اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (تسمي حاجتك: التطوع في كذا وكذا) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - فاقدره لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. اللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - 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, and I ask for Your immense favor. 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 (name your need: volunteering for X and Y) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my end here and hereafter, then decree it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my end here and hereafter, 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 aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (name your need: volunteering for X and Y) khairun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - faqdhurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Allahumma wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdhur liyal-khaira haithu kaan, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited when you are facing a decision, such as choosing a specific volunteer opportunity. It's meant to be performed after you've made up your mind to seek Allah's guidance, not as a substitute for research or consultation. Ideally, it's done after the obligatory prayer (Salat al-Istikhara), which involves praying two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, followed by this dua.
How to Read
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us to perform Istikhara by praying two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer. After the prayer, one should raise their hands and recite this specific dua, clearly mentioning the matter you are seeking guidance on (in this case, the volunteer opportunity). It's recommended to repeat the dua three times. After seeking Allah's guidance through prayer and dua, one should act upon what their heart feels inclined towards, trusting that Allah has chosen the best for them.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a profound act of reliance on Allah (Tawakkul). By performing Istikhara, we acknowledge that Allah is the All-Knowing and All-Powerful, and He alone can guide us to what is truly beneficial. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'If one of you undertakes a task, he should pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: Allahumma inni astakhiruka...' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306). This practice helps in making sound decisions, brings peace of mind, and ensures that our choices align with Allah's will, bringing blessings to our endeavors.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: 'The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters as he used to teach us the Surah from the Quran. He said: "If anyone 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 wala aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wala a'lamu, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (then name the thing) khairun li fi 'ajili amri wa 'ajilihi ma 'aashu bihi, faqdhurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi 'ajili amri wa 'ajilihi, fa srifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdhur li al-khaira haithu kaan thumma radhdhini bih.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)