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 (تذكر اسم الأمر) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي 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 وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ)، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and seek ability through Your power, and I ask of Your immense favour. For You decree and I cannot decree, and You know and I cannot know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (mention the matter) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my hereafter (or: in my present and my 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 livelihood, and my hereafter (or: in my present and my future), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me whatever is good, and make me satisfied 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-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (mention the matter) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), faqdhurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feehi. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), fasrifhu 'annee wa sarifnee 'anhu, waqdhur li-l-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited when you are contemplating a decision that requires seeking Allah's guidance. It's crucial to understand that Istikhara is not about asking Allah to make the decision for you, but rather to guide you to the best choice. You should have a specific matter in mind, and ideally, you would have already done your due diligence and considered the practical aspects. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this dua so we can entrust our affairs to Allah, accepting His wisdom when He guides us towards what is best, even if it's not immediately apparent to us.
How to Read
The Sunnah is to perform two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, not from the obligatory prayers. After the prayer, you recite this specific dua. It is recommended to mention the specific matter you are seeking guidance on in place of '(mention the matter)' in the dua. After reciting the dua, you then turn to Allah with full conviction and await His signs. These signs can manifest in various ways: a clear inclination towards one option, a feeling of peace or unease, or even through dreams. If no clear sign appears after a few days, you can repeat the process. It's important to be receptive to Allah's response and not impose your own desires.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful way to connect with Allah, acknowledging our limitations and His infinite knowledge and power. By performing Istikhara, we are actively submitting to the divine will and embracing the concept of 'Qadar' (divine decree) and 'Tawakkul' (reliance on Allah). It helps alleviate anxiety and doubt, bringing peace of mind as we trust that Allah will steer us towards what is ultimately beneficial for us in this life and the next. It ensures that our decisions are aligned with His pleasure.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he taught us the Surahs of the Quran. He would say: '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 Your might, and I ask of Your bounty, for indeed You have power but I have none, and You have knowledge but I have none, 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 livelihood and in the consequences of my affairs (or 'in this world and the next), then ordain it for me, and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. But if You know that this matter is evil for me in my religion and my livelihood and in the consequences of my affairs (or 'in this world and the next), 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 be pleased with it.' And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) added: 'And he should mention his need (at this point).' — Sahih al-Bukhari 6306