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 - سَمِّ حَاجَتَكَ - خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ 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 Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek ability through Your power. I ask for Your immense favor, for You have power and I do not, and You have knowledge and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (mention your need here) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my end – or he said: in my present and my future – then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is evil for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my end – 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 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 aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra (mention your need here) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), faqdurlī wa yassirhu lī, thumma barik lī fīh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri (or fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdurlī al-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited when you are faced with a decision, and after you have deliberated and sought advice, you still feel uncertain. Specifically for deciding on acquiring a pet, you would recite this after you've explored different options (e.g., breed, source, timing) and are seeking Allah's direction on whether this step is truly beneficial for you and your household, considering your responsibilities towards the animal.
How to Read
It's recommended to perform two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer (Salat al-Istikhara) before reciting this dua. After the prayer, you recite the dua with sincerity and conviction, clearly mentioning your specific need (acquiring a pet). The key is to genuinely surrender the outcome to Allah, trusting that He will guide you through signs in your heart, dreams, or circumstances.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful way to connect with Allah, acknowledging His infinite wisdom and power. It brings immense peace of mind, knowing that you've sought the best from the One who knows what's truly good for you. It helps avoid regret by trusting in Allah's plan, whether the outcome is what you initially desired or not. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this prayer so that the Ummah would not make decisions without seeking divine guidance.
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 a Surah from the Qur'an. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a matter he should observe two Rak'ahs of prayer other than the obligatory ones and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge and power, and ask of Your supreme grace. For You are capable and I am not, You are knowledgeable and I am not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (and he mentioned his need) is good for me in this life and the hereafter - or he said: good in my religion and my livelihood and my end - then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is evil for me in my religion and my livelihood and my end - or he said: evil in my religion and my livelihood and my end - 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 satisfied with it.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)