Narrated by Al-Bukhāri

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to teach us Istikhārah (guidance-seeking prayer) in all matters, as he would teach us a Surah from the Qur’an.

He would say: "When one of you intends to do something, let him perform two Rak‘ahs other than the obligatory prayer and then say: Allāhumma inni astakhīruka bi‘ilmika, wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as’aluka min fadlik al-‘azhīm, fa ’innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta‘lamu wa la a‘lamu, wa anta ‘allāmu al-ghuyūb. Allāhumma in kunta ta‘lamu anna hādha al-’amra khayrun li fi dīni wa ma‘āshi wa ‘āqibati amri, (or he said) ‘ājili amri wa ājilihi, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma bārik li fīh.

Wa in kunta ta‘lamu anna hādha al-’amra sharrun li fi dīni wa ma‘āshi wa ‘āqibati amri, (or he said) wa ‘ājili amri wa ājilihi, fasrifhu ‘anni, wasrifni ‘anhu, waqdur li al-khayra haythu kāna, thumma ardini. (O Allah, I consult You for Your knowledge, and I seek strength from You for Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. Indeed, You are capable and I am not, and You know and I do not, and You are the All-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, (or he said), my immediate and future affairs, then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me.

And if You know this matter is evil concerning my religion, my livelihood or the outcome of my affairs, (or he said) my immediate and future affairs, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content).'' He said: ''And let him name his need.''