Jabir said, "The Prophet. may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to teach us the istikhara in matters just as if it was a sura of the Qur'an. He said, 'When someone is concerned about something, he should pray two rak'ats and then say, 'O Allah, I ask You for the good by Your knowledge and I ask You for strength by Your power and I ask You for some of Your immense abundant favour, You have the power and I do not. You know and I do not know. You are the Knower of the Unseen Worlds. O Allah, if You know that this affair is good for me in my deen, my livelihood and the end of my affair (or he said 'in the beginning of my affair') and its conclusion, then avert it from me and avert me from it. Decree for me the good wherever it is and then make me content." Then he should state what he needs.'"  

عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُنَا الِاسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الأُمُورِ كَالسُّورَةِ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ إِذَا هَمَّ بِالأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أمري أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَهُ  

Jabir ibn 'Abdullah said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, made supplication in this mosque, the Mosque of Victory, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and it was answered for him between the two prayers on Wednesday," Jabir said, "Whenever anything severe and serious happened to me and I singled out that time and made supplication to Allah concerning it between the two prayers on Wednesday, I found the answer.'"  

سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ يَقُولُ دَعَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي هَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ مَسْجِدِ الْفَتْحِ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَيَوْمَ الثُّلاَثَاءِ وَيَوْمَ الأَرْبِعَاءِ فَاسْتُجِيبَ لَهُ بَيْنَ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الأَرْبِعَاءِ قَالَ جَابِرٌ وَلَمْ يَنْزِلْ بِي أَمْرٌ مُهِمٌّ غائِظٌ إِلاَّ تَوَخَّيْتُ تِلْكَ السَّاعَةَ فَدَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ فِيهِ بَيْنَ الصَّلاَتَيْنِ يَوْمَ الأَرْبِعَاءِ فِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةِ إِلا عَرَفْتُ الإجَابَةَ  

Anas said, "I was with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when a man made supplication, saying, 'O Originator of the heavens! O Living, Self-Subsistent! I ask of You.' He said, 'Do you know by what he has made supplication? By the One in whose hand my soul is, he has asked Allah by the Name that He answers when He is asked by it."  

عَنْ أَنَسٍ كُنْتُ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَدَعَا رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا بَدِيعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ فَقَالَ أَتَدْرُونَ بِمَا دَعَا؟ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ دَعَا اللَّهَ بِاسْمِهِ الَّذِي إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ أَجَابَ  

'Abdullah ibn 'Amr was heard to say, "Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 'Teach me a supplication which I can use in my prayer.' He said, 'Say, "O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly. Only You forgive wrong actions. Forgive me with forgiveness directly from you. You are the Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful."'"  

قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ عَلِّمْنِي دُعَاءً أَدْعُو بِهِ فِي صَلاَتِي قَالَ قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ فَاغْفِرْ لِي مِنْ عِنْدِكَ مَغْفِرَةً إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ