اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
O Allah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, and I do not. You know, and I do not. You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if in Your knowledge this matter (then he mentions his need by name) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my ultimate destiny (or he said: in my immediate and future life), then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless me in it. And if in Your knowledge this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my ultimate destiny (or he said: in my immediate and future life), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and ordain for me what is 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-'Azim. Fa-innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa Anta 'Allamul Ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fihi. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu waqdur liyal-khaira haithu kana thumma ardini bihi.
When to Read
Perhaps you've carried a past hurt for too long, feeling the weight of resentment or a grudge against someone. You know it's burdening your heart, affecting your peace, and maybe even impacting your relationship with Allah. But how do you let it go? Is it truly the right time? Should you forgive, or simply move on without fully reconciling? These are profound questions that touch upon our emotional and spiritual well-being. This is precisely when Istikhara becomes your guiding light. You recite this dua when you are genuinely seeking Allah's wisdom and clarity on whether releasing a specific grudge or past hurt is best for you, and how to approach this journey of forgiveness and healing. It's for those moments when you're ready to seek resolution but are unsure of the path forward.
How to Read
Performing Istikhara for such a deeply personal and emotional matter is a powerful act of surrender to Allah's will. Here’s how you do it: 1. **Perform Two Rak'ahs:** Begin by praying two rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer. These can be any two voluntary rak'ahs, prayed with the intention of Istikhara. Some scholars say it's best to recite Surah Al-Kafirun in the first rak'ah after Al-Fatihah, and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second, though this is not a strict requirement. 2. **Make the Dua:** After completing the two rak'ahs and making taslim (ending your prayer by turning your head to the right and then left, saying 'Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah'), raise your hands and recite the Istikhara dua provided above. You don't need to be in sajdah for the dua; it's recited after the prayer. 3. **State Your Matter Clearly:** When you reach the Arabic phrase "هَذَا الأَمْرَ" (*hadhal-amra* - 'this matter') in the dua, you would clearly specify your intention. For this specific context, you might say: "O Allah, if releasing the grudge I hold against [mention the person's name or the specific situation/event that caused the hurt] is good for me..." or "...if seeking forgiveness for [specific person] and letting go of this past hurt is good for me..." Articulate your need to Allah, clarifying that you are seeking His guidance on *this specific issue* of releasing the grudge. 4. **Trust in Allah's Guidance:** After reciting the dua, do not anxiously await a dream or a 'sign.' Your job is to make the dua with sincerity and then trust that Allah will guide your heart to what is best. You might find a renewed sense of peace, a clear inclination towards a certain action, or simply a change in circumstances that makes the decision clearer. The guidance often comes in the form of inner conviction or Allah facilitating the best outcome.
Virtues & Benefits
The profound peace that settles in your heart after Istikhara is a direct gift from Allah. When we turn to Him for guidance on matters as intricate as releasing a grudge, we are actively replacing our own limited understanding and emotional biases with His infinite wisdom. This practice teaches us **tawakkul**, complete reliance on Allah, knowing that He desires what is best for us, even if our hearts initially resist. By seeking His counsel, we detach from the heavy chains of resentment and personal desire, inviting divine intervention into our healing journey. Istikhara for releasing a grudge allows you to: * **Align with Divine Will:** It shifts your perspective from what *you* want to what is truly **khair** (good) for you in this life and the next. * **Gain Inner Peace:** Knowing you have entrusted your decision to Allah brings a deep sense of calm and contentment, regardless of the outcome. * **Facilitate Forgiveness (or Letting Go):** It opens your heart to the possibility of genuine forgiveness or the wisdom to simply move on, if that is Allah's decree for your situation. * **Protection from Harm:** Allah guides you away from choices that might lead to further emotional pain or spiritual detriment, and towards paths of healing and spiritual growth. Ultimately, performing Istikhara is an act of proactive spiritual self-care, acknowledging that only Allah can truly mend our hearts and show us the righteous path forward.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin `Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara (Istikhara means to ask Allah to guide one to the right choice, when one is confused about some decision or action) in all matters as he used to teach us the Suras of the Qur'an. He said, "If anyone of you intends to do some job, he should offer a two-rak`at prayer other than the compulsory ones and then say: O Allah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, and I do not. You know, and I do not. You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if in Your knowledge this matter (then he mentions his need by name) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my ultimate destiny (or he said: in my immediate and future life), then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless me in it. And if in Your knowledge this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my ultimate destiny (or he said: in my immediate and future life), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it." — Sahih al-Bukhari 6306