Guidance Sahih al-Bukhari 1166 Sahih (Authentic)

Dua al-Istikhara — Prayer for Seeking Allah's Guidance

The complete Sunnah supplication taught by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for seeking Allah's guidance before any important decision. Prayed after two rakats whenever you're torn between options.

The Istikhara Dua — Arabic & Meaning

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 لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ

Transliteration
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika-l-'azim, fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamu-l-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha-l-amra khayrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha-l-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri, fasrifhu 'anni was-rifni 'anhu, waqdur li-l-khayra haythu kana thumma ardini bih.
English Meaning
O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. You know, I know 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 my final outcome, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless me in it. If You know it is bad for me, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me the good wherever it may be and make me content with it.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1166 Sahih — Highly Authentic

When to Recite

Pray Istikhara whenever you're facing a permissible matter and unsure which option is better — a marriage proposal, a job offer, moving cities, a business decision, or smaller day-to-day choices. It's best prayed with a calm, open heart, free of a fixed preference, so you're genuinely open to whichever outcome Allah decrees. There's no fixed waiting period; some feel clarity the same day, others after repeating it over several days.

The Prophet ﷺ used to teach his companions Istikhara for all matters, just as he would teach them a chapter of the Quran.

— Jabir ibn Abdullah, Sahih al-Bukhari 1166

How to Perform Istikhara

1
Pray 2 Rakats
Non-obligatory prayer, with the intention of Istikhara
2
Recite the Dua
After finishing the prayer, recite the Istikhara dua
3
Name Your Matter
Mention the specific matter — "this marriage," "this job"
4
Trust the Outcome
Proceed with what feels right — no dream required

Benefits & Virtues

Handing the Outcome to Allah

Istikhara replaces anxious overthinking with reliance on Allah's knowledge of what's truly good for you, in this life and the next.

Contentment With the Decree

The dua ends by asking Allah to make you content with whatever is decreed, so peace of mind doesn't depend on getting the outcome you expected.

Fits Any Permissible Matter

From marriage to a house move to a small everyday choice, the same dua applies — you simply name the matter after reciting it.

Taught Like a Surah of the Quran

The companions reported that the Prophet ﷺ gave this dua the same care and emphasis he gave to teaching Quranic chapters — a sign of how much weight it carries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pray it whenever you're torn between two or more permissible options and unsure which is better for you — before committing to the decision, not after.

No. A dream isn't required. Guidance more often comes as a sense of ease or difficulty in pursuing the matter, or a feeling of contentment or unease in the heart.

Yes. If you remain undecided, you can repeat it for the same matter as many times as needed until you feel clarity.

Istikhara is a personal supplication about your own affair, so it's best performed by the person facing the decision. Others can still make dua for you.

No, it can be prayed for any permissible matter, large or small, whenever you're unsure which choice is better.