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 (ويُسَمَّى حَاجَتَهُ) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - وفي رواية: في عاجل أمري وآجله - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي، وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - وفي رواية: في عاجل أمري وآجله - فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ.
O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge and seek ability from Your power, and I ask from Your abundant 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 the person mentions his need) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my end – and in another narration: in 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 end – and in another narration: 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 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 hadhal-amra (wa yusamma hajatahu) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'eeshati wa 'aqibati amri - wa fi riwayatin: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilih - fapqad-hur-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 - wa fi riwayatin: fi 'ajili amri wa ajilih - fap-sifhu 'anni, wasrifni 'anhu, wapqadurlil-khaira haithu kana, thumma radhdhini bih.
When to Read
The Istikhara prayer is performed when you are facing a decision and are unsure of the best course of action. This can apply to any matter, including discerning the truth amidst conflicting information or choosing how to respond to destructive narratives that might be influencing you or others. It's best recited after performing Wudu, praying two Rak'ahs of non-obligatory prayer, and then reciting this dua, ideally at night, before sleeping.
How to Read
After performing the two rak'ahs of Salah al-Istikhara, you recite this specific dua. It's crucial to clearly identify the 'matter' you are seeking guidance on when you say 'hadhal-amr' (this matter). For countering destructive narratives, you might mentally or verbally specify: 'O Allah, if it is good for me to engage with this narrative, to refute it, to ignore it, or to seek further knowledge about it...' The key is sincere intention and seeking Allah's wisdom. Afterwards, you should sleep with the hope that Allah will show you a sign through a dream, or make the path clear in your heart and mind upon waking.
Virtues & Benefits
The Istikhara prayer is a beautiful way to acknowledge our limitations in knowledge and wisdom, entrusting our affairs to Allah, the All-Knowing and All-Powerful. By performing Istikhara, we ensure that our decisions are guided by divine wisdom, protecting us from making choices that could lead to regret or harm. It brings peace of mind and contentment, regardless of the outcome, because we know we have sought the best from our Creator.
Source & Authentication
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us the Istikhara prayer in all matters as he used to teach us the Surah from the Qur'an. He said: 'If anyone of you is concerned about a matter he should pray two Rak'ahs of something other than the obligatory prayer and then say: O Allah, I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and seek ability from Your power, and ask from Your abundant grace. For indeed You have power, and I have no power, and 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 he mentions his need) is good for me in this world and in the Hereafter, then ordain it for me, and make it easy for me, and then 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 ordain for me whatever is good for me, and make me be pleased with it.' And the Prophet ﷺ added: 'And he should name his need.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)