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The Prayer of Istikharah

دعاء الاستخارة

Asking Allah to choose for you when you cannot see which way is best

Istikharah is a short prayer followed by a du'a. First, when you have a matter you genuinely intend to pursue, pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer (not one of the obligatory prayers). Then, while still in that state of turning to Allah, raise your hands and recite the du'a below.

Where the du'a reaches the words 'this matter', name your decision aloud or in your heart. You are asking Allah, if it is good for you in your religion, your life and your end, to make it happen and make it easy and bless it for you; and if it is bad for you, to turn it away and turn you away from it, and to decree for you what is good wherever it lies, then make you content with it.

Then act. Istikharah does not usually arrive as a dream or a feeling; more often Allah opens or closes the way through the unfolding of events and the inclination He places in a heart that has sincerely handed the choice over. Take your decision and trust that He has answered. You can repeat the istikharah as often as you need while a matter is undecided.

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    The du'a of istikharah

    قال جابر بن عبد الله رضي الله عنهما : كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، يُعلمنا الاستخارة في الأمور كلها كما يعلمُنا السورة من القرآن ، يقول : إذا هم أحدكم بالأمر فليركع ركعتين من غير الفريضة ، ثم ليقل: "اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك ، وأستقدرك بقدرتك ، وأسألك من فضلك العظيم فإنك تقدِرُ ولا أقدِرُ ، وتعلم ولا أعلم ، وأنت علام الغيوب ، اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر - يسمي حاجته - خير لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري - أو قال : عاجله وآجله - فاقدره لي ويسره لي ، ثم بارك لي فيه ، وإن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر شر لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري - أو قال : عاجله وآجله - فاصرفه عني واصرفني عنه ، واقدر لي الخير حيث كان ، ثم ارضني به " وما ندم من استخار الخالق، وشاور المخلوقين المؤمنين وتثبَّت في أمره، فقد قال سبحانه وَشـاوِرْهُـم في الأمْـرِ فَـإِذا عَـزَمْـتَ فَتَوَكّـلْ عَلـى الله

    Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi `ilmik, wa astaqdiruka biqudratik, wa as'aluka min faḍlika ‘l-`Aẓīm, fa'innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa ta`lamu wa lā a`lam, wa anta `allāmu ‘l-ghuyūb, Allāhumma in kunta ta`lamu anna hādha ‘l-amra - [then mention the thing to be decided] Khayrun lī fī dīnī wa ma`āshī wa `āqibati amrī - [or say] `ājilihi wa ājilih - faqdurhu lī wa yassirhu lī thumma bārik lī fīh, wa in kunta ta`lamu anna hādha ‘l-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa ma`āshī wa `āqibati 'amrī - [or say] `ājilihi wa 'ājilihi - faṣrifhu `annī waṣrifnī `anh, waqdur liya ‘l-khayra ḥaythu kān, thumma arḍinī bih.

    "O Allah, I seek the counsel of Your Knowledge, and I seek the help of Your Omnipotence, and I beseech You for Your Magnificent Grace. Surely, You are Capable and I am not. You know and I know not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter [then mention the thing to be decided] is good for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, then bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion and in my life and for my welfare in the life to come, - [or say: in this life and the afterlife] - then distance it from me, and distance me from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and help me to be content with it."

    sahihAl-Bukhari 7/162

    Recited after the two rak'ahs of istikharah. Where it reaches 'this matter', name your decision to Allah, then ask Him to ordain it and bless it if it is good for you, or turn it away and turn you toward what is better if it is not. Jabir reported that the Prophet ﷺ taught it for all their affairs.

Trusting the outcome

The quiet relief of istikharah is this: you no longer have to be certain you chose right. You have asked the One who sees every outcome to steer you toward the good and away from the harm, and you have meant it. Whatever comes after is His choosing, not merely yours, and there is rest in that.

O Allah, You know and we do not, and You are the Knower of all that is hidden. Choose for us what is good in our religion, our lives and our end, make us content with what You decree, and let us never regret having placed our affairs in Your hands.

Questions

How exactly do I pray istikharah?
When you have a matter you intend to go ahead with, pray two rak'ahs of voluntary (nafl) prayer, outside of the obligatory prayers. After the prayer, raise your hands and recite the du'a of istikharah, naming your specific decision where the du'a refers to 'this matter'. Then make your decision and proceed, trusting that Allah has guided you.
Will I see a dream or get a clear sign after istikharah?
Not usually. Istikharah is not primarily about dreams or feelings. After praying it, you go ahead with what seems best, and Allah guides you through how matters then unfold, easing the way to what is good for you and turning you from what is not. The answer is in your life, not necessarily in your sleep.
Can I pray istikharah more than once for the same decision?
Yes. If a matter is still undecided or you are still uncertain, there is no harm in repeating the istikharah. Keep asking Allah for guidance until the way becomes clear and your heart settles, and remember to seek the counsel of trustworthy, sincere people alongside it, as the Qur'an encourages consultation in our affairs.

Prophetic adhkar transcribed verbatim from Hisn al-Muslim (Sa'eed al-Qahtani) via sunnah.com; al-Bukhari and Muslim taken as sahih, jayyid/reliable as hasan. Recitation audio: the official Hisn al-Muslim audio (hisnmuslim.com) for the adhkar. Selection follows Hisn al-Muslim, with thanks to lifewithallah.com; framing is Buruja's own. FOR SCHOLAR REVIEW: confirm every Arabic text, reference, repetition count and grading before publication.

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