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 - سَمِّ الأَمْرَ - 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 الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ)، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek power through 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 – name the matter – is good for me in my religion, my life, and my Hereafter (or he said: for 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 life, and my Hereafter (or he said: for 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 pleased 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'lam anna hadhal-amra - sammil-amra - khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri (aw qala: fi 'aajili amri wa aajilih), faqdurhu 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 'aajili amri wa aajilih), fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kaan, thumma ardhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited after performing two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer (Salatul Istikhara) when faced with a decision or a complex situation, like a legal matter, where one needs divine guidance. It is intended to be recited when you have firm intention to undertake the matter, but are unsure of its outcome.
How to Read
Perform two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer (Salatul Istikhara). After completing the prayer, you should raise your hands (or place them in your lap) and recite this dua with sincerity and concentration, specifically mentioning the matter you need guidance on where indicated. It's crucial to have a sincere heart and trust in Allah's plan. Afterwards, you should cease worrying about the decision and proceed with what feels right or what Allah makes clear to you, whether through dreams, a feeling of inclination, or circumstances unfolding.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer and dua are a means of seeking Allah's wisdom and blessing when facing uncertainty. It's a beautiful practice that demonstrates our reliance on the Creator, acknowledging our limitations in knowledge and power. By turning to Allah, we invite His guidance to lead us to what is best for our spiritual and worldly affairs, ensuring we are not led astray by our own limited perspectives or desires.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara (prayer of seeking guidance) in all affairs as he used to teach us Surahs from the Quran. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about an undertaking, he should pray two rak'ahs of the voluntary prayer, and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and by Your power I seek ability, and I ask of Your magnificent grace, 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 undertaking is good for me in my religion and in my subsistence and in my life and in my Hereafter (or: in my present and my future), then decree it for me, make it easy for me and then bless it for me. And if You know that this undertaking is bad for me in my religion and in my subsistence and in my life and in 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 the good wherever it may be and make me content with it.' Jabir added: 'And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'Then he should name his need.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)