How do I pray istikhara?

When you pray it

Istikhara is for a matter you are about to undertake and are uncertain about — whether to proceed or not. Shaykh Ibn Baz explains that it is done "at the point of doubt": when you have resolved on something but are unsure, or are torn between two options, such as a journey, a marriage, or a transaction. It is not for things already settled.

IslamWeb adds the scope clearly:

• Permissible matters: istikhara is recommended for a permissible worldly matter you are about to do.
• Obligatory or recommended acts: no istikhara, because you are already commanded to do them.
• Forbidden or disliked acts: no istikhara, because you are already commanded to leave them.

The steps

1. Pray two rak'ahs

Pray two rak'ahs of voluntary prayer — not an obligatory one. In each rak'ah you recite al-Fatihah and whatever else of the Qur'an is easy for you, exactly as in any other voluntary prayer. Shaykh Ibn Baz describes it as "two rak'ahs like the rest of the voluntary prayer."

IslamWeb notes that these two rak'ahs may be prayed specifically with the intention of istikhara, and that two rak'ahs you were going to pray anyway — such as the regular sunnah prayers, or two rak'ahs of the night prayer — also suffice. What matters is that two rak'ahs are prayed.

2. Supplicate after the prayer

After the salaam, raise your hands and make the du'a. Shaykh Ibn Baz, Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen and Shaykh al-Albani all place the du'a after the prayer, following the hadith. IslamWeb adds that you may also make it before the salaam, though the majority position it after.

Before the du'a, Shaykh Ibn Baz mentions that you begin by praising Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, since this is among the means of the du'a being answered.

3. Name your matter in the du'a

At the words "this matter," you name the specific thing you are asking about — your journey, your marriage to a particular person, your purchase, your business partnership. Shaykh al-Albani explains that you replace the word "the matter" with the actual thing: travel, marriage, partnership, or whatever it is.

4. Say the du'a

"O Allah, I seek Your guidance 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 in my religion, my livelihood and 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, 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 content with it."— Sahih al-Bukhari 1166, from Jabir ibn Abdullah

Shaykh Ibn Baz notes that if you have not memorised this du'a, you may supplicate in your own words, naming your need and asking Allah to open your heart to what is best and most beneficial.

What makes it valid

When to pray it, and when not to

Shaykh Ibn Baz says the time is wide: you may pray it in the forenoon, at midday, or at night — any time, except the times when prayer is disliked. IslamWeb identifies those times as: after the Asr prayer until Maghrib, after the Fajr prayer until sunrise, and shortly before Dhuhr at the sun's zenith. If a pressing matter arises that cannot be delayed, you may pray it even then.

If you remain unsure

If your heart does not settle on one option, you may repeat the istikhara. Shaykh Ibn Baz advises that you also consult people of knowledge, sincerity and experience after praying, and if your heart still wavers, repeat both the istikhara and the consultation until you are at ease.

IslamWeb reports that the majority of the Hanafis and Malikis held repeating the istikhara to be recommended, since it is a form of persistence in supplication that Allah loves, and the Prophet ﷺ would repeat his du'a three times. The Shafi'is stated the same and set no limit on the number. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen likewise said that if the matter does not become clear, you repeat the istikhara until what Allah has chosen becomes preponderant in your mind.

Key takeaways

• Istikhara is a sunnah, not an obligation — it is for permissible matters you are unsure about, not for what is already commanded or forbidden.
• Pray two voluntary rak'ahs, then supplicate after the salaam, raising your hands and naming your specific matter in the du'a.
• The du'a is the one taught by the Prophet ﷺ, recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 1166; if you have not memorised it, ask Allah in your own words.
• Avoid the disliked times for prayer unless your matter cannot be delayed.
• If you remain unsure, repeat the istikhara and consult trustworthy people until your heart settles.

Further reading

• Riyad al-Salihin, the chapter on supplication, as recommended by IslamWeb
• Majmu' Fatawa wa Maqalat al-Shaykh Ibn Baz

And Allah knows best.