اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْتَخِيْرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيْمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ. اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هٰذَا الْأَمْرَ (تُسَمِّيْ حَاجَتَكَ: تَطْوِيْرُ مَشْرُوْعِ بَحْثٍ إِسْلَامِيٍّ شَخْصِيٍّ) خَيْرٌ لِّيْ فِيْ دِيْنِيْ وَمَعَاشِيْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِيْ - (أَوْ قَالَ: فِيْ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِيْ وَآجِلِهِ) - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِيْ، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِيْ، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِيْ فِيْهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هٰذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِّيْ فِيْ دِيْنِيْ وَمَعَاشِيْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِيْ - (أَوْ قَالَ: فِيْ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِيْ وَآجِلِهِ) - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّيْ، وَاصْرِفْنِيْ عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيْ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِيْ بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and power from Your might, and I ask of 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 (name your need: developing a personal Islamic research project) is good for me in my religion, my worldly life, and my hereafter - (or it could be: for my present and future affairs) - 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 it could be: for my present and future affairs) - 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 aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamul ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal amr (name your need: developing a personal Islamic research project) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri - (or said: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) - faqdhurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri - (or said: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdhur li'l-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited when you are facing a decision, and you are unsure of which path to take. In the context of developing a personal Islamic research project, this would be when you are contemplating starting a new project, choosing a specific topic, deciding on the methodology, or even considering whether to pursue it at all. It is recommended to perform this dua after offering two rak'ahs of prayer, outside of the obligatory prayers. The prayer is followed by this dua, where you specifically mention the matter you are seeking guidance on.
How to Read
The Istikhara prayer (Salat al-Istikhara) involves offering two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer. It's best to recite Surah Al-Kafirun in the first rak'ah after Surah Al-Fatihah, and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second rak'ah after Surah Al-Fatihah. After finishing the prayer, you raise your hands and make the Istikhara dua, specifically mentioning the matter you need guidance on. You then conclude by saying the dua as taught by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It's important to approach this with sincerity and a genuine desire for Allah's guidance. After making the dua, you should be ready to accept whatever Allah chooses for you, whether it's proceeding with the matter or abandoning it. Signs might appear in dreams or through a feeling of clarity and ease towards one direction.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer and dua are a profound act of seeking Allah's wisdom when our own knowledge and capabilities are limited. By turning to the One who knows all unseen matters, we entrust our decisions to the Best of Planners. This practice brings tranquility to the heart, as we rely on Allah's decree. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this dua so that we might seek divine counsel in all our affairs, big or small. It helps us avoid regret by ensuring our choices are aligned with what Allah knows is best for us, both in this life and the next. It purifies our intentions and strengthens our connection with Allah, knowing that He is our ultimate source of support and guidance.
Source & Authentication
The narrator Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara (prayer for guidance) in all things, just as he used to teach us Surahs from the Quran. He would say: 'If any one 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 Your might, and I ask of 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 is good for me in my religion and my worldly life (and he mentioned the affairs of this world 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 and my worldly life (and he mentioned the affairs of this world 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.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)