اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا السَّفَرَ – خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا السَّفَرَ – شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek power through 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 journey – is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter (or: in my present life and my future life) – then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this journey – is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter (or: in my present life and my future life) – 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 biqudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'adheem. Fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhas-safara - khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - faqdirhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhas-safara - sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aaqibati amri - fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdir li-l-khaira haithu kaana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
This dua is recited when you are contemplating a journey and are unsure whether it is the right decision or the best course of action. It's particularly useful when the choice between traveling or not traveling, or choosing between different travel plans, is not clear. It's best to perform ghusl (a full ritual bath), pray two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then recite this dua. You can also make this dua after the obligatory prayers if performing the full Istikhara prayer is not feasible, but the ideal time is after the two rak'ahs.
How to Read
After performing the two rak'ahs of Istikhara prayer and the obligatory prayers, you should face the Qiblah, raise your hands, and recite the dua. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us to mention what we are seeking guidance for within the dua, as indicated by the phrase "this journey" (هذا السفر - hadhas-safara). You can mentally name the specific journey or travel plan you are contemplating while reciting this part. Afterward, you should try to let go of the decision and trust Allah. Signs may appear in dreams, or a sense of clarity and inclination towards one option or the other may develop in your heart.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful gift from Allah to His believing servants, allowing us to seek His divine wisdom when faced with uncertainty. By performing Istikhara for travel plans, we delegate the outcome to the All-Knowing, trusting that He will guide us to what is best for our worldly and religious affairs. It brings peace of mind, removes indecision, and ensures that our actions are aligned with Allah's pleasure and decree. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'None of you should miss out on Istikhara for any matter which he contemplates.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166)
Source & Authentication
Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters as he taught us a Surah from the Quran. He said: '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 by Your power I seek ability, and from Your great grace I seek ability, for indeed You have power, but I have no power. You have knowledge, and I have no knowledge. You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this matter (he says the matter himself) is good for me in this world and in the Hereafter, then decree it for me and make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in this world and in the Hereafter, 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.' The Prophet (ﷺ) added: 'And he should name his need in the end.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166)