اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أسْتَخِيرُكَ بعِلْمِكَ، وأسْتَقْدِرُكَ بقُدْرَتِكَ، وأسْألُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فإنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ ولا أقْدِرُ، وتَعْلَمُ ولا أعْلَمُ، وأنتَ عَلاَّمُ الغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أنَّ هذا الأمْرَ (اذكر حاجتك هنا: مثلاً: "هذا البَدْءُ في عادَةِ قِراءةِ القُرْآنِ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ" أو "هذا الإقْلاعُ عَنِ العادَةِ السَّيِّئَةِ") خَيْرٌ لِي في دِينِي ومَعاشِي وعَاقِبَةِ أمَرِي (أو قال: في عَاجِلِ أمَرِي وآجِلِهِ)، فاقْدُرْهُ لِي، ويَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وإنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أنَّ هذا الأمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي في دِينِي ومَعاشِي وعَاقِبَةِ أمَرِي (أو قال: في عَاجِلِ أمَرِي وآجِلِهِ)، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، واصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وارْدُدْهُ عَنِّي، واقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كانَ، ثمَّ رَضِّنِي بهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and seek power from Your power, and I ask for Your immense 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 (mention your need here: e.g., 'this starting of the habit of reading the Quran daily' or 'this quitting of a bad habit') is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter (or he said: 'in my present and future affairs'), then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. But if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter (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 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 aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr (mention your need here: e.g., 'this starting of the habit of reading the Quran daily' or 'this quitting of a bad habit') khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aaqibati amri (or he said: 'in 'ajili amri wa ajilihi'), fa-qdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amr sharun li fi deeni wa ma'ashi wa 'aaqibati amri (or he said: 'in 'ajili amri wa ajilihi'), fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, wardudhu 'anni, waqdur li-khayra haythu kan, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This is the specific dua recited after performing the two rak'ahs of Istikhara prayer, when facing a decision about initiating a new positive habit or eliminating a negative one. The intention should be clear in your heart before you begin the prayer.
How to Read
1. Perform the two rak'ahs of Istikhara prayer. It is recommended to recite Surah Al-Kafirun (Chapter 109) in the first rak'ah after Surah Al-Fatiha, and Surah Al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112) in the second rak'ah after Surah Al-Fatiha. 2. After completing the prayer and saying the Tasleem (salutations), raise your hands and recite the Istikhara dua mentioned above. 3. Clearly mention the specific habit you are seeking guidance on within the phrase '(اذكر حاجتك هنا)'. Be precise about whether you want to start or stop a habit. 4. After reciting the dua, you can make further supplications in your own words. 5. The key is to approach the Istikhara with sincerity and a genuine desire for Allah's guidance, then to remain open to signs through dreams, a feeling in your heart, or ease in pursuing a particular path.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful way to involve Allah (Glory be to Him) in our daily decisions, big or small. By seeking His counsel, we acknowledge our own limitations and His infinite wisdom and power. It brings peace to the heart, knowing that you have done your best to seek divine guidance, allowing you to proceed with conviction, whether that means embracing a new good habit or letting go of a detrimental one. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught this prayer so that we wouldn't feel lost or overwhelmed when faced with choices, ensuring our path aligns with what is best for us in this life and the next.
Source & Authentication
Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (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: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and power from Your power, and I ask of Your great bounty. For indeed You have power but I have no power, You have knowledge but I have no knowledge, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter (and here he specifies his need) is good for me in this world and in the Hereafter, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. O Allah, if You know that this matter is evil for me in this world and in the Hereafter, 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.' He added: 'And he should name his need.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306). This hadith emphasizes the comprehensive nature of Istikhara, applying it to 'all matters,' which naturally includes decisions about forming or breaking habits.