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 - [اذكر الأمر هنا: الزواج من فلان/فلانة] - خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - وفي رواية: عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - وفي رواية: 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 You 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 – [mention the matter here: marrying so-and-so] – is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the end of my affair (or: in my present and future affairs), then ordain 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 livelihood and the end of my affair (or: in my present and future affairs), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and ordain for me that which is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi 'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlikal 'adheem. Fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamul ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal amr - [mention the matter here: marrying so-and-so] - khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - wa fi riwayah: 'aajili amri wa aajilihi - faqdirhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - wa fi riwayah: 'aajili amri wa aajilihi - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdir li-l-khayra haithu kaana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for seeking Allah's guidance when facing a decision where you are unsure of the best path forward. For marriage, this means after you have met a potential spouse, perhaps after the proposal has been made or seriously considered, and you need clarity on whether this is the right union for you. It’s important to have done your due diligence first – meeting them, discussing with family, assessing character and deen. Istikhara isn't a replacement for practical steps, but a way to ask Allah to guide your heart and mind towards the best outcome.
How to Read
The Sunnah method for Istikhara involves performing a two-rak'ah prayer outside of the obligatory prayers. You recite Surah Al-Kafirun in the first rak'ah after Surah Al-Fatiha, and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second rak'ah after Surah Al-Fatiha. After the prayer, you recite the Istikhara dua. It's recommended to do this with a sincere heart, facing Qibla, and to try and sleep on your right side afterwards, hoping for a sign in a dream. However, signs aren't always dreams; it can be a feeling of clarity, ease, or a strong inclination towards one path or the other. Repeat the prayer and dua for up to seven days if necessary. Crucially, after performing Istikhara, you should then resolve to proceed with whichever option Allah makes easy and feel right in your heart, rather than waiting for a specific supernatural sign.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a profound act of submission to Allah, acknowledging our limitations and His infinite wisdom and power. By turning to Him, we invite His barakah (blessing) into our decision-making. It helps to calm anxieties and doubts, leading to a sense of peace and conviction, regardless of the outcome. It teaches us to rely on Allah and to trust that He will guide us to what is best, even if it's not what we initially desired. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this prayer so that we would not make important decisions without seeking divine counsel.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he used to teach us the Surah from the Quran. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a matter, he should pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from my knowledge and seek power from Your power and ask of Your great bounty. For indeed You have power but I have no power. You have knowledge but I have no knowledge. You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if you know that this task is good for me in my religion and this life (and he said: or in my livelihood and end of my affairs), then ordain it for me and make it easy for me and then bless it for me. And if you know that this task is bad for me in my religion and in my life (and he said: or in my livelihood and end of my affairs), then turn it away from me and me away from it and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it.'" Sahih al-Bukhari 6306. [Note: Slight variations in wording exist across different narrations, but the core meaning remains consistent.]