Author(s): Fatma Nur BEDÄ°R*
In this study, the beliefs, behaviors and practices of the individual regarding istikharah were examined. The aim of the study is to examine the practices of the incubation ritual in different cultures and beliefs and to discover how this ritual, which is still practiced today, is perceived and interpreted by the individual, and its effects on their decisions and behaviors. The study is a twodimensional qualitative research consisting of both theoretical and field research. In the theoretical section, the data obtained by the documentation method on the incubation ritual is presented. In the practice part, the data were obtained by survey method. In the study in which the qualitative research model was preferred, face-to-face interviews were conducted with convenience sampling, purposeful sampling and snowball sampling methods. Participants included in the study are 59 people living in Corum, aged 18 and over. . The obtained data were interpreted with content analysis and descriptive analysis. As a result of the study, it has been determined that participants had different knowledge about the application, number and binding force of istikharah. Even among the participants who believe in and practice istikharah, the number of those who take into account the consequences of the dream and act accordingly is quite low. Besides, we can say that as the individual becomes secular, his/her belief in istikharah and practices related to istikharah decrease or disappear completely. In addition, due to the fact that the youngest participants do not have any knowledge about the phenomenon, we can comment that istikharah has started to lose its importance today and does not take place in daily life as much as before.
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