اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (اذكر الأمر هنا، مثل: 'الانخراط في حملة دعوية معينة') 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 might, and I ask of Your abundant grace. For 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 the matter here, e.g., 'engaging in a specific dawah campaign') is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter – or he said: for 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 is evil for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter – or he said: for 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 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-amr (mention the matter here, e.g., 'engaging in a specific dawah campaign') khairun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri – aw qaala: 'aaajili amri wa aajilihi – fashdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri – aw qaala: 'aaajili amri wa aajilihi – fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li al-khaira haithu kaan, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited when you are faced with a decision regarding a specific act of dawah and you are unsure of the best course of action. This could be deciding whether to join a particular dawah group, undertake a specific outreach project, or even how to approach a certain individual or community with the message of Islam. It is ideally performed after fulfilling the two rak'ahs of Salat al-Istikhara, preferably when you are calm and focused.
How to Read
Perform two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer (Salat al-Istikhara). After completing the prayer, recite the Istikhara dua. When you reach the part that says 'هَذَا الأَمْرَ' (hadhal-amr), you should mentally or verbally specify the dawah act you are seeking guidance for. For example, you might say, 'Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna 'inqradi fi hadhihil-haraka ad-da'awiyyah khairun li...' (O Allah, if You know that engaging in this dawah movement is good for me...). Focus on the meaning of the words and sincerely ask Allah for the best outcome. After making the dua, you should then proceed with your life, and Allah will guide you through signs in your heart (a feeling of inclination or aversion) or through external circumstances.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer is a beautiful way to connect with Allah and seek His wisdom when making important decisions. By performing Istikhara for a dawah endeavor, you are entrusting the outcome to the One who knows what is truly best. This can lead to inner peace, clarity of mind, and divine assistance in your efforts to spread the message of Islam. It protects you from making hasty decisions based on limited knowledge and ensures that your actions are aligned with Allah's will, bringing barakah (blessings) to your work.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: 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 Quran. He said: 'When anyone intends to do a thing, he should pray two Rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and seek power from Your might, and I ask of Your abundant grace. For 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 (and here he mentions the thing he wants done) is good for me in this world and in the Hereafter, then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is evil for me in this world and in the Hereafter, 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 pleased with it.' The narrator added: 'And he said (the Prophet ﷺ) that the person should countally mention his need.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)