اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (هنا تسمي الأمر الذي تريد الاستخارة فيه، مثل: تركي لهذا العمل) 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 الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance with Your knowledge, and I seek ability with Your power, and I ask of Your magnificent grace. 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 matter here, e.g., leaving this job) is good for me in my religion, my worldly life, and my Hereafter - or he said: in my present and my 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 worldly life, and my Hereafter - or he said: in my present and my 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 matter here, e.g., leaving this job) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - aw qala: 'aajili amri wa aajilihi - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feehi. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - aw qala: 'aajili amri wa aajilihi - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kaan, thumma radhdhini bihi.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for situations where you are undecided about a course of action. When faced with the difficult decision of whether to leave a toxic work environment, after you've done your due diligence and sought advice from trusted individuals, the Istikhara prayer is a beautiful way to seek Allah's direct guidance. Recite it after performing two rak'ahs of prayer outside of the obligatory ones, ideally before sleeping or at a time when you can focus.
How to Read
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us to perform Istikhara by first praying two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer. In the first rak'ah, after reciting Surah Al-Fatihah, you can recite Surah Al-Kafirun. In the second rak'ah, after Al-Fatihah, recite Surah Al-Ikhlas. After the tasleem (final salutation), you recite the above dua. It is important to mention the specific matter you are seeking guidance on within the dua where indicated. Afterwards, sleep facing your right side, and look for signs or feelings of inclination in your heart or clear dreams. If clarity doesn't come, repeat the process for several days.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer is a direct supplication to Allah for guidance. When we feel lost or unsure about a significant decision, like leaving a detrimental work situation, turning to Allah through Istikhara allows us to submit our will and trust in His perfect wisdom. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'When 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 for Your great bounty. For You decree destiny, and I have no power. You know, and I have no knowledge. You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this task is good for me in this world and in the Hereafter (or he said: in my religion, my livelihood and the consequences of my affair), then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this task is evil for me in this world and in the Hereafter (or he said: in my religion, my livelihood and the consequences of my affair), 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 pleased with it.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306). This process helps to alleviate anxiety and brings peace, knowing that the outcome is in Allah's hands.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters as he used to teach us the Surah of the Qur'an. He used to say: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a thing, he should pray two rak'ahs of the prayer other than the obligatory prayer and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and by Your power I seek ability (from You) and beg of Your magnificent grace, for You are able and I am not, You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this task is good for me in my religion and my livelihood and in the outcome of my affair (or he said: immediate or deferred), then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this task is bad for me in my religion and my livelihood and in the outcome of my affair (or he said: immediate or deferred), 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 pleased with it.'