The Sunnah Du‘ā of Istikhārah and the Prophet’s ﷺ Teaching
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, Pg. 557
Is there any specific Sunnah supplication for Istikhārah which the Prophet ﷺ taught to his Ummah?
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد
Yes, the Sunnah supplication for Istikhārah is the one which the Noble Prophet ﷺ taught to his Ummah.
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 and Aṣḥāb al-Sunan – also cited in Jam‘ al-Fawā’id, Vol. 1, Pg. 323
“O Allah! I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek ability from You through Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. For indeed, 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 is good for me – in relation to my religion, my worldly life, and the outcome of my affairs (or he said: the immediate and eventual outcome of my affairs) – 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 relation to my religion, my worldly life, and the outcome of my affairs (or he said: the immediate and eventual 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 make me content with it.”
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best.
Source: Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, Pg. 557
❖ Question:
Is there any specific Sunnah supplication for Istikhārah which the Prophet ﷺ taught to his Ummah?
❖ Answer:
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد
Yes, the Sunnah supplication for Istikhārah is the one which the Noble Prophet ﷺ taught to his Ummah.
✦ The Words of the Du‘ā 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 and Aṣḥāb al-Sunan – also cited in Jam‘ al-Fawā’id, Vol. 1, Pg. 323✦ Translation of the Du‘ā of Istikhārah:
“O Allah! I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek ability from You through Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. For indeed, 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 is good for me – in relation to my religion, my worldly life, and the outcome of my affairs (or he said: the immediate and eventual outcome of my affairs) – 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 relation to my religion, my worldly life, and the outcome of my affairs (or he said: the immediate and eventual 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 make me content with it.”
ھذا ما عندي واللہ أعلم بالصواب
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best.
