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 هنا: مناقشة علمية، جدل، إلخ) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and power from Your might, and I ask of Your abundant 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 your matter here: scholarly discussion, debate, etc.) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and for my Hereafter (or say: for my this life 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 livelihood and for my Hereafter (or say: for my this life and the Hereafter), 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 aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyood. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (mention your matter here: scholarly discussion, debate, etc.) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - 'aajilihi wa aajilihi - faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feehi. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - 'aajilihi wa aajilihi - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li al-khayra haythu kaana, thumma radhdhini bihi.
When to Read
This dua is recited when you are facing a decision that has two or more possible paths, and you are seeking Allah's wisdom to guide you to the best choice. Specifically for engaging in scholarly debate or discourse, it's useful when you're unsure whether to participate, what approach to take, or if the discourse itself is beneficial for you and for the sake of truth.
How to Read
The recommended method, as taught by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, involves performing two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer (Sunnah or Nafl) before reciting the dua. After the prayer, you make the dua, specifically mentioning the matter you need guidance on in the designated place. It's crucial to have a sincere intention and to have genuinely considered the options yourself before seeking Allah's guidance. Following this, you should await clarity, which may come through a clear inclination in your heart, a dream, or circumstances unfolding in a particular way. Avoid seeking advice from others *after* performing Istikhara, as this defeats the purpose of seeking direct divine guidance.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful way to connect with Allah and acknowledge our limitations. It ensures that whatever outcome follows, we can be content, knowing we sought the best from the One who truly knows. It brings peace of mind, helps avoid future regret, and ensures our actions align with what is truly best for us, whether in personal matters or in pursuit of knowledge and its dissemination through discourse.
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 the Surah from the Qur'an. He said: 'If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer two Rak'ah of non-obligatory prayer other than the obligatory one, and then say (after the prayer): O Allah! I seek the best from You by Your knowledge, and O Allah! I seek ability by Your power, and I ask of Your tremendous favour; for You have the power and I have not, and You have knowledge and I have no knowledge, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If You think this matter (mention the matter here) is good for my religion and my worldly life (or he said: for my present life and the Hereafter), then decree it for me, and make it easy for me, and then bless me in it. If You think this matter is not good, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and choose for me the good wherever it may be and make me satisfied with it.'