اللَّهُمَّ اسْتَخِرْ بِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from You by Your knowledge, and I seek strength from You by Your power, and I ask of Your immense favour. For indeed You know, and I do not know; and You have knowledge of the unseen.
Allahumma instakhir bika, wa as'aluka min fadlik, fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa anta 'allamul ghuyub.
When to Read
This is the core dua for Istikhara, seeking Allah's guidance. It's particularly relevant when a group is facing a significant decision for a community project and is unsure of the best path forward. Ideally, it should be recited before significant meetings or discussions commence, or after consulting widely but still feeling uncertain.
How to Read
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this dua as part of the Istikhara prayer. Although this entry focuses on the dua itself, the Sunnah involves performing a two-rak'ah prayer of Istikhara before reciting this dua. If performing the full prayer is not feasible in a group setting, individuals can recite this dua with sincere intention and concentration, ideally after having gathered all necessary information and opinions. Focus on the meaning, acknowledging Allah's perfect knowledge and power, and submitting your decision to Him.
Virtues & Benefits
Reciting this dua, especially as part of the Istikhara prayer, is a way to entrust the matter to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'If one of you is concerned about a matter, he should pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: O Allah, I ask You to guide me with Your knowledge, and to empower me with Your strength, and I ask of You Your great bounty, for You have power and I have not, and You know and I know not, and You are the Knower of the unseen... Allah will decide what He wills and do what He wills.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6137). It brings peace of mind, clarity, and the assurance that the decision is made with Divine wisdom, helping the community avoid pitfalls and move towards what is best for them.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the way of performing Istikhara in all matters as he taught us the Surah of the Qur'an. He said, 'If anyone of you is concerned about a certain thing, he should perform two rak'ahs of prayer other than the obligatory ones and then say: O Allah, I ask of You by virtue of Your knowledge the best for my (difficult) undertaking, and by virtue of Your power I seek ability to do it, and I seek of You Your great bounty, for indeed You have power but I have not, and You have knowledge but I have not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this undertaking is good for me in my religion and in my present life and in my Hereafter - or he said: in my worldly life and my Hereafter - then decree it for me, and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this undertaking is bad for me in my religion and in my present life and in my Hereafter - or he said: in my worldly life and my Hereafter - then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me the good whatever it may be and make me pleased with it.' He added: 'And one should mention his need (in this part of the supplication). (Sahih al-Bukhari 6137)