Ilm-e-Jafar Aasar offers a range of division methods — 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 28. For newcomers, it can be difficult to know which one to select for a particular concern. In this article, we walk through each division and offer clear guidance on choosing the right one.
If a question relates to physical or spiritual health, dividing by 4 is the best starting point, since it reveals whether the underlying issue is physical, spiritual, or rooted in some other hidden cause.
If you want to know whether a matter is just beginning, midway through, or nearing completion, dividing by 3 is most suitable.
To understand how serious a matter is — mild, moderate, or serious — use division by 5.
For understanding whether others are likely to offer support and cooperation, dividing by 6 provides useful guidance.
To determine a relevant day or time for an important matter, dividing by 7 draws on the traditional planetary associations of the seven days.
To understand the general direction one's fortune is taking, division by 8 offers relevant insight.
For understanding one's inner spiritual condition, division by 9 is the traditional choice.
To assess whether ongoing effort is likely to succeed, dividing by 10 offers relevant guidance.
For a broader sense of a matter's overall nature, division by 12 provides a wide-angle view.
When a comprehensive, in-depth reading is desired rather than a narrow answer, dividing by 28 offers the richest traditional analysis, drawing on the full Arabic alphabet.
Can multiple divisions be used for the same question?
Yes, and doing so often provides a more complete picture — for example, using division by 4 to understand a problem's nature and division by 5 to understand its severity together.
What if I'm not sure exactly what kind of information I need?
In such cases, starting with Ilm-e-Jafar Akhbar, which provides a direct answer, or dividing by 4 for a broad understanding of nature, are both good starting points before exploring more specific divisions.
If different divisions give seemingly conflicting results, what should I do?
Remember that each division examines a different dimension of the same matter, so apparent differences usually reflect complementary information rather than genuine contradiction.
A simple way to decide which division to use is to first identify what kind of information you're truly seeking. Ask yourself: Do I want to know what this is (use division by 4)? When it will happen (use division by 7)? How serious it is (use division by 5)? Whether I'll get help (use division by 6)? Whether my effort will succeed (use division by 10)? Or do I want the fullest possible picture (use division by 28)? Answering this simple question first makes selecting the right tool far easier and more intentional.
For those new to this practice, it's entirely reasonable to start with just one or two divisions and gradually expand familiarity with the others over time, rather than attempting to master the entire system all at once. Many experienced users develop personal preferences for certain divisions based on which ones they've found most consistently useful and clear for their own style of questions.
Suppose someone facing a difficult business decision wants comprehensive guidance. They might begin with division by 4 to understand the core nature of their challenge, follow with division by 5 to gauge its severity, then use division by 7 to identify a favorable day for action, and finally division by 10 to assess whether their planned effort is likely to succeed. Together, these four readings offer a far richer, multi-dimensional picture than any single division could provide alone.
Depending on the nature of your question, this quick checklist can help: For a "what" question (like "what is my problem"), use division by 4. For a "when" question, use division by 7. For a "how severe" question, use division by 5. For a "yes or no, will help arrive" or "will effort succeed" type question, use division by 6 or 10 respectively. And for questions that are broad or unclear, division by 28 or Ilm-e-Jafar Akhbar are both excellent, comprehensive choices.
Selecting a division that doesn't match a question's nature can produce a result that feels unclear or unhelpful. For instance, if someone asks "Will my health improve?" and uses division by 7 (which addresses timing rather than nature or outcome), the result won't directly address the actual concern. This is why thinking carefully about what kind of information is genuinely needed — before selecting a method — is such an important first step in getting a useful, relevant reading.
Over time, as a person uses these various divisions repeatedly and reflects honestly on how their situations unfolded afterward, they naturally develop a more intuitive sense of which method tends to serve them best for different kinds of concerns. This kind of experiential learning, built up gradually through genuine reflection, often becomes more valuable than any written guide, including this one, since it's grounded in a person's own lived experience with the practice.
One final caution worth mentioning: it's possible to become so focused on selecting the "perfect" division that a person delays actually seeking guidance at all. If uncertainty about method selection ever becomes a genuine obstacle, simply choosing the most obviously relevant option and proceeding is almost always better than endless deliberation over which precise tool to use.
If you still feel uncertain about which division to choose after reading this guide, the simplest and most reliable path is to use the "What Is My Problem" guided selector many platforms offer, which walks you through your situation and automatically recommends the most suitable method — removing the guesswork entirely and letting you focus on your actual concern rather than the mechanics of selection.
Ultimately, choosing the right division is less about memorizing a rigid formula and more about developing a clear, honest sense of what you actually want to know before you even begin. That single moment of honest reflection — pausing to ask "what am I really seeking here?" — often does more to improve the usefulness of any traditional reading than the specific mathematics of the calculation itself ever could.
Each individual division within the broader Ilm-e-Jafar Aasar system serves its own specific and distinct purpose and scope. Selecting the appropriate method leads to clearer and more relevant guidance. Remember, however, that all these methods are simply tools for guidance, and the final decision always rests with Allah alone, who knows better than any calculation what truly serves a person's ultimate wellbeing, both in this life and the next.