matter,' one should mention the specific intention or simply have it in mind.

✅ Based on the above narrations and others, *Hajjat al-Islam* (the first obligatory Hajj) is a mandatory duty for those who are able, and there is no place for performing Istikhara in the conventional sense (e.g., with the Quran or written notes) for its fulfillment.

Furthermore, Allah has placed no good in abandoning non-obligatory (nafl) Hajj. Therefore, the common practice of performing Istikhara for it is also not appropriate.

However, the correct method of Istikhara for Hajj or Umrah, as per narration 5⃣, is to pray the Istikhara prayer when one intends to perform Hajj or Umrah. Recite the subsequent supplication and then proceed with practical steps toward Hajj or Umrah. The prayer’s meaning suggests that if this act is good for the individual in this world and the hereafter, Allah will make it easy, and if not, He will turn it away.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر

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