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 (وَيُسَمَّى حَاجَتَهُ) 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 رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance with Your knowledge, and I seek power 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 (and the person mentions his need here) is good for me in my religion, my worldly life, and the outcome of my affair (or he said: in my present and future affairs), 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 worldly life, and the outcome of my affair (or he said: in my present and future affairs), then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me that which is good wherever it may be, and make me satisfied 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-amra (wa yusamma hajatahu) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - aw qala: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilih - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - aw qala: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilih - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited as part of the Istikhara prayer, performed when you are undecided about a specific matter, especially when faced with a burden or difficult decision that you need to release or resolve. It's a way of seeking Allah's wisdom and direction before committing to a course of action or letting go of something.
How to Read
The Istikhara prayer involves performing two rak'ahs of prayer (outside of the obligatory prayers), followed by reciting this specific dua. It's best to be in a state of purity (wudu) and to have a sincere intention. Before reciting the dua, you should mention the specific matter (your 'need' or 'burden') you are seeking guidance on where indicated in the Arabic text.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a profound way to connect with Allah's plan. By performing this prayer and reciting this dua, you are entrusting your affairs to the Almighty, seeking His wisdom to guide you towards what is best, whether that's continuing with a burden, releasing it, or finding an alternative path. It brings peace of mind, knowing you have sought divine guidance.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he used to teach us a Surah from the Quran. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a matter he should observe two rak'ahs of prayer other than the obligatory ones and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge and power by Your power and I seek from You Your magnificent grace, for You have the power and I have not, and You have the knowledge and I have not and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion and my livelihood and my end in this world and the next (or he said: for my present and my future), then decree it for me and 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 and my livelihood and my end in my life and the next (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 that which is good wherever it may be and make me satisfied with it.'" Sahih al-Bukhari 6306