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درود تاج

Guidance in a decision

Dua E Istikhara

دعائے استخارہ اردو ترجمہ کے ساتھ

Dua e Istikhara in Arabic with Roman, Urdu and English translation, the step-by-step method, and what the hadith of Jabir in Sahih al-Bukhari says.

By the Darood E Taj project · Arabic checked against several digital editions · Last updated

Istikhara is the prayer for asking Allah to guide you to what is best when you face a decision. It is two rak‘ahs of voluntary prayer followed by a dua that the Prophet ﷺ taught. Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah said the Prophet ﷺ taught Istikhara to the Companions just as he taught them a surah of the Qur’an.

This page gives the dua in Arabic with Roman, Urdu and English, the method as the hadith describes it, and the points people often get wrong. The Arabic is the wording of Sahih al-Bukhari 1162, compared with other digital editions letter by letter and vowel by vowel.

استخارہ کا مطلب اللہ تعالیٰ سے بہتری کی رہنمائی مانگنا ہے۔ نبی کریم ﷺ نے صحابہ کو استخارہ اسی اہتمام سے سکھایا جیسے قرآن کی سورت سکھائی جاتی ہے۔ دو رکعت نفل پڑھیں، پھر یہ دعا پڑھیں اور اپنی ضرورت کا نام لیں۔

How to pray Istikhara

  1. 1

    Decide what the matter is

    Istikhara is for a matter you are about to act on, such as a job, a purchase or a marriage. The hadith says “when one of you intends a matter”.

  2. 2

    Pray two rak‘ahs

    Pray two rak‘ahs that are not the obligatory prayer, so a voluntary prayer. The hadith says “two rak‘ahs other than the obligatory prayer”.

  3. 3

    Make the dua

    After the prayer, say the dua of Istikhara. You can read it from this page.

  4. 4

    Name your need

    The hadith adds “and let him name his need”. Where the dua says “this matter”, name what you are deciding.

  5. 5

    Act, and keep consulting

    Go forward with the choice that becomes easier, and keep asking trustworthy people for advice. The Qur’an tells the Prophet ﷺ to consult and then to rely on Allah (3:159).

Dua e Istikhara in Arabic, Roman, Urdu and English

The dua of Istikhara

دعائے استخارہ

Prophetic: Taught by the Prophet ﷺ, with the hadith reference.

  1. اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ

    Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi‘ilmika, wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as’aluka min fadlikal ‘azim

    اے اللہ! میں تجھ سے بھلائی مانگتا ہوں تیرے علم کے واسطے سے، تجھ سے قدرت مانگتا ہوں تیری قدرت کے واسطے سے، اور تیرا فضلِ عظیم چاہتا ہوں،

    O Allah, I ask You for the good by Your knowledge, I ask You for ability by Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty,

  2. فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ

    fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta‘lamu wa la a‘lam, wa anta ‘allamul ghuyub

    کیونکہ تو قدرت رکھتا ہے اور مجھ میں قدرت نہیں، تو جانتا ہے اور میں نہیں جانتا، اور تو تمام پوشیدہ باتوں کو جاننے والا ہے۔

    for You are able and I am not; You know and I do not; and You are the Knower of the unseen.

  3. اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي

    Allahumma in kunta ta‘lamu anna hadhal amra khayrun li fi dini wa ma‘ashi wa ‘aqibati amri

    اے اللہ! اگر تو جانتا ہے کہ یہ کام (یہاں اپنی ضرورت کا نام لیں) میرے لیے بہتر ہے، میرے دین، میری معاش اور میرے انجام کار کے اعتبار سے،

    O Allah, if You know that this matter (here, name your need) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs,

  4. أَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ

    aw qala: ‘ajili amri wa ajilihi

    (یا آپ ﷺ نے یہ الفاظ فرمائے:) اِس جہاں اور اُس جہاں میں،

    (or he said: in my immediate and my later affairs,)

  5. فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ

    faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fih

    تو اسے میرے لیے مقدر کر دے، اسے میرے لیے آسان فرما دے، پھر اس میں میرے لیے برکت عطا فرما۔

    then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me.

  6. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي

    Wa in kunta ta‘lamu anna hadhal amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma‘ashi wa ‘aqibati amri

    اور اگر تو جانتا ہے کہ یہ کام میرے لیے برا ہے، میرے دین، میری معاش اور میرے انجام کار کے اعتبار سے،

    And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs,

  7. أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ

    aw qala: fi ‘ajili amri wa ajilihi

    (یا آپ ﷺ نے یہ الفاظ فرمائے:) اِس جہاں اور اُس جہاں میں،

    (or he said: in my immediate and my later affairs,)

  8. فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ

    fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anhu

    تو اسے مجھ سے پھیر دے اور مجھے اس سے پھیر دے،

    then turn it away from me and turn me away from it,

  9. وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي

    waqdur liyal khayra haythu kana thumma ardini

    اور میرے لیے بھلائی مقدر فرما جہاں کہیں بھی ہو، پھر مجھے اس سے راضی کر دے۔

    and decree for me the good wherever it may be, and then make me content with it.

  • The hadith adds: “and let him name his need” (wa yusammi hajatahu). The need is named where the dua says “this matter”.
  • Other narrations end slightly differently: Sahih al-Bukhari 6382 ends “thumma raddhdhini bihi”, and the Hisn al-Muslim prints “thumma ardini bihi”. The wording here is exactly that of Sahih al-Bukhari 1162, as checked above.

What Istikhara is not

The hadith does not say that a dream or a sign must follow, and it does not say that you will hear a voice. It teaches a prayer, a dua and a decision. Many people wait for a dream; the hadith does not ask for one.

Istikhara does not replace thinking, asking others, or doing your own research. It asks Allah to make the good choice easy and to turn away what is not good.

Questions about dua e istikhara

What is Dua e Istikhara?

It is the dua the Prophet ﷺ taught for asking Allah to choose what is best when you are about to make a decision. It is said after two rak‘ahs of voluntary prayer.

How do I pray Istikhara?

Pray two rak‘ahs of voluntary prayer, then say the dua of Istikhara and name the matter you are deciding. The steps are on this page.

Do I need to see a dream after Istikhara?

The hadith does not mention a dream. It teaches a prayer and a dua. After it, go forward with what becomes easy and keep consulting trustworthy people.

Where is the dua of Istikhara from?

It is in Sahih al-Bukhari (1162, 6382 and 7390), narrated by Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah. The Arabic on this page is the wording of Sahih al-Bukhari 1162.

What is the meaning of Dua e Istikhara in Urdu?

In it you tell Allah that He knows and you do not, that He is able and you are not, and you ask Him to decree the matter for you if it is good for your religion, your livelihood and the outcome, or to turn it away if it is not. The full Urdu translation is on this page beside each line.