اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (هنا تسمي الأمر الذي تريد الاستخارة فيه) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - وفي رواية: 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 - وفي رواية: في عاجل أمري وآجله - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and strength from Your power, and I ask of Your abundant 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) is good for me in my religion, my worldly life, and my hereafter (or in my present and future affairs), then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is evil for me in my religion, my worldly life, and my hereafter (or in my present and future affairs), 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-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (mention your matter here) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - wa fi riwayatin: fi 'aajili amri wa aajilihi - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - wa fi riwayatin: fi 'aajili amri wa aajilihi - fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khayra haithu kana, thumma radhini bih.
When to Read
The Istikhara prayer is recommended when you are facing a decision and are unsure about the right course of action. For reconciling a broken family lineage, this could be when you are contemplating reaching out to estranged family members, deciding on a specific approach to mend relationships, or when you are feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of the situation and need Allah's direction.
How to Read
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us to perform Istikhara in two rak'ahs, after which this specific dua is recited. It's best performed after offering the obligatory prayers, or at a time when you are calm and focused. After reciting the dua, you should resolve to do what you feel is best after you have completed the prayer and the dua, trusting that Allah will guide you through signs or a feeling in your heart. It is also recommended to perform ghusl (ritual bathing) and wear clean clothes, and to be in a state of wudu (ablution).
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a profound act of worship that demonstrates our reliance on Allah when we lack complete knowledge. By seeking His guidance, we are entrusting our affairs to the One who knows what is best for us, both in this life and the next. It brings peace to the heart, reduces anxiety over decisions, and opens doors to blessings we might not have foreseen. It helps in avoiding future regrets by seeking divine wisdom before committing to a path.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he used to teach us the Surahs of the Qur'an. He said: 'If anyone 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 with Your power, and I ask of Your abundant grace. For indeed You know, and I do not know. You have knowledge of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my deeds (or 'and in my present and my future), then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is evil for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my deeds (or 'and in my present and my 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 pleased with it.'" And the Prophet (ﷺ) added: 'And he should mention his need [by saying 'this matter' or 'this task']'. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)