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) - 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 seek power from Your power, and I ask of Your magnificent grace. For indeed, You decree and I have no power, You know and I do not know, 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 final outcome (or he said: 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 livelihood and my final outcome (or he said: in my present and future affairs), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me that which is good wherever it may be, and make me pleased 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 - (name your need) - khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - (or he said: 'aajili amri wa aajilihi) - faqdurhu 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: 'aajili amri wa aajilihi) - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for seeking Allah's guidance when facing a decision, particularly one that carries significant weight like choosing a scholarly path within religious studies. It's performed after making a firm intention to decide, but before the decision itself is made. You would typically perform two rak'ahs of prayer outside of the obligatory ones, and then recite this dua.
How to Read
The Sunnah practice for Istikhara involves performing two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer. After completing the prayer, you recite the Istikhara dua. It's crucial to mention the specific matter for which you are seeking guidance within the dua, as indicated by the phrase "(name your need here)". For instance, you would say, 'Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika... anna hadhal-amra - *bir-riju'i ila darisil-'ilmil-shar'i wa tadqeeqihi* - khayrun li...' (O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge... that this matter – *of returning to the study of Islamic knowledge and its meticulous investigation* – is good for me...). After making dua, you should not fixate on a specific outcome but rather proceed with whatever feels most comfortable and draws you towards it, trusting that Allah will guide you. Some scholars suggest that signs might appear in dreams or through an inclination towards one option over another.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer is a beautiful supplication that acknowledges our limitations in knowledge and foresight. By performing it, we place our trust in Allah (SWT), the All-Knowing, for major decisions. It ensures that we seek the best outcome, whether immediate or long-term, and submit to His will. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized its importance, stating that 'None of you should despair of Allah's response until he says, 'I supplicated but I was not answered.'' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6340). This prayer helps alleviate anxiety and doubt by seeking the wisdom of the One who encompasses all knowledge.
Source & Authentication
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he used to teach us Surahs from the Quran. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a matter, 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 power, and I ask of Your magnificent grace. For indeed, You decree and I have no power, You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter - (and he mentioned the matter) - is good for me in my religion and my livelihood and [in] the end of my deeds [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 and my livelihood and [in] the end of my deeds [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 that which is good wherever it may be, and make me pleased with it.' Narrated by al-Bukhari (6306).