اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ - (اذكر الأمر هنا) - خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - (أو قال: عَاجِلِ أَمَرِي 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 أَمَرِي وَآجِلِهِ) - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and strength from Your power, and I ask of Your immense grace. For 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 here) – is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my final outcome (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 livelihood and my final outcome (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 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-ghuyood. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr - (mention the matter here) - khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - (or he said: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - (or he said: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for seeking Allah's guidance when you are faced with a decision or a situation where you need to reclaim something that has been unjustly taken from you – be it property, reputation, or a right. You would typically perform a two-rak'ah prayer (Salat al-Istikhara) followed by reciting this dua, ideally after you have exhausted your own efforts and consultations and are still unsure of the best course of action.
How to Read
The Sunnah for Istikhara involves performing a two-rak'ah prayer. In the first rak'ah, after Surah Al-Fatihah, you can recite Surah Al-Kafirun. In the second rak'ah, after Al-Fatihah, you can recite Surah Al-Ikhlas. After the prayer, you raise your hands and recite the specific Istikhara dua above, inserting the specific matter you need guidance on where indicated. It's important to have sincere intention and complete trust in Allah's plan. After making the dua, try to rest and see what Allah presents to your heart or through circumstances. There is no specific number of times to repeat the prayer and dua, but it should be done with persistence and reliance on Allah.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer and dua are a profound way to connect with Allah, seeking His perfect wisdom when our own understanding is limited. By performing Istikhara, we acknowledge Allah's sovereignty and omniscience, entrusting Him with our affairs. This practice can bring immense peace of mind, clarity, and reassurance, knowing that the outcome, whatever it may be, has been chosen by the All-Wise for our ultimate good. It helps us avoid potential pitfalls and guides us towards the best possible resolution, aligned with Allah's decree.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he taught us the Surah from the Qur'an. 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: 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-ghuyood. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri (or he said: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri (or he said: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kana, thumma raddhini bih.'" And he said: "And he (the Prophet ﷺ) said: 'Then he should name his need.'"