Allah said,

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظ’ طھظژط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظ’ط³ظگظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط²ظ’ظ„ط§ظژظ…ظگ﴾

((Forbidden) also is to make decisions with Al-Azlam) The Ayah commands, "O believers! You are forbidden to use Al-Azlam (arrows) for decision making,'' which was a practice of the Arabs during the time of Jahiliyyah. They would use three arrows, one with the word `Do' written on it, another that says `Do not', while the third does not say anything. Some of them would write on the first arrow, `My Lord commanded me,' and, `My Lord forbade me,' on the second arrow and they would not write anything on the third arrow. If the blank arrow was picked, the person would keep trying until the arrow that says do or do not was picked, and the person would implement the command that he picked. Ibn `Abbas said that the Azlam were arrows that they used to seek decisions through. Muhammad bin Ishaq and others said that the major idol of the tribe of Quraysh was Hubal, which was erected on the tip of a well inside the Ka`bah, where gifts were presented and where the treasure of the Ka`bah was kept. There, they also had seven arrows that they would use to seek a decision concerning matters of dispute. Whatever the chosen arrow would tell them, they would abide by it! Al-Bukhari recorded that when the Prophet entered Al-Ka`bah (after Makkah was conquered), he found pictures of Ibrahim and Isma`il in it holding the Azlam in their hands. The Prophet commented,

آ«ظ‚ظژط§طھظژظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظگظ…ظڈظˆط§ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظژط§ ظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظژط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظ’ط³ظگظ…ظژط§ ط¨ظگظ‡ظژط§ ط£ظژط¨ظژط¯ظ‹ط§آ»

(May Allah fight them (the idolaters)! They know that they never used the Azlam to make decisions. ) Mujahid commented on Allah's statement,

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظ’ طھظژط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظ’ط³ظگظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط²ظ’ظ„ط§ظژظ…ظگ﴾

((Forbidden) also is to make decisions with Al-Azlam,) "These were arrows that the Arabs used, and dice that the Persians and Romans used in gambling.'' This statement by Mujahid, that these arrows were used in gambling, is doubtful unless we say that they used the arrows for gambling sometimes and for decisions other times, and Allah knows best. We should also state that Allah mentioned Azlam and gambling in His statement before the end of the Surah (5:90, 91),

﴿ظٹظژظ€ط£ظژظٹظ‘ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¢ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظڈ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژظٹظ’ط³ظگط±ظڈ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظ†طµظژط§ط¨ظڈ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط²ظ’ظ„ط§ظژظ…ظڈ ط±ظگط¬ظ’ط³ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ ط¹ظژظ…ظژظ„ظگ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ط·ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ظپظژط§ط¬ظ’طھظژظ†ظگط¨ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ طھظڈظپظ’ظ„ظگط­ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ظٹظڈط±ظگظٹط¯ظڈ ط§ظ„ط´ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ط·ظژظ€ظ†ظڈ ط£ظژظ† ظٹظڈظˆظ‚ظگط¹ظژ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط¯ظژط§ظˆظژط©ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظژط؛ظ’ط¶ظژط¢ط،ظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژظٹظ’ط³ظگط±ظگ ظˆظژظٹظژطµظڈط¯ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژظ† ط°ظگظƒظ’ط±ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط¹ظژظ†ظگ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظژظ„ظژظˆط©ظگ ظپظژظ‡ظژظ„ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ظ…ظ‘ظڈظ†طھظژظ‡ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(O you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling, and Al-Ansab, and Al-Azlam are an abomination of Shaytan's handiwork. So avoid that in order that you may be successful. Shaytan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from the Salah (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain) In this Ayah, Allah said,

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظ’ طھظژط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظ’ط³ظگظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط²ظ’ظ„ط§ظژظ…ظگ ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگط³ظ’ظ‚ظŒ﴾

((Forbidden) also is to make decisions with Al-Azlam, (all) that is Fisq.) meaning, all these practices constitute disobedience, sin, misguidance, ignorance and, above all, Shirk. Allah has commanded the believers to seek decisions from Him when they want to do something, by first worshipping Him and then asking Him for the best decision concerning the matter they seek. Imam Ahmad, Al-Bukhari and the collectors of Sunan recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "The Prophet used to teach us how to make Istikharah (asking Allah to guide one to the right action), in all matters, as he taught us the Surahs of the Qur'an. He said,

آ«ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‡ظژظ…ظ‘ظژ ط£ظژط­ظژط¯ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ’ط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظگ ظپظژظ„ظ’ظٹظژط±ظ’ظƒظژط¹ظ’ ط±ظژظƒظ’ط¹ظژطھظژظٹظ’ظ†ظگ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظپظژط±ظگظٹط¶ظژط©ظگطŒ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ظ„ظ’ظٹظژظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’: ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظگظٹ ط£ظژط³ظ’طھظژط®ظگظٹط±ظڈظƒظژ ط¨ظگط¹ظگظ„ظ’ظ…ظگظƒظژطŒ ظˆظژط£ظژط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظ’ط¯ظگط±ظڈظƒظژ ط¨ظگظ‚ظڈط¯ظ’ط±ظژطھظگظƒظژطŒ ظˆظژط£ظژط³ظ’ط£ظژظ„ظڈظƒظژ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ظپظژط¶ظ’ظ„ظگظƒظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط¸ظگظٹظ…ظگطŒ ظپظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظƒظژ طھظژظ‚ظ’ط¯ظگط±ظڈ ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ ط£ظژظ‚ظ’ط¯ظگط±ظڈ ظˆظژطھظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈ ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ ط£ظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈطŒ ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظ’طھظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژط§ظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط؛ظڈظٹظڈظˆط¨ظگطŒ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ’ ظƒظڈظ†ظ’طھظژ طھظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ظ‡ظژط°ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ط£ظژظ…ظڈط±ظژ ظˆظٹط³ظ…ظٹظ‡ ط¨ط§ط³ظ…ظ‡ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظŒ ظ„ظگظٹ ظپظگظٹ ط¯ظگظٹظ†ظگظٹ ظˆظژط¯ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ظٹظژ ظˆظژظ…ظژط¹ظژط§ط´ظگظٹ ظˆط¹ظژط§ظ‚ظگط¨ظژط©ظگ ط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظگظٹ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ: ط¹ظژط§ط¬ظگظ„ظگ ط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظگظٹ ظˆظژط¢ط¬ظگظ„ظگظ‡ظگ ظپظژط§ظ‚ظ’ط¯ظڈط±ظ’ظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظگظٹطŒ ظˆظژظٹظژط³ظ‘ظگط±ظ’ظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظگظٹطŒ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ط¨ظژط§ط±ظگظƒظ’ ظ„ظگظٹ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگطŒ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ظˆظژط¥ظگظ†ظ’ ظƒظڈظ†ظ’طھظژ طھظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط´ظژط±ظ‘ظŒ ظ„ظگظٹ ظپظگظٹ ط¯ظگظٹظ†ظگظٹ ظˆظژط¯ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ظٹظژ ظˆظژظ…ظژط¹ظژط§ط´ظگظٹ ظˆظژط¹ظژط§ظ‚ظگط¨ظژط©ظگ ط£ظژظ…ظ’ط±ظگظٹطŒ ظپظژط§طµظ’ط±ظگظپظ’ظ†ظگظٹ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈطŒ ظˆظژط§طµظ’ط±ظگظپظ’ظ‡ظڈ ط¹ظژظ†ظ‘ظگظٹطŒ ظˆظژط§ظ‚ظ’ط¯ظڈط±ظ’ ظ„ظگظٹظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظژ ط­ظژظٹظ’ط«ظڈ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطŒ ط«ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژ ط±ظژط¶ظ‘ظگظ†ظگظٹ ط¨ظگظ‡آ»

(If anyone of you thinks of doing any matter, he should offer a two Rak'ah prayer, other than the compulsory, and say (after the prayer) `O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, from Your ability and I ask for Your great bounty, for You are capable and I am not, You know and I do not, and You know the Unseen. O Allah! If You know that this matter (and one should mention the matter or deed here) is good for my religion, my livelihood and the Hereafter (or he said, `for my present and later needs') then ordain it for me, make it easy for me to have, and then bless it for me. O Allah! And if You know that this is harmful to me in my religion and livelihood and for the Hereafter then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain whatever is good for me, and make me satisfied with it.') This is the wording collected by Ahmad, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih Gharib.''