حَدَّثَنَا مُطَرَّفُ بْنُ عَبْدِاللہِ أَبُو الْمُصْعَبِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُالرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الْمَوَالِ، عَنْ ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْکَدِرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ ؓ قَالَ: کَانَ النَّبِيُّﷺ یُعَلَّمُنَا الْإِِسْتِخَارَۃَ فِي اْلٔاُ مُوْرِ کَالسُّوْرَۃِ مَنَ الْقُرْآن: ((إِذَاھَمَّ أَحَدُکُمْ بِاْلُّا مْرِ فَلْیَرْ کَعْ رَکْعَتَیْنَ ثُمَّ یَقُوْلُ: اللَّھُمَّ إِنَّي ْاَّسْخَیِرُکَ بِعِلْمِکَ ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُکَ بِقُدْرَتِکَ، وَأَسْأَلُکَ مَنْ فَضْلِکَ الْعَظِیْمِ ،فَإِنَّکَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعَلَمُ ولَاََ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُیُوْبِ۔اللَّھُمَّ إِنْ کُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ھَذَا الْاٌ مْرَ خَیْرٌ لِيْ دِیْنِیْ، وَمَعَاشِیْ ، وَعَا قِبَۃ اَمْرِیْ۔أَوْ قَالَ: فِيْ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِيْ۔وَآجِلِہِ، فَاقْدُرْہُ لِیْ، وَإِنْ کُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ھَذَا الْأ مْرَ شَرٌلِيَْفِيْ دِیْنِیْ، وَمَعَاشِیْ، وَعَاقِبَۃِ اَمْرِيْ۔أَوْ قَالَ: عَاجِلِ أَمُرِيْ۔وَآجِلِہِ، فَاصْرِفْہُ عَنَّيْ وَاصْرِ فْنِيْ عَنْہُ، وَاقْدُرْلِيَ الْخَیْرَ حَیْثُ کَانَ، ثُمَّ رَضَّنِیْ ، وَیُسَمَّيْ حَاجَتَہُ))۔
الأدب المفرد · Hadith 703
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.'"
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020