Salatul Istikhara: how to pray it and the dua

Istikhara is asking Allah to choose the better of two paths for you, then walking forward trusting His choice.

What is Salatul Istikhara?

Jabir reported that the Prophet ﷺ would teach the companions istikhara in all their affairs as he would teach them a surah of the Qur'an. (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166) It is two voluntary rak'ahs followed by a specific dua, prayed when you face a genuine choice — a marriage proposal, a job, a move, a business decision.

How to pray Istikhara step by step

1. Make wudu.
2. Pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, outside the forbidden times.
3. After the tasleem, raise your hands and recite the dua of istikhara.
4. When you reach "this matter", name the thing you are deciding on, in your heart or on your tongue.
5. Then act: take advice, weigh it, and move on the option that becomes easy.

The dua of Istikhara

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 bi qudratik, 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 from Your immense bounty. You are able and I am not, You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen." (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166)

The dua continues by asking that, if this matter is good for one's religion, livelihood and outcome, Allah decree it and bless it; and if it is bad in those respects, that He turn it away and decree what is good instead, then make one content with it.

Do I need a dream after Istikhara?

No. Nothing in the narration of Jabir ibn Abdullah (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166) mentions dreams. The answer usually comes through events: doors opening or closing, advice from people you trust, and your own heart settling. Istikhara is paired with mashwara — consultation — not with waiting for signs.

Can I pray Istikhara more than once?

Yes, if the matter is still undecided you may repeat it. But repeating it because you dislike the direction things are moving turns it into istikhara for your preference rather than for Allah's choice.

When is the best time to pray Istikhara?

Any permissible time works. Many prefer the last third of the night, when the servant is closest to His Lord and dua is answered — you can pray it right after your Tahajjud.

After Istikhara

Make the decision and do not look back with regret. The one who asked Allah to choose has already secured the good in it, even if the path proves difficult.