Bismillahir Rahmani Rahim, Today’s topic of discussion is Dua e Istikhara in Arabic with English transliteration & translation, and How to pray Istikhara prayer.
Istikhara is an Arabic word. Literal meaning, to ask for favors in any matter. Hoping to Allah Ta’ala focuses on the good of two things through two rakat prayers and special dua. That is, seeking help from Allah through two rakat prayers and Istikhara dua regarding which of the two things will be more beneficial is the name of Istikhara. [Ibn Hajar, Fathul Bari Sharhu Sahih al-Bukhari]
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ToggleDua e Istikhara in Arabic
اَللّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّك تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ اَللّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِّىْ فِىْ دِينِىْ وَمَعَاشِىْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِىْ – أَوْقَالَ فِىْ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِىْ وَاجِلِه – فَاقْدُرْهُ لِىْ وَيَسِّرْهُ لِىْ ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِىْ فِيهِ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِّىْ فِىْ دِينِىْ وَمَعَاشِىْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِىْ – أَوْ قَالَ فِىْ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِىْ وَاجِلِه – فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّىْ وَاصْرِفْنِىْ عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِىْ بِه
Dua e Istikhara in English transliteration
All-humma inni astakhiruka bi’ilmika wa astaqdiruka bikudratika wa asaluka min fazlikal ‘azimi faynaka taqdiru wala- aqdiru wa ta’lamu wala- a’lamu wa anta ‘Alla-mul guyub, alla-humma inna kunta ta’lamu anna ha -Jal am khairul li fi dini wama ‘a-shi wa ‘a-qibati amri aw qa-la fi ‘a-jili amri wa a-jilihi faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li summa ba-rik li fihi wa in kunta ta’lamu anna Ha-jal we are sharrul li fi dini wama ‘a-shi wa ‘a-qibati amri aw qa-la fi ‘a-jili amri wa a-jilihi fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anhu waqb durlial khaira haysu ka-na summa arzini bihi.
Dua e Istikhara in English translation
O, Allah! I am seeking goodness from you based on your knowledge. I am asking you for the power to do good deeds by your power. And I want a great favor from you. That’s why you give strength to all work. I cannot do anything without your will. you know everything I don’t know anything. You know all the secrets.
O, Allah! If you wish that this action (intention) will be good for me in my religion, in this world, in my life, in my hereafter, or said, in this world in that world, then arrange it for me. Make it easy for me. Then bless me. And if you consider this deed harmful to me, my religion, my life, my Hereafter, or, as I have said, my life and the Hereafter, then keep me from him, and him from me. And do what is good for me. Then please agree with me.
How to pray Istikhara prayer
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللّهِ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُنَا الِاسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الْأُمُورِ كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْانِ يَقُولُ: «إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالْأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْفَرِيْضَةِ ثُمَّ لْيَقُلْ: اَللّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّك تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ اَللّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِّىْ فِىْ دِينِىْ وَمَعَاشِىْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِىْ – أَوْقَالَ فِىْ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِىْ وَاجِلِه – فَاقْدُرْهُ لِىْ وَيَسِّرْهُ لِىْ ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِىْ فِيهِ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِّىْ فِىْ دِينِىْ وَمَعَاشِىْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِىْ – أَوْ قَالَ فِىْ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِىْ وَاجِلِه – فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّىْ وَاصْرِفْنِىْ عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِىْ بِه». قَالَ: «وَيُسَمِّيْ حَاجَتَه» . رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيُّ
On the authority of Jabir (R.A.) Ibn Abdullah (R.A.):
He said The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to teach us the rules and supplications of ‘Istikhara’ (to Allah) in the same way that he used to teach us the surahs of the Qur’an. He used to say, that if any of you decide to do something, he should offer two rak’ahs of nafl prayer in addition to the obligatory prayer. Then read this Dua-
“Alla-humma inni astakhiruka bi’ilmika wa astaqdiruka bikudratika wa asaluka min fazlikal ‘Azimi faynaka taqdiru wala- aqdiru wa ta’lamu wala- a’lamu wa anta ‘Alla-mul guyub, Allah-humma inna kunta ta’lamu anna Ha-jal we khairul li fi deeni wama ‘a-shi wa ‘a-qibati amri aw qa-la fi ‘a-jili amri wa a-jilihi faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li summa ba-rik li fihi wa in kunta ta’lamu Anna ha-jal am sharrul li fi dini wama ‘a-shi wa ‘a-qibati amri ao qa-la fi ‘a-zili amri wa a-zilihi fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anhu waqb durlial khaira haysu ka-na summa arzini bihi “
Astaghfirullah wa atubu ilaih Dua in Arabic with English meaning
That is, O Allah! I am seeking goodness from you based on your knowledge. I am asking you for the power to do good deeds by your power. And I want a great favor from you. That’s why you give strength to all work. I cannot do anything without your will. you know everything I don’t know anything. You know all the secrets.
O, Allah! If you wish that this action (intention) will be good for me in my religion, in this world, in my life, in my hereafter, or said, in this world in that world, then arrange it for me. Make it easy for me. Then bless me. And if you consider this deed harmful to me, my religion, my life, my Hereafter, or, as I have said, my life and the Hereafter, then keep me from him, and him from me. And do what is good for me. Then please agree with me.
The narrator of the hadith said, that when saying ‘this work’, one should remember the necessary thing.
Bukhari 1162, 6382, 7390, Abu Dawud 1538, At-Tirmidhi 480, Ibn Majah 1383, Nasa’i 3252, Ahmad 14707, Ibn Hibban 887, Sunanul Kubra lil Bayhaqi 4921, Sharhus Sunnah 1016, Sahih at-Targhib 682, Sahih al-Jami’ 778.
Quality of Hadith: Sahih Hadith.