Istikharah means asking God for what is best in a permissible matter you are hesitating over: a marriage, a job, a journey, or buying a home. It is two units of prayer followed by a reported supplication. Here is the full text first, then the method, timing and detail.
The full istikharah supplication
The supplication
"O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and Your power to make me able, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none; You know, I know not; You are the Knower of the hidden.
O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and the outcome of my affairs (in this life and the next), 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 affairs (in this life and the next), 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 with it."
At the words "this matter" you name your need: this marriage, this job, this journey.
The source hadith
Jabir ibn Abdullah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught them istikharah in all matters, saying: "When one of you intends to do something, let him pray two units of prayer other than the obligatory prayer, then say..." and he recited the supplication. Reported by al-Bukhari (1166). Anything added beyond this form has no basis in the text.
Surah At-Talaq 65:3
Verified recitation
And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.
How to pray istikharah, step by step
- Perform ablution as you would for any prayer.
- Intend the two units of istikharah in your heart; nothing needs to be said aloud.
- Pray two units outside the obligatory prayers, reciting whatever you wish.
- After finishing, recite the supplication and name your need at "this matter".
- Then act on what you judge best after research and consultation.
When to pray it
There is no fixed time. It may be prayed at any hour of day or night, because it is tied to a reason rather than to a time. Those who hold the prohibited times to be general avoid them (after the dawn prayer until the sun rises, at midday, and after the afternoon prayer until sunset); those who count it among prayers tied to a cause pray it at any time.
The best moment is the one in which your heart is most present, which is why many choose the night. You can check every prayer time for your city on our prayer times page.
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:186
Verified recitation
And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.
Common mistakes and what is correct
| Common mistake | What is correct |
|---|---|
| Waiting for a dream after istikharah | No dream is mentioned in the hadith; istikharah is entrusting and supplication, not uncovering the unseen |
| Repeating it until an "answer" appears | It is prayed once; repeating it while still hesitant is fine, but the decision is not hung on a sign |
| Skipping research and consultation | Consultation and weighing the benefit come first, then istikharah |
| Reciting the supplication without praying | The reported form is two units then the supplication |
| Praying it over obligations | Obligations and forbidden things are not subject to istikharah; only permissible matters you hesitate over |
| Expecting instant, visible signs | The good may appear much later, and having the matter turned away is itself an answer |
Istikharah before marriage
This is the most asked-about case. The practical order is: ask about the person and the family, consult those who know and are honest, and once one option outweighs the other, pray two units, recite the supplication, and proceed. Acceptance or refusal should not be hung on a tightness in the chest or a dream; the religion did not make either a criterion.
Before a job, a journey or a purchase
The same order applies to a job, travel, or buying a house or car: gather information, consult, weigh, pray istikharah, then act. Istikharah does not compensate for careless research.
What comes after
Proceed with what you decided, content. If the way is made easy, that is facilitation; if it falls through, that is the turning away you asked for. Part of the supplication is asking for contentment: "make me content with it." The outcome may only become clear months later.
When istikharah does not apply
- Over obligations such as prayer, zakat and fasting, which allow no choice.
- Over forbidden matters.
- After a contract is concluded and binding; what remains then is a prayer for blessing.
Three practical steps
- State your matter in one clear sentence and name it in the supplication.
- Pray two units when your heart is most present, using the text above.
- Keep the daily remembrances and your Quran reading as a steady habit.
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Data sources
Last updated: 16 September 2026