اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ 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 الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ ارْضِنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability [to carry it out] by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. For indeed, You have power, and I do not; You know, and I do not; and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (and here he should mention his need) is good for me in relation to my religion, my worldly life, and [my life in] the Hereafter (or he said: in the immediate and distant future), then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in relation to my religion, my worldly life, and [my life in] the Hereafter (or he said: in the immediate and distant future), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and then make me content with it.
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi 'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika al-'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-amra khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri (or he said: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fihi. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri (or he said: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu waqdur li al-khayra haythu kana thumma ardini bihi.
When to Read
When you're faced with the complex decision of a lawsuit – whether to file one, to accept a settlement, to decline an offer, or to continue a legal battle – the Istikhara prayer is your guiding light. This is for those moments of significant choice that carry weighty consequences for your worldly life and your Hereafter. Before you take any definitive legal step, when you've exhausted your research and counsel, and your heart is still seeking clarity, that's when you turn to Allah (SWT) with this beautiful dua. It's for when you stand at the crossroads of legal action, seeking His divine wisdom to illuminate the best path forward.
How to Read
To perform Istikhara for your lawsuit decision, first ensure you are in a state of ritual purity (wudu). Then, pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer. You can recite any surahs after Al-Fatiha. After completing the prayer and saying the taslim (salutations of peace), raise your hands and recite the Istikhara dua. When you reach the part "اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ" (Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra...), you should mentally, or even verbally, specify your particular situation and the decision you are seeking guidance on. For example, you might say: "O Allah, if You know that **accepting this specific settlement offer for my case against [Party's Name]** is good for me...", or "O Allah, if You know that **filing this lawsuit against [Party's Name] regarding [specific issue]** is good for me...", or "O Allah, if You know that **declining this settlement and proceeding with the court case** is good for me..." Be clear and specific about the precise legal action you are contemplating. After reciting the dua, do not wait for a dream or any supernatural sign. Instead, proceed with your decision based on what your heart inclines towards, after continuing to seek counsel and weighing the pros and cons. Trust that Allah will facilitate what is best for you and avert what is not.
Virtues & Benefits
Performing Istikhara for a significant legal decision like a lawsuit brings immense peace of mind. It reinforces your reliance on Allah, acknowledging His infinite knowledge and power above your own limited understanding. By entrusting your affairs to Him, you free yourself from the anxiety of making the 'wrong' choice, knowing that whatever outcome unfolds will ultimately be what is best for you, in this life and the next. It’s a profound act of worship that replaces doubt with confidence in divine decree and protects you from potential regret.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both): "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us to perform Istikhara (seeking guidance from Allah) in all matters, just as he used to teach us a Surah from the Qur'an. He would say: 'When one of you is concerned about a decision he has to make, let him pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ 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 الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ ارْضِنِي بِهِ.' And he should mention his need."