The Dua of Istikhara

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 هَٰذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي — عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ — فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَٰذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي — عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ — فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ

Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi-'ilmik, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratik, wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'azim, fa-innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra khayrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri — 'ajilihi wa ajilih — faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri — 'ajilihi wa ajilih — fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anh, waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kan, thumma ardini bih.

O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and Your power by Your might, and I ask You of Your immense bounty — for You are able and I am not, You know and I do not, and 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 affair — in the near term and the far — 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 affair — in the near term and the far — then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, then make me content with it.