Does supplication (Du'a) avert divine decree (Qadar), even after seeking guidance (Istikhara)? And is it permissible to supplicate for the return of what Allah has taken from us, on the grounds that supplication averts divine decree?

The apparent meanings of the texts indicate the permissibility of supplicating for the aversion of decreed evil, and that this aversion is achieved through supplication. This is supported by the Qunut supplication: "And protect me from the evil of what You have decreed," and the Hadith: "Nothing averts destiny except supplication," and the Hadith: "Supplication benefits against what has descended and what has not descended."

If a servant seeks guidance (Istikhara) and supplicates, "Turn it away from me, and turn me away from it," then he should be content with what Allah has decreed, because discontent after Istikhara is a disease of the heart.

If a matter does not materialize after Istikhara, and the desire to achieve it persists, there is no harm in asking Allah to facilitate it, for the general principle is the permissibility of asking Allah for every permissible need, as in the Hadith: "Let one of you ask for all his needs, even asking for the shoelace of his sandal if it breaks."