اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ العَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ (ثم تسمي حاجتك) 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 الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، (أو قال: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ) فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek Your guidance [in making a decision] with Your knowledge, and I seek ability [to fulfill my decision] with Your power, and I ask of You 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 matter – and then name your need – is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my end (or he said: in my present and my future) – then decree 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 end (or he said: in my present and my future) – then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me that which is good wherever it may be, and make me satisfied 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 in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra (then name your need) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri (or said: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), faqdurhu li, wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li feeh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri (or said: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), fasrifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
Istikhara is a profound supplication for seeking Allah's guidance when faced with a decision, big or small, where one is unsure of the best course of action. It's about entrusting the outcome to Allah after careful consideration and research. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this prayer to his companions just as he taught them chapters of the Quran, highlighting its importance. You would typically perform this prayer after you've done your best to research and gather information about the matter at hand, and you've made a personal inclination either way, but are still uncertain. It's best performed after offering two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer (nafl salah) outside of the obligatory prayers, followed by reciting this dua.
How to Read
The core of Istikhara is the dua itself, but it's recommended to perform it after offering two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer. In these rak'ahs, after reciting Surah Al-Fatihah, you can recite Surah Al-Kafirun (Chapter 109) in the first rak'ah and Surah Al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112) in the second, though other Surahs can be recited as well. After completing the prayer, you raise your hands (if possible) and recite the Istikhara dua, clearly stating the matter you need guidance on in the designated place within the dua. After making the dua, you should be content with whatever Allah decrees for you. Signs may appear in dreams, or you might feel a clear inclination towards a particular choice after the prayer and dua. If you still feel confused, repeat the prayer and dua for a few days.
Virtues & Benefits
Istikhara is a beautiful manifestation of Tawakkul (reliance on Allah). By asking Allah, the Knower of the unseen, for guidance, we acknowledge our own limitations and His infinite wisdom. It brings peace to the heart, knowing that the decision is being made with Allah's involvement. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "When any 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 good through Your knowledge, and power through Your power, and I ask of You from Your great bounty. For You decree all things but I have no power to decree; You know all things but I have no knowledge. O Allah, if You know that this task is good for me regarding my religion and my subsistence and my end, then ordain it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know that this task is bad for me, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and ordain for me whatever is good, and make me satisfied with it.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306) This hadith shows that Istikhara is not just about getting an answer, but about aligning our will with Allah's will and finding contentment in His decree.
Source & Authentication
The hadith detailing the Istikhara prayer is narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara for all matters as he used to teach us the Surah from the Qur'an. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a thing, he should perform two rak'ahs of prayer other than the obligatory ones, and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and seek power from Your power, and I ask of You from Your great bounty. For You decree all things but I have no power to decree; You know all things but I have no knowledge. O Allah, if You know that this task is good for me in my religion and my livelihood and my end (or he said: 'in my present and my future'), then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this task is bad for me in my religion and my livelihood and my end (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 whatever is good and make me satisfied with it.' And he (ﷺ) added: 'At that time, one should mention his need.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)