283. Dua of Istikhara

اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيْرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ اَللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ (وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَهُ) خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِيْنِيْ وَمَعَاشِيْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِيْ، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. [اَللَّهُمَّ] وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِيْنِيْ وَمَعَاشِيْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِيْ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِيْ بِهِ

Allaahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa as'aluka min fadlika Al-'azim Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta'lamu Wala a'lamu, Wa anta 'allamul-ghuyub. Allaahumma, in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra Khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri, Faqdurhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fih, (Allaahumma) Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra shar-run li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdur li al-khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bih

On the authority of Jaabir Ibn 'Adbullaah (RA), he said: The Prophet (ﷺ) would instruct us to pray for guidance in all of our concerns, just as he would teach us a Soorah from the Quran. He would say: 'If any of you intends to undertake a matter then let him pray two supererogatory units [two rak'ah naafilah] of prayer and after which he should supplicate: (the above mentioned dua)