Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Ibrahim narrates that Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: When any one of you intends to fulfill a need, he should say these words: O Allah! I seek goodness from You through Your knowledge, and I seek power from You through Your power, and I ask You for Your great bounty. Surely, You have power and I do not have power, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If this matter which I intend to do is better for me in my religion, my worldly life, and my Hereafter, then make it easy for me and bless it for me. And if any other matter is better than this, then ordain that goodness for me wherever it may be. Then make me pleased with the decision that You have made.

Hazrat Jabir narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach us Istikhara in the same way as he used to teach us a surah from the Qur'an. And he used to say: When any matter concerns you, perform two units of voluntary prayer. Then mention the matter. And then supplicate as follows: O Allah! I seek goodness from You by Your knowledge, and I seek power from You by Your power, and I ask You from Your great bounty. For surely You have power and I have no power, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If this matter is better for me in my religion and my worldly life and my hereafter, then decree it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless me in it. And if this matter is bad for me in my religion and my worldly life and my hereafter, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it. And decree goodness for me wherever it may be, and then make me pleased with it.

Hazrat Ubaid bin Umair says that when any one of you is faced with a need, he should supplicate as follows: O Allah! I seek goodness from You through Your knowledge, and I seek power from You through Your power, and I ask You from Your great bounty. Surely, You have power and I have no power, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If this matter which I intend to do is better for my religion, my worldly life, and my Hereafter, then make it easy for me and bless it for me. And if there is goodness in something else, then ordain that goodness for me wherever it may be, and make me content with it.