excerpt from the book "Apne Aap Par Dum Kaise Karein (Protection and Cure from Evil Eye, Magic, and Possession)" by Shaikh Shakhboot bin Salih bin Abdul Hadi al-Mari:
Narrated by: Jabir bin ‘Abdullah رضي الله عنهما
He said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us the way of doing Istikhārah (seeking guidance from Allah) in all matters, just as he taught us a Surah from the Qur'an. He said:
‘When anyone of you is concerned about a matter, he should perform two Rak'ahs of voluntary prayer (not part of the obligatory prayers) and then say the following supplication:’”
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 لِي فِي دِينِي، وَمَعَاشِي، وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ.
“O Allah! I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and I seek power from Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. For You have power and I do not have power, You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen.
O Allah! If You know that this matter (mention your specific need here) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, then ordain 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, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and then make me content with it.”
✔ Istikhārah should be performed for all matters, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed.
✔ The supplicant should personally perform Istikhārah; it is not required to delegate it to another person.
✔ The supplication of Istikhārah is the one transmitted in the Hadith, and it should be recited after completing the two Rak'ahs and giving Salām.
✔ There is no fixed or restricted time for Istikhārah—it can be performed at any permissible time.
✔ The one who performs Istikhārah, seeks counsel from people, and remains firm in execution—he shall never regret.
Allah the Most High says:
﴿وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ﴾
“Consult them in affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah. Surely, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).”
[Āl-ʿImrān: 159]
① Istikhārah is to be observed in all affairs.
② The individual should perform it themselves.
③ No specific time is designated—it is open within the bounds of permissible prayer times.
④ The duʿāʾ is to be recited after finishing the two Rak'ahs.
⑤ Trust in Allah and consultation are key components of success.
❖ Supplication of Salat al-Istikhārah (The Prayer for Seeking Good)
Narrated by: Jabir bin ‘Abdullah رضي الله عنهما
He said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us the way of doing Istikhārah (seeking guidance from Allah) in all matters, just as he taught us a Surah from the Qur'an. He said:
‘When anyone of you is concerned about a matter, he should perform two Rak'ahs of voluntary prayer (not part of the obligatory prayers) and then say the following supplication:’”
✦ Arabic Supplication:
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 لِي فِي دِينِي، وَمَعَاشِي، وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ.
✦ English Translation of the Supplication:
“O Allah! I seek guidance from Your knowledge, and I seek power from Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. For You have power and I do not have power, You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen.
O Allah! If You know that this matter (mention your specific need here) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, then ordain 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, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and then make me content with it.”
Reference: al-Bukhārī: 7390
❖ Key Guidelines:
✔ Istikhārah should be performed for all matters, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed.
✔ The supplicant should personally perform Istikhārah; it is not required to delegate it to another person.
✔ The supplication of Istikhārah is the one transmitted in the Hadith, and it should be recited after completing the two Rak'ahs and giving Salām.
✔ There is no fixed or restricted time for Istikhārah—it can be performed at any permissible time.
✔ The one who performs Istikhārah, seeks counsel from people, and remains firm in execution—he shall never regret.
❖ Qur’anic Guidance on Consulting and Trusting Allah
Allah the Most High says:
﴿وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ﴾
“Consult them in affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah. Surely, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).”
[Āl-ʿImrān: 159]
Summary of Benefits:
① Istikhārah is to be observed in all affairs.
② The individual should perform it themselves.
③ No specific time is designated—it is open within the bounds of permissible prayer times.
④ The duʿāʾ is to be recited after finishing the two Rak'ahs.
⑤ Trust in Allah and consultation are key components of success.
