اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (تسمي حاجتك: اختر مدرسة لولدي) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek ability through Your power, and I ask of Your great bounty. For indeed You have power, and I have no power; You have knowledge, and I have no knowledge; and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (name your need: choosing a school for my child) is good for me in my religion, my life, and my ultimate destiny (or: in my present and future affairs), then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my life, and my ultimate destiny (or: in my present and future affairs), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me whatever is good, and make me satisfied with it.
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi 'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'adheem. Fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (name your need: choosing a school for my child) khairun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri - aw qala: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilih - faqdirhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri - aw qala: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilih - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdir liyal-khaira haithu kaana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
Recite this dua after you have thoroughly considered the options for your child's school, perhaps after visiting a few, and still feel uncertain about the best choice. It is traditionally performed after praying two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, ideally at night, but can be recited at any time when you feel the need for divine guidance.
How to Read
It is recommended to pray two rak'ahs (units) of voluntary prayer (Salat al-Istikhara) before reciting the dua. In the first rak'ah, recite Surah Al-Fatihah followed by Surah Al-Kafirun. In the second rak'ah, recite Surah Al-Fatihah followed by Surah Al-Ikhlas. After the prayer, raise your hands (or place them on your chest) and recite the Istikhara dua, clearly stating your intention regarding the school choice after mentioning 'hadhal-amr'. Focus your heart and mind on Allah, seeking His wisdom.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful means of seeking Allah's guidance when faced with a decision. It entrusts the outcome to the All-Knowing and All-Powerful, bringing peace of mind and contentment. By performing Istikhara, you are actively engaging with Allah in your affairs, recognizing that true success and well-being come from His decree.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters, just as he used to teach us the Surahs from the Quran. He said: 'If any of you intends to do a matter, he should pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek ability through Your power, and I ask of Your great bounty. For indeed You have power, and I have no power; You have knowledge, and I have no knowledge; and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion and my worldly life (and he added another version: and for my immediate and future needs), then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and grant me blessing in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and my worldly life (and he added another version: and for my immediate and future needs), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me whatever is good for me, and make me satisfied with it.' 'And he said: 'And he should mention his need.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)