حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُقَاتِلٍ خَالُ الْقَعْنَبِيِّ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَی الْمَعْنَی وَاحِدٌ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الْمَوَالِ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُنْکَدِرِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ کَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعَلِّمُنَا الِاسْتِخَارَةَ کَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنْ الْقُرْآنِ يَقُولُ لَنَا إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُکُمْ بِالْأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْکَعْ رَکْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْفَرِيضَةِ وَلْيَقُلْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُکَ بِعِلْمِکَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُکَ بِقُدْرَتِکَ وَأَسْأَلُکَ مِنْ فَضْلِکَ الْعَظِيمِ فَإِنَّکَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ کُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ يُسَمِّيهِ بِعَيْنِهِ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَمَعَادِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي وَبَارِکْ لِي فِيهِ اللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْ کُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهُ شَرًّا لِي مِثْلَ الْأَوَّلِ فَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاقْدِرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ کَانَ ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ وَابْنُ عِيسَی عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُنْکَدِرِ عَنْ جَابَرٍ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 1538
Jabir bin Abdullah said: 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 Quran. 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. " Ibn Maslamah and Ibn 'Isa reported from Muhammad bin al-Munkadir on the authority of Jabir.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020