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."

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُنَا الاِسْتِخَارَةَ كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ يَقُولُ لَنَا إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْفَرِيضَةِ وَلْيَقُلِ 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 يُسَمِّيهِ بِعَيْنِهِ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَمَعَادِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ اللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهُ شَرًّا لِي مِثْلَ الأَوَّلِ فَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ وَابْنُ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْكَدِرِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught us istikhara and said: When one of you wants to make a decision, let them say, "O Allah, I seek Your guidance by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek Your assistance by virtue of Your power, and I ask You from Your immense favor. For You are capable 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 affairs, then decree it for me and simplify it for me, and bless me with it. And if You know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs, 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." And he would say this and then make a firm decision.

عَلَّمَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الِاسْتِخَارَةَ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَلْيَقُلِ اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ؛ فَإِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَتقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ فَإِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الَّذِي أُرِيدُ خَيْرًا فِي دِينِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَيَسِّرْهُ لِي وَإِنْ كَانَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ خَيْرًا لِي فَاقْدِرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ يَقُولُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ يَعْزِمُ

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us the istikhara prayer: "O Allah, I seek Your guidance (in making a choice) by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allah, if in Your knowledge this matter is good for me, both in my religion and in my livelihood, and in the consequences of my affairs, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge this matter is bad for me in my religion and in my livelihood and in the consequences of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it. And ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it."

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُنَا الِاسْتِخَارَةَ «اللهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ؛ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ اللهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ خَيْرًا لِي فِي دِينِي وَخَيْرًا لِي فِي مَعِيشَتِي وَخَيْرًا لِي فِيمَا أَبْتَغِي بِهِ الْخَيْرَ فَخِرْ لِي فِي عَافِيَةٍ وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ خَيْرًا لِي فَاقْدِرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ»

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach us istikharah: "O Allah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge, and I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You from Your bounty and Your mercy, for both are in Your hand; no one possesses them besides You. Indeed, You know and I do not know, You are able and I am not able, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if this matter—the matter that You want—is good for me in my religion and in my worldly life" I think he said: "and the outcome of my affair." "Then direct it and make it easy. And if other than that is better, then direct me to the good" I think he said: "wherever it may be."

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُعَلِّمُنَا الِاسْتِخَارَةَ: «اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ وَرَحْمَتِكَ، فَإِنَّهُمَا بِيَدِكَ، لَا يَمْلِكْهُمَا أَحَدٌ سِوَاكَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَتَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَامُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا الْأَمْرُ لَلْأَمْرُ الَّذِي تُرِيدُهُ خَيْرًا لِي فِي دِينِي وَفِي دُنْيَايَ». أَحْسَبُهُ قَالَ: «وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَوَفِّقْهُ وَسَهِّلْهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ خَيْرًا، فَوَفِّقْنِي لِلْخَيْرِ». أَحْسَبُهُ قَالَ: «حَيْثُ كَانَ».