Jabir ibn Abdullah said the Prophet ﷺ used to teach his companions istikhara for every matter, "just as he taught them a surah of the Qur'an."
Sahih al-Bukhari 1162
Istikhara means "asking Allah for what is best". You are not asking for a sign or a dream — you are handing the decision to the One who knows the unseen, and asking Him to make the good easy and turn the bad away.
When to pray istikhara
- Before any permissible decision: a rishta, a job offer, a business deal, travel, buying a house, choosing a university.
- Not for things that are already obligatory (you don't do istikhara about praying) or clearly haram.
- At any time of day or night, except the times when nafl prayer is disliked (sunrise, zawal, sunset). The last part of the night is best.
Step by step
- Make wudu and make the intention of praying two rak'ahs of istikhara.
- Pray two rak'ahs of nafl like any other sunnah prayer. You can recite any surah after al-Fatihah; many read Surah al-Kafirun in the first and al-Ikhlas in the second.
- After salam, raise your hands and read the dua below. Where it says hādhal-amr ("this matter"), think of — or say — your decision, e.g. "this rishta" or "this job".
- Then act. Go ahead with the decision and watch: if Allah makes it easy, that is your answer; if doors keep closing, accept that as His choice.
The dua of istikhara
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
Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi-'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa as'aluka min faḍlikal-'aẓīm. Fa-innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa lā a'lam, wa anta 'allāmul-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hādhal-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 hādhal-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa ma'āshī wa 'āqibati amrī, faṣrifhu 'annī waṣrifnī 'anh, waqdur liyal-khayra ḥaythu kān, thumma arḍinī bih.
Meaning: "O Allah, I ask You to choose for me by Your knowledge, and I ask You to give me ability by Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. For You are able and I am not; You know and I do not; and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the 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 my religion, my livelihood and the 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."
Sahih al-Bukhari 1162
Common questions
Will I see a dream?
Maybe, maybe not — a dream is not required. The real answer is in what happens next: ease and barakah, or obstacles. Many people also feel a quiet leaning of the heart.
Can I repeat it?
Yes. If you are still unsure, you can pray istikhara again on following days.
Can someone else do istikhara for me?
The Sunnah is to pray it yourself — it is your own conversation with Allah, and no one needs special status to do it. If you cannot pray (for example during menstruation), you can simply read the dua. Parents often also make dua for their children's decisions, which is good.
Istikhara goes together with mashwara — asking trustworthy, experienced people for advice. Consult people, then consult Allah, then decide with tawakkul.
