اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ (تسمي الأمر) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – – – أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ – – – فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – – – أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ – – – فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and seek power from Your might, and I ask of Your abundant grace. You have power, and I have not; You know, and I do not know; and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (mention the matter) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the end of my affairs – or he said: in my present and my future – 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 affairs – or he said: in my present and my future – then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and ordain 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-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra (mention the matter) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - or he said: in 'aajili amri wa aajilihi - faqdhurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - or he said: in 'aajili amri wa aajilihi - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdhur li-l-khaira haithu kaana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited when one is faced with a decision, big or small, and is unsure of the best course of action. This includes decisions about significant life choices, relational matters, and importantly, when considering whether to forgive someone or how to approach forgiveness.
How to Read
Perform two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer. After the Tashahhud, recite this dua. Place your hands on your chest and sincerely ask Allah to guide you. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that after reciting this dua, one should then consider what their heart leans towards, or that Allah will bring about the best outcome. It is crucial to have firm intention and reliance on Allah (Tawakkul) before and after the prayer.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a profound way to connect with Allah when making decisions. It ensures that our choices are aligned with His will, seeking the best in both this life and the hereafter. Forgiveness, a challenging but essential aspect of our faith, can be approached with clarity and peace through Istikhara, as it helps us discern the right path that is pleasing to Allah and beneficial for our spiritual well-being.
Source & Authentication
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters as he used to teach us the Surah from the Qur'an. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a thing, he should perform two rak'ahs of prayer other than the obligatory prayer, and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and seek power from Your might, and ask of Your abundant grace. For You have power, and I have not; You know, and I do not know; 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 (or he said: 'in my present and my future'), then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is evil for me in my religion and my worldly life (or he said: 'in my present and my future'), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and ordain for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.' He added: 'And he should name his need.'