اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (ثم تسمي حاجتك: عزمي على مواصلة دراستي) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: فِي 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: فِي 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 I seek ability through Your power, and I ask of Your great bounty. 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 (then mention your need: my decision to continue my studies) is good for me in my religion, my worldly life, and my Hereafter (or he said: in my present and future), 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 worldly life, and my Hereafter (or he said: in my present and future), 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 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-amra (then mention your need: 'azmi 'ala muwasalat dirasati') khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - aw qala: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilih - fapdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - aw qala: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilih - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li al-khaira haithu kan, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for seeking Allah's guidance when faced with a decision, particularly when considering continuing education. You would read this when you feel uncertain about whether pursuing further studies is the right path for you, weighing its potential impact on your life, faith, and future.
How to Read
The practice of Istikhara involves performing two units (rak'ahs) of voluntary prayer (Salat) outside of the obligatory prayers. After completing the prayer, you would recite this specific dua, consciously intending your need – in this case, guidance on continuing your education. It's recommended to mention your specific need clearly within the dua, as indicated by the phrase "(ثم تسمي حاجتك: عزمي على مواصلة دراستي)". After reciting the dua, you should trust Allah's plan and observe any signs or feelings that arise, and then proceed with what feels most right after seeking Allah's counsel.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful Sunnah that allows us to imbue our major life decisions with divine wisdom. By turning to Allah in this way, we acknowledge our limitations and His infinite knowledge, seeking the best outcome for our spiritual and worldly affairs. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this prayer so that we may not regret our choices, as we have sought the guidance of the All-Knowing and the All-Powerful.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he taught us the Surahs of 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: 'O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and power from You, and I ask of Your great bounty. For You have power and I have no power, You have knowledge and I have no knowledge. You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (and here he specifies the matter) is good for me in this world and in 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 this world and in the Hereafter, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me whatever is good and make me pleased with it.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)