Asking Allah to choose
The istikhara dua
The dua for every decision, word for word as Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah reported it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162), with its meaning and how to pray it.
The dua of Istikhara
قَالَ جَابرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: كَانَ رسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعَلِّمُنَا الْاسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الْأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، يَقُولُ: ((إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالْأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْفَرِيضَةِ، ثُمَّ لْيَقُلْ: 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 الأمْرَ - وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَهُ - خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – أَوْ قَالَ: عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي – أَوْ قَالَ: عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ – فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ)).وَمَا نَدِمَ مَنِ اسْتَخَارَ الْخَالِقَ، وَشَاوَرَ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَتَثَبَّتَ فِي أَمْرِهِ، فَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّه تعالى: ﴿وَشاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ﴾ .
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi‘ilmik, wa astaqdiruka biqudratik, wa as’aluka min fadlikal-‘azim, fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta‘lamu wa la a‘lam, wa anta ‘allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta‘lamu anna hadhal-amra khayrun li fi dini wa ma‘ashi wa ‘aqibati amri (‘ajilihi wa ajilih), faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta‘lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma‘ashi wa ‘aqibati amri (‘ajilihi wa ajilih), fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anh, waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kan, thumma ardini bih.
Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us to ask Allah to choose for us (istikhara) in all our affairs, as he taught us a surah of the Quran. He said: When one of you has a matter in mind, let him pray two rak‘ahs other than the obligatory prayer, and then say: “O Allah, I ask You to choose for me by Your knowledge, I ask You to give me ability by Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty, for You are able and I am not, You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of all that is hidden. O Allah, if You know that this matter (and he names what he needs) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs (or he said: my affairs now and later), then decree 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 the outcome of my affairs (or he said: my affairs now and later), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.” Whoever asks the Creator to choose for him, takes the advice of believers and is careful in his affairs will not regret it, for Allah the Exalted said: “And consult them in the matter; then, once you have decided, put your trust in Allah” (3:159).
When to say the istikhara dua
After two rak‘ahs of your own. Pray two rak‘ahs that are not one of the obligatory prayers, then say the dua, naming your matter where it says “this matter” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162).
The full method is on How to pray istikhara.
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What istikhara means
Asking Allah to choose what is best. Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah said the Prophet ﷺ taught it for every kind of matter, as carefully as he taught a surah of the Quran, and Hisn al-Muslim gives his words in full, as above (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162).
What happens after istikhara
No dream, no sign to wait for. The hadith mentions neither. The dua asks Allah to make the matter easy if it is good for you and to turn it away if it is not, so you go ahead and see which way it opens (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162).
And take counsel. Hisn al-Muslim adds a reminder after the hadith: whoever asks the Creator to choose and consults people he trusts will not regret it, pointing to the command to consult in Quran 3:159.
Two more duas for a hard decision
For an open heart, and for help. Musa asked for an open heart and an easy task before he went to Pharaoh (Quran 20:25–28), and the Prophet ﷺ taught a dua asking Allah not to leave you to yourself even for the blink of an eye (Sunan Abi Dawud 5090).
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱشۡرَحۡ لِي صَدۡرِي ٢٥
Qala rabbishrah li sadri.
He said: “My Lord, open up my heart for me,
وَيَسِّرۡ لِيٓ أَمۡرِي ٢٦
Wa yassir li amri.
make my task easy for me,
وَٱحۡلُلۡ عُقۡدَةٗ مِّن لِّسَانِي ٢٧
Wahlul ‘uqdatan min lisani.
and loosen the knot in my tongue,
يَفۡقَهُواْ قَوۡلِي ٢٨
Yafqahu qawli.
so that they understand what I say.”
Allahumma rahmataka arju
((اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو، فَلاَ تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ)).
Allahumma rahmataka arju, fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘ayn, wa aslih li sha’ni kullah, la ilaha illa ant.
O Allah, Your mercy is what I hope for, so do not hand me over to myself for as long as the blink of an eye; put right everything that concerns me. There is no god but You.
More on istikhara
Questions about the istikhara dua
Can I pray istikhara about marriage?
Yes. Jabir’s words are that it was taught “in all matters” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162), so a proposal, a job, a move or a journey are all things to pray istikhara about.
When is the best time to pray it?
The hadith names no time (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162). Many choose the last part of the night, when Allah asks who is calling on Him so that He may answer (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145).
Do I have to see a dream afterwards?
No dream is mentioned in the hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162). What it asks for is that the matter be made easy if it is good, or turned away if it is not.
Where does the istikhara dua come from?
From the hadith of Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah in Sahih al-Bukhari 1162. Hisn al-Muslim, the book our Arabic is taken from, gives it as entry 74 (Hisn al-Muslim 74).
The rest of the prayer
If you are still learning the prayer itself, from the first takbir to the salam, the step-by-step guide on Muslims Around the World walks through each position.