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 - [اذكر حاجتك هنا] - خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: 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 I seek ability through Your power, and I ask for 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 – [mention your need here] – is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the end of my affair (or said: in my present and future), then ordain 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 the end of my affair (or said: in my present and future), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and ordain 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 aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyoob. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra - [mention your need here] - khairun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - (or said: 'aajili amri wa aajilihi) - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - (or said: 'aajili amri wa aajilihi) - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kaan, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This is the specific dua for performing Salat al-Istikhara (the prayer of seeking guidance). You would recite this dua when you are faced with a decision, and you need Allah's guidance to choose the best course of action. For learning a new skill, it's when you're uncertain whether embarking on this particular learning journey is the right choice for you at this time, or if there are multiple options and you need guidance to pick one. After performing the Istikhara prayer (which ideally involves two rak'ahs followed by this dua), you make the intention for your specific need within the dua itself, replacing '[mention your need here]'.
How to Read
Istikhara is a prayer. So, first, you perform two rak'ahs of prayer, ideally outside of the disliked prayer times. You can recite any surah you wish after Surah Al-Fatiha in each rak'ah. After completing the prayer, you raise your hands (or place them on your chest) and recite this specific dua. It's crucial to genuinely ask Allah for guidance with humility and sincerity. After making dua, you should then try to proceed with the decision that feels right in your heart, and you might see a sign in your dreams or feel a strong inclination towards a certain path. Remember, the outcome isn't always a dramatic sign; sometimes it's a subtle feeling or a clear path opening up.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer is a beautiful way for us as believers to acknowledge our dependence on Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) and His infinite knowledge. By performing Istikhara, we entrust our affairs to the One who knows what is best for us, even when we cannot see it. It brings peace of mind, as we are acting upon seeking divine counsel. It also helps us avoid regret by taking a measured, prayerful approach to important decisions, ensuring we are on a path that is truly beneficial for our dunya and akhirah.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he used to teach us a Surah from the Qur'an. He would say: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a matter, he should pray two rak'ahs of a non-obligatory prayer and then say: 'O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and power from Your power, and I ask of Your tremendous favour; for You have power, and I have not, and You have knowledge, and I have not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this task is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my undertaking, or in my present and future, then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it. And if You know that this task is evil for me in my religion, my livelihood and my undertaking, or in my present and future, 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 satisfied with it.'" Sahih al-Bukhari 6306.