Dua for Making Choices
3 Things to Know About Istikhara
When facing an important decision, the believer does not rely on their own limited judgement alone, but turns to Allah, who knows what is best, with the prayer of Istikhara taught by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He taught the believers to seek the guidance of Allah by His knowledge and power before making a choice, acknowledging that Allah knows while they do not. The dua for making choices is this beautiful prayer, placing the decision in the hands of the One who knows the unseen and the outcomes of all things.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi‘ilmik, wa astaqdiruka biqudratik, wa as’aluka min fadlikal-‘azim, fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta‘lamu wa la a‘lam, wa anta ‘allamul-ghuyub.
“O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. For You are able and I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen.”
The prayer of Istikhara is offered by praying two units of voluntary prayer and then reciting the supplication, asking Allah to guide the believer to what is good and to turn them away from what is harmful. This guide explains the dua for making choices and three things to know about Istikhara, so that the believer may seek the guidance of Allah before their decisions, praying the Istikhara, taking sensible counsel and effort alongside it, and trusting that Allah will guide them to what is best and grant them contentment with His decree.
The Prayer of Istikhara
The Prophet (pbuh) taught the believers the prayer of Istikhara, seeking the guidance of Allah, with the same care that he taught them chapters of the Quran. The believer prays two units of voluntary prayer and then recites the supplication, beginning with the beautiful words quoted above, acknowledging that Allah has the knowledge and power that the believer lacks, and that He alone knows the unseen. By offering this prayer, the believer entrusts their decision to the One who knows its true outcome.
In the rest of the supplication, the believer asks Allah that if the matter is good for their religion, their life and their final outcome, He decree it for them and make it easy and blessed, and if it is harmful, He turn it away from them and turn them away from it, and decree for them what is good wherever it may be, and make them content with it. The dua for making choices thus places the decision wholly in the hands of Allah, seeking His guidance and contentment with His decree.
Three Things to Know About Istikhara
Istikhara places an important decision in the hands of Allah. These three things help the believer seek His guidance.
- Pray two units of voluntary prayer, then recite the supplication of Istikhara.
- Ask Allah to guide you to what is good and to turn you away from what is harmful.
- Take sensible counsel and effort alongside it, then trust the guidance of Allah.
وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ
Waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kan
Decree for me what is good wherever it may be
Trusting the Guidance of Allah
The dua for making choices places the decision in the hands of Allah, who knows what is best. By praying two units of voluntary prayer and reciting the Istikhara, asking Allah to guide you to good and away from harm, and taking sensible counsel and effort alongside it, the believer makes decisions in the best way. The believer does not rely on their limited judgement alone, but seeks the guidance of the One who knows the unseen, trusting that Allah will lead them to what is best and grant them contentment with His decree.
This supplication pairs naturally with the dua for guidance and the dua during uncertainty. Together they help the believer seek the guidance of Allah in the decisions of life.
Before an important decision, the Prophet (pbuh) taught the believer to seek the guidance of Allah, who knows what is best. Learn the duas for life with us on YouTube, where the supplications are recited aloud, on Threads for a reminder of the Istikhara prayer, and on LinkedIn where readers share how they make choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dua for making choices is the prayer of Istikhara the Prophet (pbuh) taught: Allahumma inni astakhiruka biilmik, wa astaqdiruka biqudratik, O Allah I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge and Your power, for You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen.
Pray two units of voluntary prayer, then recite the supplication of Istikhara, asking Allah to guide you to the matter if it is good for you and to turn it away if it is harmful, and to make you content with His decree.
Istikhara is prayed before any important or permissible decision where the believer is unsure of the best course, such as a major choice in marriage, work or travel. It seeks the guidance of Allah who knows the outcome.
After praying Istikhara, the believer takes sensible counsel and effort, proceeds with what seems best, and trusts the guidance of Allah. There is no requirement to see a dream, for the prayer is a request for Allah to guide the affair.
No, the believer also seeks the counsel of trustworthy and knowledgeable people and weighs the matter sensibly. Istikhara and seeking advice go together, both being means of arriving at a good decision with the help of Allah.
The believer may repeat the Istikhara, continue to seek counsel, and proceed with what seems best while trusting Allah. The contentment and ease that follow are signs of His guidance, and the believer rests in His wisdom.