Dua for Istikharah (Seeking Allah's Counsel)
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1166
قَالَجَابرُبْنُعَبْدِاللَّهِرَضِيَاللَّهُعَنْهُمَا:كَانَرسُولُاللَّهِصلىاللهعليهوسلميُعَلِّمُنَاالْاسْتِخَارَةَفِيالْأُمُورِكُلِّهَاكَمَايُعَلِّمُنَاالسُّورَةَمِنَالْقُرْآنِ،يَقُولُ:((إِذَاهَمَّأَحَدُكُمْبِالْأَمْرِفَلْيَرْكَعْرَكْعَتَيْنِمِنْغَيْرِالْفَرِيضَةِ،ثُمَّلْيَقُلْ:اللَّهُمَّإِنِّيأَسْتَخِيرُكَبِعِلْمِكَ،وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَبِقُدْرَتِكَ،وَأَسْأَلُكَمِنْفَضْلِكَالعَظِيمِ؛فَإِنَّكَتَقْدِرُوَلاَأَقْدِرُ،وَتَعْلَمُوَلاَأَعْلَمُ،وَأَنْتَعَلاَّمُالغُيُوبِ،اللَّهُمَّإِنْكُنْتَتَعْلَمُأَنَّهَذَاالأمْرَ-وَيُسَمِّيحَاجَتَهُ-خَيْرٌلِيفِيدِينِيوَمَعَاشِيوَعَاقِبَةِأَمْرِي–أَوْقَالَ:عَاجِلِهِوَآجِلِهِ-فَاقْدُرْهُلِيوَيَسِّرْهُلِيثمَّبَارِكْلِيفِيهِ،وَإِنْكُنْتَتَعْلَمُأَنَّهَذَاالْأَمْرَشَرٌّلِيفِيدِينِيوَمَعَاشِيوَعَاقِبَةِأَمْرِي–أَوْقَالَ:عَاجِلِهِوَآجِلِهِ–فَاصْرِفْهُعَنِّيوَاصْرِفْنِيعَنْهُوَاقْدُرْلِيَالْخَيْرَحَيْثُكَانَ،ثُمَّأَرْضِنِيبِهِ)).وَمَانَدِمَمَنِاسْتَخَارَالْخَالِقَ،وَشَاوَرَالْمَخْلُوقِينَالْمُؤْمِنِينَوَتَثَبَّتَفِيأَمْرِهِ،فَقَدْقَالَاللَّهتعالى:﴿وَشاوِرْهُمْفِيالْأَمْرِفَإِذَاعَزَمْتَفَتَوَكَّلْعَلَىاللَّهِ﴾.
Listen
Tap to hear the recitation
Transliteration
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi 'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, 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 yusammī ḥājatahu) khayrun li fi dīnī wa ma'āshī wa 'āqibati amrī – aw qāla: 'ājilihi wa ājilihi – faqdirhu lī wa yassirhu lī thumma bārik lī fīh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi dīnī wa ma'āshī wa 'āqibati amrī – aw qāla: 'ājilihi wa ājilihi – faṣrifhu 'annī waṣrifnī 'anhu, waqdir liyal-khayra ḥaythu kāna, thumma arḍinī bih.
Translation
O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek ability through Your power. I ask You for Your great bounty, for You are able and I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know this matter – and here he mentions his need – to be good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter (or he said: in my present and future affairs), then decree it for me and make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if You know this matter to be bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and my Hereafter (or he said: in my present and future affairs), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
Context
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught this dua to his companions for seeking Allah's counsel in all matters, just as he taught them chapters of the Quran. He instructed them to pray two voluntary units of prayer before reciting this supplication.
Benefit
By reciting this dua, a believer entrusts their decision-making to Allah, seeking His wisdom and blessing, thereby finding peace and contentment regardless of the outcome.
When to Recite
After praying two voluntary units of prayer when intending to undertake a significant matter.