Istikhara Dua (Salat al-Istikhara) — How to Pray, Arabic & Meaning

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ

Transliteration: Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi-‘ilmik, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratik, wa as’aluka min faḍlika-l-‘aẓīm, fa-innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa ta‘lamu wa lā a‘lam, wa Anta ‘allāmu-l-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta ta‘lamu anna hādha-l-amra khayrun lī fī dīnī wa ma‘āshī wa ‘āqibati amrī faqdurhu lī wa yassirhu lī thumma bārik lī fīh. Wa in kunta ta‘lamu anna hādha-l-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa ma‘āshī wa ‘āqibati amrī faṣrifhu ‘annī waṣrifnī ‘anh, waqdur liya-l-khayra ḥaythu kān thumma arḍinī bih.

English translation: O Allah, I seek Your choice by Your knowledge, and I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You of Your immense bounty. You are able and I am not; You know and I do not; You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair, then decree it for me, make it easy, and bless it for me. And if You know this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, decree good for me wherever it may be, and make me pleased with it.

Spiritual context

Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): the Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Istikhara in all matters as he would teach a surah of the Qur’an. This is not the dua of Musa (AS) in Surah Ta-Ha 20:25–28. Istikhara is the specific prophetic prayer that contains astakhiruka — seeking Allah’s choice — before marriage, travel, work, or any lawful decision whose outcome is unknown.

Word-by-word meaning

• اللَّهُمَّ — Allāhumma: O Allah
• أَسْتَخِيرُكَ — astakhīruka: I seek Your choice / guidance
• بِعِلْمِكَ — bi-‘ilmik: by Your knowledge
• وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ — wa astaqdiruka: and I seek ability from You
• بِقُدْرَتِكَ — bi-qudratik: by Your power
• فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ — faḍlika-l-‘aẓīm: Your immense bounty
• تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ — taqdiru wa lā aqdir: You are able and I am not
• تَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ — ta‘lamu wa lā a‘lam: You know and I do not
• عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ — allāmu-l-ghuyūb: Knower of the unseen
• هَذَا الأَمْرَ — hādha-l-amr: this matter (name it here)
• خَيْرٌ لِي — khayrun lī: is good for me
• دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي — dīnī wa ma‘āshī: my religion and livelihood
• فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي — faqdurhu lī: then decree it for me
• وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي — wa yassirhu lī: and make it easy for me
• بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ — bārik lī fīh: bless it for me
• شَرٌّ لِي — sharrun lī: is bad / harmful for me
• فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي — faṣrifhu ‘annī: turn it away from me
• وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ — waqdur liya-l-khayr: decree the good for me
• ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ — thumma arḍinī bih: then make me pleased with it

How to recite

1. Pray two rak‘ahs of voluntary prayer (Salat al-Istikhara), outside the forbidden times, with a present heart.
2. After the salam, recite this dua. When you reach “this matter” (hādha-l-amr), name the decision you are asking about.
3. Then take the means and trust Allah’s decree. Istikhara is not a dream-requirement; ease, clarity, and being made pleased with the outcome are the signs the Sunnah points to.
4. It may be repeated if the matter remains unclear. Do not use Istikhara for what is already obligatory or forbidden.

Key benefits

• Places the unknown future in Allah’s knowledge instead of anxiety or omen-seeking.
• Combines worship (two rak‘ahs) with a comprehensive request for good in deen, livelihood, and final outcome.
• Asks Allah both to open the good and to turn the person away from harm, then to grant contentment.

Frequently asked questions