Dua for Istikharah
Istikharah Dua in Arabic
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي
Transliteration
Allâhumma inni astakhiruka bi ilmika wa astaqdiruka biqudratika wa as’aluka min fadlikal-azimi, fa innaka taqdiru walâ aqdiru wa ta’lamu walâ a’lamu wa anta allamul ghuyubi. Allâhumma in kunta ta’lamu anna hâdhal amra khayrun li fi dini wa ma-ashi wa aqibati amri faqdir-hu li wa yassir-hu li thumma barik li fihi wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hâdhal amra sharrun li fi dini wa maâshi wa aqibati amri fasrifhu anni wasrifni anhu waqdir liyal-khayra haythu kâna thumma ardini.
Dua for Istikharah Translation
“O Allah, verily I seek the better [of either choice] from You, by Your knowledge, and I seek ability from You, by Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. For indeed You have power, and I am powerless; You have knowledge and I know not; You are the Knower of the unseen realms. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me with regard to my religion, my livelihood and the end of my affair then decree it for me, facilitate it for me, and grant me blessing in it. And if You know that this matter is not good for me with regard to my religion, my livelihood and the end of my affair then turn it away from me and me from it; and decree for me better than it, wherever it may be, and make me content with it.”
Istikhara: The prayer of seeking Guidance
How to perform Istikharah
Perform wudu and offer two Rakahs with the intention of Salat-ul-Istikharah. The Salah will be performed normally like any other Salah. Recite Surah Kafiroon in the first Rakah and Surah Ikhlas in the second Rakah. Upon completing the Salah, recite the above Dua for Istikharah.
Mention your need while reciting the underline portion (هَذَا الْأَمْرَ) of the Dua. It is Mustahab to follow this procedure three times. One may use the help of a book etc. if one does not know the Dua by heart.
Short form of Istikharah
Alternatively, if time does not allow a person to go through this entire procedure, one may recite the following Dua without having to perform any Salah. This is the shortest form of Istikharah.
اللَّهُمَّ خِرْ لِي وَاخْتَرْ لِي
“O Allah, destine good for me and choose for me”
What is Istikharah?
Istikharah means to seek khair (goodness) from Allah regarding any task in which one is unable to make a correct decision. When one performs Salat-ul-Istikharah, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala places a feeling of inclination towards a particular side. One should eagerly and with an open heart and mind supplicate for Allah Taa’ala’s guidance and ask for direction so that the problem is solved in his own best interest. It is related in the Hadith that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alahi Wa Sallam) use to teach the Istikhaarah to the Sahaabah (RadhiAllahu Anhum) .
In Istikharah, it is not necessary that a person will see a dream. Rather, a person should carry out whatever occurs to him. In other words, one should continue to do Mashwara and seek advises from others regarding the task. It is preferable that one performs the Istikharah himself rather than others performing it on his behalf. Salat-ul-Istikharah may be performed at anytime. It is not a condition to perform Salat-ul-Istikharah before going to sleep. After performing Istikharah, one should hand over the entire matter to the limitless knowledge of Allah Ta’ala. Only that will happen which Allah Ta’ala wills and which is good for one’s own sake though one may not be able to see it immediately.
