How to Perform the Prayer of Istikharah and the Supplication Prescribed in It

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Question:
What is the method for performing the prayer of istikharah? What is its supplication? And at what time is it performed?

Answer:
The prayer of istikharah consists of two rak'ahs. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

When one of you intends to do something, let him pray two rak'ahs, then let him say: "O Allah, I seek Your counsel through Your knowledge, and I seek Your power through Your might, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You know and I do not know, and You have power and I do not, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter—and he names it by its name—

إذا هم أحدكم بأمر فليصل ركعتين، ثم ليقل: اللهم إني أستخيرك بعلمك، وأستقدرك بقدرتك، وأسألك من فضلك العظيم، فإنك تعلم ولا أعلم، وتقدر ولا أقدر، وأنت علام الغيوب، اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر ويسميه باسمه

One says: "This matter, my marriage to so-and-so, or my travel to such-and-such a place, or the purchase of such-and-such, or something similar to that," specifying his need.

Allahumma, in kunta ta'lam anna hadha-lamra Khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri (or 'ajili `Amri wa'ajilihi) Faqdirhu wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri (or fi'ajili `Amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al-khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi.'

اللهم إن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر خير لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري، فيسره لي، ثم بارك لي فيه، وإن كنت تعلم أن هذا الأمر شر لي في ديني ومعاشي وعاقبة أمري فاصرفه عني واصرفني عنه، وقدر لي الخير حيث كان، ثم رضني به

Sahih al-Bukhari 1166

This is the Sunnah; this is the supplication of istikharah.
If one does not know this supplication, he supplicates with whatever is easy for him, saying: "O Allah, decree good for me, O Allah, make good easy for me, O Allah, expand my chest for this journey if it is good, O Allah, expand my chest for this marriage if it is good." He supplicates with what he understands and knows, after the taslim. He raises his hands and supplicates after the two rak'ahs of prayer. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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