Istikharah is a two rakaat sunnah (voluntary) prayer that can be performed at any time

of the day. The premise of the allowed time to pray, however, does not include the
following exceptions:
1. During sunrise until it reaches high (about 20 mins after sunrise)
2. After performing the Subuh prayer until the sun has completely risen and reached
high (about 20 mins after sunrise)
3. During meridian contact until the sun goes beyond it
4. During sunset until the sun has completely set below the horizon
5. After performing the Asar prayer until the sun has completely set below the
horizon
No. 1, 3 and 4 constitute the point of prohibition to the phases of time itself while no. 2
and 5 constitute it upon the act of praying (Subuh and Asar respectively). The sunnah
prayer of Istikharah and likewise other sunnah prayers are not allowed to be prayed in
the mentioned point of time above.
After performing the Istikharah prayer, one is encouraged to pray the Dua of Istikharah.
Like other duas, it is recommended to face the qiblah and read the Dua of Istikharah by
praising Allah and sending blessings (selawat) upon the Prophet s.a.w. Afterwards, it is
also best to close the Dua in the same manner as well.

Dua Istikhara with transliteration

‫يركَ ِب ِع ْلمِ كَ َوأَ ْستَ ْقد ُِركَ ِبقُد َْرتِك‬
ُ ِ‫َاللَّ ُه َّم ِإ ِِّني أَ ْستَخ‬
Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi-'ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratik
‫ضلِكَ ا ْلعَظِ يم‬ ْ َ‫َِوأَ ْسأَلُك‬
ْ َ‫مِن ف‬
Wa as-aluka min fadlikal-’azīm
‫عالَّ ُم ا ْلغُيُوب‬
َ َ‫ال أَ ْعلَ ُم َوأَ ْنت‬
َ ‫ال أَ ْقد ُِر َوتَ ْعلَ ُم َو‬
َ ‫ِفَإِنَّكَ تَ ْقد ُِر َو‬
Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta'lamu Wala a'lamu, Wa anta 'allāmul-
ghuyūb
‫عاقِبَ ِة أَ ْم ِري‬
َ ‫اللَّ ُه َّم إِ ْن كُ ْنتَ تَ ْعلَ ُم أَ َّن َهذَا األَ ْم َر َخي ٌْر لِي فِي دِينِي َو َمعَاشِي َو‬
Allāhumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hāz-al-amra khairun lī fi dīnī wa ma'āshī
wa'āqibati amrī
ِ ‫اج ِل أَ ْم ِري َو‬
‫آجلِه‬ ِ ‫ع‬َ ‫ِفِي‬
Fī 'ājili ‘amrī wa-ājilih

ِ َ‫ِفَا ْقد ُْرهُ لِي َويَ ِس ِّْرهُ لِي ث ُ َّم ب‬

‫اركْ لِي فِيه‬
 Faqdurhu-lī wa yassirhu-lī thumma bārik-lī fīhi
‫عا ِق َب ِة أَ ْم ِري‬
َ ‫َو ِإ ْن كُ ْنتَ تَ ْعلَ ُم أَ َّن َهذَا األَ ْم َر ش ٌَّر لِي فِي دِينِي َو َم َعاشِي َو‬
Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hā-zal-amra sharrun lī fī dīnī wa ma'āshī wa'āqibati
amrī
ِ ‫اج ِل أَ ْم ِري َو‬
‫آجلِه‬ ِ ‫ع‬َ ‫ِفِي‬
Fī 'ajili amrī wa-ājilih
َ ‫ص ِر ْفنِي‬
‫ع ْنه‬ َ ُ‫ص ِر ْفه‬
ْ ‫عنِِّي َوا‬ ْ ‫ُفَا‬
Fas-rifhu ‘annī wasrif-nī ‘anhu

ِ ‫ْث َكانَ ث ُ َّم أَ ْر‬

‫ضنِي بِه‬ ُ ‫ِي ا ْل َخي َْر َحي‬
َ ‫ِ َوا ْقد ُْر ل‬
Waqdur lī al-khaira haithu kāna, thumma ardinī bihi.
Dua Istikharah translation:
O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge and power from Your might,
And I ask for Your great blessings,
You are capable and I am not, You know and I do not, and You are all-knowing of
the unseen (hidden),
O Allah! If You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood
and my affairs in the Hereafter,
If it is better for my present and later,
Then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, and then bless it for me,
And if You know that this matter is harmful (bad) for me in my religion, my
livelihood and my affairs in the Hereafter,
Or if it bad for my present and later,
Then ward it off from me and keep me away from it.
Then ordain for me whatever is good for me wherever it may be found, and help
me be content with it.