اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ - (ثم تسمي حاجتك) - 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 through Your knowledge, and I seek ability through Your power, and I ask of Your immense grace. 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 – (then name your need) – is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter (or: 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: 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 aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra (then name your need) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri (or said: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), 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 (or said: 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur liyal-khayra haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This is the dua recited as part of the Salah al-Istikhara (Prayer of Seeking Guidance). It's performed when you are facing a decision, especially a difficult religious question, and are unsure of the right path. The prayer and the dua are meant to be performed when you have considered the options yourself and are seeking Allah's wisdom to guide you to the best choice.
How to Read
First, perform two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer (Sunnah prayer). After the prayer, recite the Tashahhud and then recite this specific dua. When you reach the part '(ثم تسمي حاجتك)' (then name your need), you should mention the specific matter you are seeking guidance on. For example, you might say 'Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi-'ilmika... anna hatha amr at-tazawwuj (O Allah, I seek Your guidance... that this matter of marriage is good for me...)'. It's recommended to repeat the dua three times. After making the dua, trust in Allah's plan and act upon what feels right in your heart, or what Allah makes easy for you. It's also advised to not discuss the matter with people after performing Istikhara until you see a clear sign.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful way to connect with Allah and surrender our affairs to Him. It's not about getting a magical answer, but about seeking Allah's wisdom and blessing in our decisions. By performing Istikhara, we acknowledge our limitations and place our trust in the One who knows what is best for us. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this prayer to his companions for all matters, just as he taught them Surahs from the Quran. This signifies its importance and comprehensive nature in seeking divine insight.
Source & Authentication
The Hadith narrated by Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) states: 'The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters, just as he used to teach us a Surah from the Quran. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a matter, he should perform two rak'ahs of prayer other than the obligatory ones, and then say: 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-ghuyyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), 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 (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li al-khayra haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)