اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ، 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 inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika wa astaqdiruka biqudratika wa as'aluka min fadlikal-'azim, 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 khayrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri, faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li, thumma barik li fih, wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa 'aqibati amri, fasrifhu 'anni wasrifni 'anh, waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kana thumma ardini bih
English meaning
O Allah, I ask You to guide me to the best through Your knowledge, I ask You for ability through Your power, and I ask You for Your great bounty. You are able and I am not; You know and I do not; 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, 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, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it. Decree the good for me wherever it may be, and make me content with it.
When is it recited?
Before deciding on an important matter, two rak'ahs of the istikhara prayer are offered (besides the obligatory prayers) and this dua is recited afterwards. The hadith says the matter at hand is named where the dua says "this matter". If the prayer cannot be offered, reciting the dua alone is enough. Istikhara is not made for things known to be good or bad (worship, sin); it is made when one is undecided, and may be repeated up to seven times.
Source
Bukhari, Da'awat 48, 6382; Tawhid 10, 7390
