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 (هنا تسمي الأمر الذي تريده) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance with Your knowledge, and I seek power with Your power, and I ask of Your great bounty. For indeed You have power and I have no power, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (here you mention the matter you desire) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my end (in this life and the Hereafter), 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 end (in this life and the Hereafter), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me whatever is good, and make me content with it.
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'adheem. Fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (here you mention the matter you desire) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - 'aajilihi wa aajilih - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - 'aajilihi wa aajilih - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khayra haythu kaan, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited when facing a difficult decision, such as a dispute over inheritance, and you are seeking Allah's direct guidance on which path to take. It is performed after making a firm intention to proceed with one of the options, but feeling unsure which is best. The ideal time is after offering two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, preferably outside of disliked prayer times.
How to Read
Perform two rak'ahs of Salah al-Istikhara. After the tasleem (salutation at the end of the prayer), recite this dua with a sincere heart and clear intention about the inheritance dispute. It is crucial to mention the specific matter you are seeking guidance on within the dua itself. After reciting, sleep in a state of ritual purity, hoping for Allah to show you signs through dreams or to place a feeling of ease or aversion towards a particular option in your heart. Repeat the process if necessary.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer and dua are a profound way to seek Allah's wisdom when our own knowledge and understanding are insufficient. It affirms our reliance on Him and acknowledges His complete knowledge of the unseen. By performing Istikhara, we trust that Allah will guide us towards what is truly best for us, whether that means facilitating a particular course of action or diverting us from potential harm, even if we cannot see it ourselves. This submission to Allah's will brings peace and contentment, regardless of the outcome.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated: The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us the Istikhara (prayer for guidance) in all matters as he taught us the Surahs of the Qur'an. 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 biqudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'adheem. Fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - 'aajilihi wa aajilih - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - 'aajilihi wa aajilih - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khayra haythu kaan, thumma raddhini bih.' And mention your need. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6166, similar wording in 1166 where the specific mention of the 'matter' is in relation to the wording of the dua itself).