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 (اذكر الأمر الذي تريد الاستخارة فيه: مثلاً: التعامل مع وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي وتأثيرها على ديني) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو في عاجل أمري وآجله - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو في عاجل أمري وآجله - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance [in making a decision] with Your knowledge, and I seek [Your] ability with Your power, 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 (mention the matter: e.g., engaging with social media and its impact on my faith) is good for me in my religion, my life, and my [final] outcome - or he said: in this world and the hereafter - 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 life, and my [final] outcome - or he said: in this world and the hereafter - 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 content 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-amra (mention the matter: e.g., engaging with social media and its impact on my faith) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - aw fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi - fapdurhu 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 - aw fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li al-khaira haithu kan, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for when you are facing a decision, big or small, and you are unsure of the best course of action. In this context, it can be used when contemplating how to engage with social media, how much time to spend on it, what kind of content to consume or share, or if certain online interactions are beneficial or detrimental to your faith and well-being. It's to be recited after performing two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then the specific matter is brought to mind.
How to Read
Perform two rak'ahs of prayer (nafl). After the prayer, raise your hands (if you feel inclined) and recite this specific dua, mentioning the matter you are seeking guidance on in the place indicated. The core of Istikhara is the sincere supplication and turning to Allah. Trust that Allah will guide you through means like clear feelings, dreams, or the opening of doors and closing of others concerning the matter.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful Sunnah practice that allows us to delegate our decisions to the All-Knowing Creator. By performing Istikhara, we seek Allah's wisdom to guide us away from potential harm and towards beneficial outcomes, both in this life and the next. It brings peace of mind, reduces anxiety over decisions, and ensures that our choices are aligned with Allah's pleasure, especially crucial when navigating the complex digital landscape of social media.
Source & Authentication
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the Istikhara for all matters, just as he taught us the Surah of the Qur'an. He said: 'When one of you is concerned about a matter, he should pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer and then say: 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-amra khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - aw fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi - fapdurhu 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 - aw fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li al-khaira haithu kan, thumma radhdhini bih. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306).