Istikhara guide
Salat al-Istikhara for marriage
How to pray istikhara before saying yes to a proposal — step by step, with the full dua, its meaning, and what to expect afterwards.
What is istikhara?
Istikhara means asking Allah to choose what is best for you. The Prophet ﷺ taught his companions to pray it for important decisions “as he would teach them a surah of the Qur'an”. It is not only for marriage, but few decisions deserve it more.
How to pray istikhara
- 1
Make sure the proposal is permissible and do your research first — ask about deen, character, and family.
- 2
Make wudu and pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer, outside the times when prayer is disliked.
- 3
After the prayer, praise Allah, send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, and recite the istikhara dua.
- 4
When you reach “this matter”, keep the proposal in mind or name it — for example, “my marriage to this person”.
- 5
Then move forward with what seems best, consult people you trust, and trust Allah to make the good easy and turn away what is harmful.
The istikhara dua
Arabic
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
Transliteration
Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi-'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa as'aluka min faḍlika al-'aẓīm. Fa-innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa lā a'lam, wa anta 'allāmu al-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hādhā al-amra khayrun lī fī dīnī wa ma'āshī wa 'āqibati amrī, fa-qdurhu lī wa yassirhu lī, thumma bārik lī fīh. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hādhā al-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa ma'āshī wa 'āqibati amrī, fa-ṣrifhu 'annī wa-ṣrifnī 'anhu, wa-qdur liya al-khayra ḥaythu kān, thumma arḍinī bih.
Meaning
O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, I seek ability through Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power and I have none; You know and I do not know; 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, decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me pleased with it.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 1162, narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah.
Common misconceptions
- You do not need to see a dream. The answer usually comes as ease, clarity, or obstacles in the matter itself.
- Istikhara does not replace research. Ask questions, involve your wali, and meet with proper boundaries.
- You may repeat istikhara if you are still unsure — there is no fixed number of times.
- Istikhara is for permissible choices. Prayer does not make a clearly harmful match acceptable.
Istikhara and istishara
Scholars have long paired istikhara (asking Allah) with istishara (asking trusted people). Talk to your wali, your family, and people who know the proposed spouse well — then accept what Allah decrees with contentment.
This guide is educational. For personal rulings, consult a qualified scholar.
Frequently asked questions
Pray it once you are seriously considering a specific proposal and have gathered enough information about the person. It can be prayed at any time except the times when voluntary prayer is disliked.
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