What is the Duʿā (Supplication) for Istikhārah?
Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amunpūrī
What is the supplication (duʿā) of Istikhārah?
Sayyidunā Jābir bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us Istikhārah for all matters, just as he would teach us a Sūrah from the Qur’an. He ﷺ would say: When one of you intends to undertake a matter, he should perform two units of voluntary prayer and then say the following duʿā:”
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 (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ)، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ)، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6382)
“O Allah, I seek Your counsel through Your knowledge and I seek ability through Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. Surely, You have power and I do not, and You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen.
O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair (or he said: for my present and future), then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me.
But if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair (or he said: for my present and future), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree good for me wherever it may be, then make me content with it.”
When reciting the duʿā, replace "هَذَا الْأَمْرَ (this matter)" with a specific mention of the task or matter you are seeking guidance for (e.g., marriage, business, travel, job, etc.).
✔ The Prophet ﷺ personally taught this duʿā to his companions with great care, just as he taught Qur’anic sūrahs.
✔ It is to be prayed after two rakʿāt of voluntary prayer, with sincerity and focus.
✔ The supplication shows one’s complete trust and submission to Allah’s will.
✔ Replacing “this matter” with the specific concern makes the duʿā personally meaningful.
Source: Fatāwā Amunpūrī by Shaykh Ghulām Mustafa Zaheer Amunpūrī
❖ Question:
What is the supplication (duʿā) of Istikhārah?
✿ Answer:
Sayyidunā Jābir bin ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنهما narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us Istikhārah for all matters, just as he would teach us a Sūrah from the Qur’an. He ﷺ would say: When one of you intends to undertake a matter, he should perform two units of voluntary prayer and then say the following duʿā:”
❀ Arabic Supplication of Istikhārah:
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 (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ)، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي (أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ)، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 6382)❀ English Translation:
“O Allah, I seek Your counsel through Your knowledge and I seek ability through Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. Surely, You have power and I do not, and You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen.
O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair (or he said: for my present and future), then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me.
But if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair (or he said: for my present and future), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree good for me wherever it may be, then make me content with it.”
✿ Instruction:
When reciting the duʿā, replace "هَذَا الْأَمْرَ (this matter)" with a specific mention of the task or matter you are seeking guidance for (e.g., marriage, business, travel, job, etc.).
Conclusion:
✔ The Prophet ﷺ personally taught this duʿā to his companions with great care, just as he taught Qur’anic sūrahs.
✔ It is to be prayed after two rakʿāt of voluntary prayer, with sincerity and focus.
✔ The supplication shows one’s complete trust and submission to Allah’s will.
✔ Replacing “this matter” with the specific concern makes the duʿā personally meaningful.
