اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ - [اذكر حاجتك هنا] - 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 - [اذكر حاجتك هنا] - شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: 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 Your power through Your might, and I ask from Your great bounty. 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 - [mention your need here] - is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my final outcome (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 - [mention your need here] - is evil for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my final outcome (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 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-amr - [mention your need here] - khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - (or he said: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) - faqdhurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr - [mention your need here] - sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - (or he said: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdhur li al-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This Dua is specifically for seeking Allah's guidance (Istikhara) when you are uncertain about which spiritual healing modality to pursue. This could be when choosing between different forms of Ruqyah, considering herbal remedies with Islamic basis, or deciding on a method of seeking cure that aligns with Islamic principles and has a clear benefit without contradiction.
How to Read
The prayer of Istikhara is ideally performed after performing Wudu (ablution) and praying two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer. After the prayer, you recite this dua. It's crucial to have a sincere intention and to try and make a decision in your heart before reciting. Place the specific matter you need guidance on, such as 'choosing the right spiritual healer' or 'pursuing a specific healing method', in the bracketed section of the dua. Afterwards, you should resolve to do what feels best in your heart and trust that Allah will guide you, often through dreams, a sense of peace, or clarity in making the decision.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer is a profound Sunnah practice taught by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It acknowledges our limitations and Allah's infinite knowledge and power, seeking His perfect wisdom in our affairs. By performing Istikhara, we are entrusting our matters to the One who knows the unseen and the best outcome for us, preventing us from making decisions based on our limited understanding or desires which might lead to regret. It brings peace of mind and contentment, regardless of the outcome, as we know we have sought the best from our Creator.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin ‘Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with them both) said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters as he used to teach us the Surah from the Quran. He would say: ‘If anyone of you is concerned about a matter, he should pray two rak’ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and by Your power I seek ability (to do or avoid that). I beg of You to grant me Your great bounty, for You have the power and I have not, and You have knowledge and I have not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion and in my life and in the accomplishment of my deeds, then decree it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless it for me. But if You know that this matter is evil for me in my religion and in my life and in the accomplishment of my deeds, 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 satisfied with it. And the supplicant should mention his need.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 7, Hadith 6306)