Dua Al Istikhara – “Istikhara” means to seek goodness from Allah (Exalted is He), meaning when one intends to do an important task they do istikhara before the task. The one who does the istikhara is as if they request Allah Almighty that, O the Knower of Unseen (Exalted is He) guide me if this task is better for me or not?

Anytime a Muslim is making a decision, he or she should seek Allah’s guidance and wisdom. Allah alone knows what is best for us, and there may be good in what we perceive as bad, and bad in what we perceive as good.

Dua Al Istikhara – Salat istikhara dua – dua for istikhara

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 فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ ارْضِنِي بِهِ

istikhara dua in english:

(O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this job is good for my religion and my subsistence and in my Hereafter–(or said: If it is better for my present and later needs)–Then You ordain it for me and make it easy for me to get, And then bless me in it, and if You know that this job is harmful to me In my religion and subsistence and in the Hereafter–(or said: If it is worse for my present and later needs)–Then keep it away from me and let me be away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for me, And make me satisfied with it). The Prophet added that then the person should name (mention) his need.

Sahih Al-Bukhari – Book 21 Hadith 263 * When making the dua, the actual matter or decision should be mentioned instead of the words “hathal-amra” (“this matter”).

How to perform Salat al-Istikhara

1. Rakat

• First make the Niyyah (intention) by reciting “I intend to perform two rakats of the salat al Istikhara”
• You say takbir “Allahu Akbar” This starts the prayer.
• Begin reciting “Subhanaka”
• After you say: “Audhu billahi min-ash-shayta -nir-rajeem Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-raheem”
• Reciting Surah Al Fatiha
• Reciting Surah Al-Kafirun
• Go into Ruku (the bowing position) and We say “Subahaana Rabbiyal Azeem”
• Go into the 1st Sajdah and We say “Subahaana Rabbiyal Aa’la”
• Now sit-up from the first Sajdah in jalsa position (Sitting position between the two Sajdahs)
• Now go into the 2nd Sajdah and We say “Subahaana Rabbiyal Aa’la”

2. Rakat

• Rise up to proceed to the next raka’at,
• You say “Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-raheem”
• Reciting Surah Al Fatiha
• Reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas
• Go into Ruku (the bowing position) and We say “Subahaana Rabbiyal Azeem”
• Go into the 1st Sajdah and We say “Subahaana Rabbiyal Aa’la”
• Now sit-up from the first Sajdah in jalsa position (Sitting position between the two Sajdahs)
• Now go into the 2nd Sajdah and We say “Subahaana Rabbiyal Aa’la”
• After this, you sit for the complete Tashshahud: You recite At-tahiyyat, Allah-umma salli, Allah-umma Barik and Rabbana.
• By turning to your face to the right first and saying “Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullah” and then to his left and doing the same