The meaning
The istikhara dua in English, line by line
What each line of the istikhara dua asks Allah for, in plain English, from the hadith of Jabir (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162).
The istikhara dua in English, line by line
Nine lines, one request: choose for me. The English of the dua as Hisn al-Muslim gives it, beside the words each line translates (Hisn al-Muslim 74).
| Said in Arabic (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162) | In English |
|---|---|
| Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi‘ilmik | O Allah, I ask You to choose for me by Your knowledge, |
| wa astaqdiruka biqudratik | I ask You to give me ability by Your power, |
| wa as’aluka min fadlikal-‘azim | and I ask You of Your great bounty, |
| fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta‘lamu wa la a‘lam, wa anta ‘allamul-ghuyub | for You are able and I am not, You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of all that is hidden. |
| Allahumma in kunta ta‘lamu anna hadhal-amra khayrun li fi dini wa ma‘ashi wa ‘aqibati amri | O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs, |
| faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fih | then decree it for me, make it easy for me and bless it for me. |
| Wa in kunta ta‘lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma‘ashi wa ‘aqibati amri | And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs, |
| fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anh | then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, |
| waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kan, thumma ardini bih | decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it. |
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Where you name your matter
At “this matter”, in both halves. In the hadith, the one praying names what he needs where the dua says “this matter” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162): this job, this proposal, this move. The same matter is named again in the second half, which asks Allah to turn it away if it is bad for you.
“Now and later.” Jabir’s report gives a second wording for “the outcome of my affairs”: “my affairs now and later”. The narrator was not sure which of the two the Prophet ﷺ said, so Hisn al-Muslim prints both (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162).
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).
Why learn the meaning of the istikhara dua
So you know what you are asking for. Jabir said the Prophet ﷺ taught the istikhara as carefully as he taught a surah of the Quran (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162), so many people learn its Arabic words by heart. Reading the English beside them is how each line becomes your own request: for knowledge you do not have, for ability, and for contentment with what comes.
Keep learning the istikhara
Words in the istikhara dua
What does istikhara mean in English?
Asking Allah to choose what is good. The word comes from khayr, good, and Jabir reported that it was taught “in all matters” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162).
What does “ma‘ashi” mean?
My livelihood, my life in this world. The dua asks about the matter for your religion, your livelihood and how your affairs turn out (Sahih al-Bukhari 1162).