How to pray dua istikhara

Istikhara – Seeking Guidance and Goodness from Allah:
Istikhara is a prayer through which a person seeks Allah’s ﷻ guidance and blessings for important decisions, ensuring ease and goodness in life’s path.

• Perform two rakats of voluntary prayer.
• Recite Surah Al-Fatiha and another Surah.
• Complete the prayer
• Recite the istikhara dua.

Istikhara Dua

اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي**

Transliteration:
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi’ilmika, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, wa as’aluka min fadlika al-‘azheem, fa-innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta’lamu wa la a’lamu, wa anta ‘allamul-ghuyub.
Allahumma in kunta ta’lamu anna hadhal-amra khairun li fi deeni wa ma’ashi wa ‘aqibati amri (aw qala fi ‘ajili amri wa ajilihi) faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fihi.
Wa in kunta ta’lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi deeni wa ma’ashi wa ‘aqibati amri (aw qala fi ‘ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu anni wasrifni ‘anhu waqdur li al-khaira haythu kana thumma ardhini.

English Translation:
O Allah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by Your power, and I ask You from Your immense favor. Indeed, you have power while I do not, and you know while 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 (or he said: in the near and distant future), then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me.
And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affairs (or he said: in the near and distant future), 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.