اللَّهُمَّ اسْتَخِرْ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَاسْتَقْدِرْ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَتَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ - سَمِّ الْأَمْرَ - خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعِيشَتِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أَوْ قَالَ: فِي 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 great bounty. For You know, and I know not; You have power, and I have no power; and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter – and here you mention the specific matter – is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter (or '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 Hereafter (or 'in 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 pleased with it.
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi 'ilmika, wa astadiruka bi qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'adhim. Fa innaka ta'lamu wa la a'lamu, wa taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra (mention the matter here) khayrun li fi deeni wa ma'ishiati wa 'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), faqdhur-hu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma'ishiati wa 'aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa ajilihi), fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdhur li al-khaira haithu kana, thumma raddini bih.
When to Read
This powerful dua is specifically for seeking Allah's guidance when faced with a significant decision, such as meeting a potential spouse for marriage. It should be recited before the meeting, or at least before you commit to the prospect after an initial meeting. The aim is to ask Allah to reveal what is best, whether it's proceeding with the marriage or looking elsewhere.
How to Read
Perform Wudu (ablution) if possible. Face the Qiblah (direction of prayer). Raise your hands, as you would during supplication. Recite the dua sincerely, focusing on the meaning and seeking Allah's help. After reciting the dua, proceed with your meeting or decision-making process. Then, observe your feelings and the outcome; trust that Allah will guide you to what is best. It's recommended to perform Istikhara prayer (a two-rak'ah prayer followed by this dua) for even greater clarity.
Virtues & Benefits
The benefit of reciting the Dua of Istikhara is immense. It's a direct plea to Allah, the All-Knowing and All-Powerful, for guidance in matters where we lack certainty. By turning to Him, we entrust our affairs to the Best Disposer, ensuring that whatever outcome follows is, by Allah's decree, the best for us, even if it's not immediately apparent. It brings peace of mind and alleviates the anxiety of making a wrong choice. As the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught, seeking Allah's guidance is a sign of wisdom and reliance on the Creator.
Source & Authentication
Jabir bin 'Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: We used to learn the Istikhara prayer in all matters as we learned the Surahs of the Qur'an, and he (the Prophet ﷺ) 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 power from You, and I ask from Your great bounty. For You have power, and I have not, and You know, and I know not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this task is good for me in my religion and my worldly life and a good end to my affairs, then ordain it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless it for me. But if You know that this task is bad for me in my religion and my worldly life and an evil end to my affairs, 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 pleased with it.' And the Prophet (ﷺ) added: 'And the person should mention his need.' (Sahih al-Bukhari 6306)