English translation
1538. Jābir bin ‘Abdullāh reported: “The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ would teach us the (supplication for) Istikhārah just as he would teach us a Sūrah of the Qur'ān. He would tell us: 'If one of you is considering a matter, let him pray two Rak'ah besides the obligatory ones, and say: "Allāhumma innī astakhīruka bi 'ilmika wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika wa as'aluka min faḍlikal-'azīm, fa innaka taqdiru wa lā aqdir, wa ta'lamu wa lā a'lam, wa anta 'allām al-ghuyūb. Allāhumma! Fa in kunta ta'lamu anna hādhal-amra khayrun li fi dīnī wa ma'āshī wa 'āqibati amrī faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li wa bārik li fihi. Allāhumma, wa in kunta ta'lamuhu sharaun li (fi dīnī wa ma'āshī wa 'āqibati amrī) faṣrifnī 'anhu waṣrifhu 'anni waqdur li al-khayr haithu kāna, thumma raḍinī bihi (O Allāh, 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 of 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 Allāh, if you know this — here he should name exactly what he wishes — is better for me with regards to my religion, and my life, and my after-life, and the end-result of my affairs, then decree it for me, and make it easy for me, and bless me in it. O Allāh, and if You know this to be evil for me — and he says just as he said the first time — then avert it from me, and avert me from it. And decree for me good wherever it might be, then make me content with it.” Or he said: “fi 'ajili amrī wa ājilihi (in the short term and long term).” (Saḥīḥ) (Another chain for it from one of the narrators) from Jābir.