English translation
7390. Narrated Jābir bin 'Abdullāh As-Salāmī: Allāh's Messenger ﷺ used to teach his Companions to perform the Ṣalāt (prayer) of Istikhāra(1) for every matter just as he used to teach them the Sūrah from the Qur'ān. He used to say, "If anyone of you intends to do something, he should offer a two Rak'ā Ṣalāt (prayer) other than the compulsory Ṣalāt (prayer), and after finishing it, he should say: 'O Allāh! I consult You, for You have all knowledge, and appeal to You to support me with Your Power, and ask for Your Bounty, for You are Able to do things while I am not, and You know while I do not; and You are the All-Knower of the Unseen. O Allāh! If You know that this matter (name your matter) is good for me both at present and in the future, (or in my religion), in my this life and in the Hereafter, then fulfil it for me and make it easy for me, and then bestow Your Blessings on me in that matter. O Allāh! If You know that this matter is not good for me in my religion, in my this life and Hereafter (or at present, or in the future), then divert me from it and choose for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me pleased with it.'" [See Hadīth No.6382, Vol. 8]
Arabic text
7390 - حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ المُنْذِرِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنُ بْنُ عِيسَى، حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي المَوَالِي، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ المُنْكَدِرِ، يُحَدِّثُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الحَسَنِ يَقُولُ: أَخْبَرَنِي جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ السَّلَمِيُّ، قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعَلِّمُ أَصْحَابَهُ الِاسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الأُمُورِ كُلِّهَا، كَمَا يُعَلِّمُهُمُ السُّورَةَ مِنَ القُرْآنِ يَقُولُ: " إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الفَرِيضَةِ، ثُمَّ لِيَقُلْ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ هَذَا الأَمْرَ - ثُمَّ تُسَمِّيهِ بِعَيْنِهِ - خَيْرًا لِي فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - قَالَ: أَوْ فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي، ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، اللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي - أَوْ قَالَ: فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ - فَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ "
