3. Ṣalāh (Ritual Prayer)

٣۔ كِتَابُ الصَّلَاةِ

3.659 [Machine] The Translation of "صَلَاةِ الِاسْتِخَارَةِ" into English is: The prayer of seeking guidance

٣۔٦٥٩ بَابُ صَلَاةِ الِاسْتِخَارَةِ

bayhaqi:4921Abū al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Aḥmad b. ʿAbdān > Aḥmad b. ʿUbayd al-Ṣaffār > Ismāʿīl b. Isḥāq > al-Qaʿnabī > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū al-Mawāl > Muḥammad b. al-Munkadir > Jābir

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us the supplication for isthikharah (seeking what us beneficial from Allah) as he would teach us a surah (chapter) from the Qur'an. He would tell us: When one of you intends to do a work, he should offer two supererogatory rak'ahs of prayer, and then say (at the end of the prayer):

"O Allah, I seek Your choice on the better (of the two matters) based upon Your knowledge, and I seek Your decree based upon Your power, and I ask You for Your great bounties. For Indeed, You are the One Who Decrees, and I do not decree, and You know, and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the Unseen. O Allah, if you know this, and You are the Knower of the Unseen. O Allah, if you know this - here he should name exactly what he wishes - is better for me with regard to my religion, and my life, and my afterlife, and the end result of my affairs, then decree it to me, and make it easy for me, and bless me on it. O Allah, and if You know this to be evil for me - and he says just as he said the first time - then avert it for me, and avert me from it. And decree for me good wherever it might be, the make me content with it." A version goes: "If the work is good immediately or subsequently." (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1538)   

البيهقي:٤٩٢١أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَبْدَانَ أنبأ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ ثنا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْمَوَالِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُنَا الِاسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الْأَمْرِ كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ يَقُولُ لَنَا إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالْأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْفَرِيضَةِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اللهُمَّ إِنَّى أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَتَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ اللهُمَّ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ يُسَمِّيهِ وَيُعَيِّنُهُ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ خَيْرًا لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَمَعَادِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ اللهُمَّ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهُ شَرًّا لِي مِثْلَ الْأَوَّلِ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ قُتَيْبَةَ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ