Salatul Istikhara Dua Transliteration: Recite with Ease

For Muslims who are still learning to read Arabic, one of the most common moments of frustration arrives when you want to perform a specific prayer — like Salatul Istikhara — and the Arabic text feels out of reach. The letters are unfamiliar. The sounds do not match anything in your native language. And yet the prayer matters deeply.

A reliable transliteration closes that gap. It puts the sounds of the dua into letters you can read, so you can recite with confidence while you are still building your Arabic skills.

What Is the Salatul Istikhara Dua Transliteration?

The Salatul Istikhara dua transliteration is the full Arabic text of the istikhara supplication (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166) rendered phonetically in English letters, so that any Muslim can recite it aloud correctly regardless of Arabic literacy. The prayer consists of two voluntary rakats followed by this dua, in which a Muslim asks Allah to ordain what is good in a specific matter and turn away what is harmful — and to make the heart content with whichever path He chooses.

The Full Transliteration, Arabic Text, and Meaning Side by Side

The following presents the complete dua in all three forms. When you reach hadha al-amr ("this matter"), pause and mention the specific decision you are seeking guidance on.

First Paragraph

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ

Transliteration:

Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi 'ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadhlika al-'azim. Fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa la a'lam, wa anta 'allamu al-ghuyub.

English meaning: "O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, and I seek ability through 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 all hidden things."

Second Paragraph

Arabic:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ

Transliteration:

Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha al-amra khayrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fihi. Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha al-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri, fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anhu, waqdur li al-khayr haythu kana thumma ardini bih.

English meaning: "O Allah, if in Your knowledge this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless me in it. And if in Your knowledge this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood and 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."

Pronunciation Guide for Difficult Arabic Sounds

Arabic contains several sounds that do not exist in English. These four appear in the Istikhara dua and are worth understanding before you recite:

Do not worry about perfecting these sounds immediately. Reciting with clear intention and gradual improvement is what matters. Many scholars note that Allah rewards the effort, even when pronunciation is imperfect — the Prophet ﷺ said: "The one who recites the Quran and is skilled in it will be with the noble, righteous angels; and the one who recites but finds it difficult will receive a double reward." (Sahih Muslim 798)

How to Approach Memorizing the Transliteration

The most effective method for memorizing this dua is to work in three sections, since that is how the dua is structured logically.

Section 1 — The opening statement (about 25 words): Begin with Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi 'ilmika through wa anta 'allamu al-ghuyub. This section establishes who Allah is and what you are acknowledging before making any request.

Section 2 — The first conditional (about 35 words): Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha al-amra khayrun... through thumma barik li fihi. This is the request for what is good to be ordained.

Section 3 — The second conditional and closing (about 30 words): Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha al-amra sharrun... through thumma ardini bih. This is the request to turn away what is harmful and grant contentment.

Recite one section aloud after each of your five daily prayers for three days. By day nine, most people can recite the full transliteration from memory.

The Hadith Foundation

The practice rests entirely on one of the most complete narrations in the prophetic tradition. Jabir ibn Abdullah reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "When one of you is concerned about a matter, let him pray two non-obligatory rakats, then say..." — and then taught the complete dua now preserved in Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1166.

What makes this narration remarkable is the comparison Jabir drew: the Prophet ﷺ taught the Istikhara prayer to his companions "just as he would teach them a surah of the Quran." That is — with the same care, repetition, and emphasis. Istikhara was not a minor practice. It was central to how the first Muslims made decisions.

The Quran reinforces this orientation toward consultation and reliance. Allah said:

فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ

"And when you have decided, rely upon Allah." — (Surah Al-Imran, 3:159)

Istikhara is how that reliance takes concrete form before a decision is finalized.

Allah commands you to seek knowledge

“My Lord, increase me in knowledge” (Surah Ta-Ha 20:114). DeenUp turns that command into a daily habit — a swipeable feed of bite-sized, scholar-approved Islamic lessons, quick quizzes, and daily streaks.

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Making the Most of Your Istikhara Practice

Once you can recite the transliteration comfortably, a few practical points help ensure the practice is as the sunnah intends:

• Combine transliteration use with learning the Arabic text. The transliteration is a bridge, not a destination. Work gradually on reading the Arabic script directly — even spending five minutes a day with the Arabic text alongside the transliteration will build the skill over weeks.
• Name the matter specifically. When you reach hadha al-amr in the transliteration, pause and say the matter in your own language. Scholars agree this is both permitted and encouraged — it makes the dua personal and focused.
• Do not wait for a dream. The most persistent misunderstanding about Istikhara is that you should wait for a clear dream or strong feeling. Scholars across the major madhabs consistently clarify that there is no required sign. Proceed with whichever path becomes clearer after reflection.
• Pair with shura. The sunnah combines Istikhara with consultation (shura) — seeking the opinion of people who know the situation well. Both practices work together.

For the complete English meaning and phrase-by-phrase explanation of the dua, see our guide on Salatul Istikhara dua in English. For the step-by-step prayer itself, see how to make dua properly.

Perspectives on building the habit of daily supplication: DeenBack on morning dua routines and Demi Manifest on post-prayer rituals. For the hadith text, see Sahih al-Bukhari 1166.

Related Duas to Know Alongside Istikhara

For more on the broader dua practice and when to use these supplications, see DeenUp's guide to how to perform istikhara and the dua for guidance.

Closing

The transliteration of the Salatul Istikhara dua is a tool — it opens the practice to anyone who is still on the path of learning Arabic. What the transliteration cannot teach you is the quality the dua requires: an open heart. The Istikhara prayer only works spiritually when you approach it genuinely uncertain, genuinely willing to accept whichever path Allah ordains, and genuinely asking — not for what you want, but for what is good.

As your Arabic develops, the gap between transliteration and script will close. In the meantime, every recitation made with sincerity is complete.

Allah commands you to seek knowledge

“My Lord, increase me in knowledge” (Surah Ta-Ha 20:114). DeenUp turns that command into a daily habit — a swipeable feed of bite-sized, scholar-approved Islamic lessons, quick quizzes, and daily streaks.

Download DeenUp on the App Store