اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (وَيُسَمَّى حَاجَتَهُ) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ) – فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ) – فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ 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 Your great bounty. For You decree and I cannot decree, You know and I cannot 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 worldly life, and my Hereafter (or: for 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 bad for me in my religion, my worldly life, and my Hereafter (or: for 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 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 (and mention the matter here) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), faqdurnahu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdurlil-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for seeking Allah's guidance when facing a decision, especially a significant one where the right path is unclear. For a creative collaboration, this would be when you're considering joining forces with someone on a project, and you need clarity on whether it's the right move for your career, your spiritual growth, and your long-term vision. It's recommended to pray the two rak'ahs of Istikhara before reciting this specific supplication, and then to reflect on your feelings and what transpires afterwards.
How to Read
Perform Wudu' (ablution) as you would for prayer. Pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer (Sunnah or Nafl). After the tasleem (salutation) of the prayer, raise your hands and recite the Istikhara dua as provided. While reciting, focus on the specific creative collaboration you are contemplating. When you reach the part that says 'this matter' (هَذَا الأَمْرَ), visualize or think clearly about the collaboration. After making the dua, try to remain in a state of contemplation. Look for signs in your heart, dreams, or circumstances. It's also advised to then proceed with your daily activities, trusting Allah's guidance.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful act of reliance on Allah (Tawakkul). It allows us to delegate our decision-making to the One who has perfect knowledge of all things, seen and unseen. By performing Istikhara, we seek Allah's wisdom to choose the best option for us, ensuring that our choices align with His pleasure and lead to good outcomes in both this life and the next. It brings peace to the heart, reduces anxiety over major decisions, and affirms our submission to Allah's will. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that Istikhara is a means of seeking the 'Khair' (goodness) from Allah for any important matter.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara for all purposes, just as he used to teach us Surahs from the Quran. He would say: 'If any one of you is concerned about a matter, he should pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: 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 khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri (or: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), faqdurnahu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri (or: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdurlil-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhini bih. ' And he said: 'And you should mention your need (or: matter).' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)