اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (تسمي الحاجة: مثلاً: العمل في الوظيفة (أ) أو (ب)) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – أو قال: عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ – فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – أو قال: عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ – فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and strength from 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 (mention your need: e.g., working at Job A or Job B) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my hereafter (or: in my present and future), 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 livelihood, and my hereafter (or: in my present and future), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me whatever is good, 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 aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyoob. Allahumma fa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (mention your need: e.g., working at Job A or Job B) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - or said: 'aajili amri wa aajilih - faqdurhu 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 - or said: 'aajili amri wa aajilih - fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kaana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for Istikhara, a prayer seeking Allah's guidance when faced with a decision. Before reciting, you should have already considered the two job offers to the best of your ability through your own research and contemplation. After offering the obligatory prayers (or voluntary prayers if not possible at the time of obligatory ones), you would then intend to perform the Istikhara prayer, followed by reciting this dua. It's recommended to repeat the process for up to seven days if clarity isn't immediately apparent. For choosing between two specific job offers, you would mention both options or the decision itself when prompted in the dua.
How to Read
The Istikhara prayer consists of two rak'ahs. After reciting Surah Al-Fatihah and another surah in the first rak'ah, and similarly in the second rak'ah, you would recite the Istikhara dua. It is customary to mention the specific matter for which guidance is sought in the place indicated in the dua (e.g., 'this matter of choosing between Job Offer A and Job Offer B'). After the dua, you should ideally sleep in a state of ritual purity, hoping to see a clear sign or feeling in your heart. It's important to have sincere intention and to trust Allah's plan, regardless of the outcome.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful Sunnah practice that allows a believer to delegate their decision-making to Allah, the All-Knowing. It brings peace of mind and reduces anxiety associated with major life choices like career paths. By seeking Allah's guidance, one hopes to be steered towards what is best for them in this life and the next, aligning their desires with divine wisdom. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this prayer so that Muslims would not make decisions out of ignorance or personal whim, but with divine insight. This practice can lead to blessings in one's chosen path and contentment with the divine decree.
Source & Authentication
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters as he taught us the Surah from the Quran. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about an affair whilst he is standing, let him pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and strength from 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, my livelihood and my final reckoning (or he said: 'in my present and my future'), then decree it for me, and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood and my final reckoning (or he said: 'in my present and my future'), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.' And he added: 'And one should mention his need.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)