اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ (هنا تذكر الأمر الذي تستخير فيه، مثلا: دعم مجتمعنا المسلم المتعثر) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أو قال: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and strength from Your power, and I ask of Your immense favour. 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 the specific matter, e.g., supporting our struggling Muslim community) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter - or he said: for my present and my future - 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 my Hereafter - or he said: for 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 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 ghuyoob. Allahumma fa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal amr (here you mention the matter you are seeking guidance on, e.g., supporting our struggling Muslim community) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - aw qala: fi 'aajili amri wa aajilih - 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: fi 'aajili amri wa aajilih - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li al-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is specifically for the Istikhara prayer, performed when you are facing a decision or a significant matter and are unsure of the best course of action. In this context, it's when you feel uncertain about how to best support a Muslim community that is facing difficulties. You would typically perform Istikhara after performing two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, followed by reciting this supplication.
How to Read
The Istikhara prayer involves performing two rak'ahs (units) of non-obligatory prayer. After completing the prayer, you raise your hands and recite this specific dua, clearly stating the matter for which you are seeking guidance in the designated place (as indicated by the parentheses in the Arabic text). It is recommended to repeat this process for seven consecutive days if possible, and then to act upon whatever you feel is best in your heart, without any feeling of worry or anxiety. The key is sincerity and reliance on Allah's wisdom.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer is a beautiful way to seek Allah's divine guidance when faced with uncertainty. It acknowledges our limitations in knowledge and foresight, entrusting the outcome to the All-Knowing and All-Powerful. By performing Istikhara for supporting a struggling community, we are seeking Allah's wisdom to direct our efforts in the most beneficial way, ensuring our actions bring the most good and avoid potential harm. It fosters reliance on Allah, contentment with His decree, and opens doors to solutions we might not have considered ourselves.
Source & Authentication
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught the Companions the Istikhara prayer in all matters, just as he taught them Surahs from the Quran. He said: 'When one 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 strength from Your power, and I ask of Your immense favour. 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 is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my [Here he mentioned this world and the next] - or he said: [in my present and my future] - then ordain 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 livelihood and my [Here he mentioned this world and the next] - or he said: [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 content with it.' Then he said: 'And the person should mention his need.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)