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 (تذكر اسم الأمر هنا، مثل: إصلاح علاقتي بـ [اسم الشخص]) 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 الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance with Your knowledge, and I seek ability with Your power, and I ask for Your immense bounty. For indeed, You decree and I do not decree, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (mention the matter, e.g., reconciling with [person's name]) is good for me in my religion, my worldly life, and for my hereafter - or he said: for my present and future affairs - then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my worldly life, and for my hereafter - or he said: for my present and future affairs - then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me whatever is good, 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-ghuyoom. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (mention the matter, e.g., reconciling with [person's name]) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - aw qala: 'aa jili amri wa aajilihi - 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 'aaqibati amri - aw qala: 'aa jili amri wa aajilihi - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kaana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited as part of the Istikhara prayer when you are facing a decision, particularly when considering whether to try and reconcile with an estranged family member. It's done after you've made up your mind to seek Allah's guidance on the matter. The key is to have a specific issue in mind, such as repairing a broken relationship within your family.
How to Read
The Istikhara prayer involves performing two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, followed by reciting this specific dua. It's recommended to first intend to perform the Istikhara prayer for the specific matter. After the prayer, raise your hands and earnestly supplicate to Allah using this dua. Focus your heart and mind on Allah, seeking His wisdom and clarity. It's also advised to remain open to the signs Allah may show you, whether through dreams, a feeling of peace or unease about the decision, or through circumstances that unfold.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a profound way to entrust your affairs to Allah. By performing it, you acknowledge that your knowledge is limited and Allah's knowledge and power are infinite. This practice brings peace of mind, knowing that you have sought the best outcome from the One who knows what is truly best. It safeguards you from making decisions based on personal desires or incomplete information, leading you towards what is ultimately beneficial for your deen and dunya.
Source & Authentication
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us the Istikhara prayer in all matters as he taught us the Surah of the Quran. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a matter, he should perform two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then say: O Allah, I seek Your guidance with Your knowledge, and seek ability with Your power, and ask for Your immense bounty. For indeed You decree and I do not decree, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion and for my livelihood and for the consequences of my affairs, then decree it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and for my livelihood and in the consequences of my affairs, 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.' Jabir added: And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'And he should mention his need (in the dua).'