How do you pray istikhara?

Istikhara (istikhāra, استخارة) means asking Allah to choose what is good for you. When you face a decision, such as a marriage, a job, a move, or a course of study, you pray two voluntary units of prayer and then recite a short duʿāʾ in which you hand the choice to the One who knows what you cannot. Jābir ibn ʿAbdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet ﷺ taught the Companions istikhara in all their affairs “as he would teach us a sura of the Quran” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166). Here is how to pray it.

How do you pray istikhara step by step?

1. Be clear about the decision. Istikhara is for permissible matters where you are choosing between options. What Allah has commanded needs no istikhara, and what He has forbidden needs none either.
2. Make wuḍūʾ as for any prayer (How to make wudu).
3. Pray two rakʿas with the intention of istikhara, outside the obligatory prayer. Recite al-Fātiḥa and any sura in each rakʿa. Pray at any time, avoiding the times when voluntary prayer is discouraged, such as during sunrise and sunset. The basics of the prayer are in How do Muslims pray?
4. After the salām, recite the duʿāʾ below with presence of heart, praising Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ before and after it if you wish.
5. Name your matter where the duʿāʾ says “this matter”: for example, “this marriage to so-and-so” or “taking this job”.
6. Then act. Take the step that seems best after thought and consultation, and watch how Allah opens or closes the way.

What is the istikhara dua?

The Prophet ﷺ said: “When one of you is concerned about a matter, let him pray two rakʿas other than the obligatory prayer, and then say”:

«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 ـ أَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ ـ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي ـ أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ ـ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ»

“O Allah, I ask You to choose for me by Your knowledge, and I ask You for strength by Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. For You have power and I have none; You know and I do not know; You are the Knower of all that is hidden. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs (or he said: in my life now and later), then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless me in it. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs (or he said: in my life now and later), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me the good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 1166

The phrase in parentheses records the narrator’s uncertainty about the exact wording, and many people say both forms. If you do not yet know the Arabic by heart, read it from a page after the prayer, or say its meaning in your own language; Allah understands every tongue (Can you pray in English?).

How do you know the answer to istikhara?

The hadith asks Allah for three things: if the matter is good, to decree it, make it easy, and bless it; if it is harmful, to turn it away and turn your heart away from it; and in either case, to make you content. It says nothing about dreams, colors, or signs. The answer unfolds as you move forward. Doors open with ease, or obstacles appear and your heart cools toward the matter. Both are answers.

The Quran reminds us that our own judgment is limited:

وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكۡرَهُواْ شَيۡـٔٗا وَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡ

“It may be that you dislike something while it is good for you.”

Quran 2:216

Should you also ask for advice?

Yes. Istikhara is asking Allah; consultation (shūrā) is asking people. The Quran commands both together:

وَشَاوِرۡهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡأَمۡرِۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمۡتَ فَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ

“Consult them in the matter, and once you have decided, put your trust in Allah.”

Quran 3:159

Speak with people who know you well, who have experience in the matter, and who want good for you. Gather the facts, weigh them, and then decide. Istikhara completes that process with trust in Allah.

Can you pray istikhara for marriage?

Yes, and marriage is one of the most common reasons people pray it. When the Prophet ﷺ sent word that he wished to marry Zaynab bint Jaḥsh (may Allah be pleased with her), she said, “I will do nothing until I consult my Lord,” and went to her place of prayer (Sahih Muslim 1428b). Pray istikhara about a proposal, speak with family and trusted friends, get to know the person well, and remember that a marriage needs your free and willing consent. See What happens at a Muslim wedding?

A closing word

Istikhara frees the heart from the weight of having to know everything. You do your part, think, ask, and pray, and then you rest in the knowledge that the One who loves you more than you love yourself is choosing with you. “And make me content with it” may be the sweetest line of the whole duʿāʾ. More on speaking to Allah in your own words is in How do you make dua?