English Translation

Jabir reported: The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to teach us the Istikhaarah (prayer of seeking guidance) for all matters, just as he used to teach us a surah of the Quran. He would say: "When any of you intends to do something, let him pray two rak'ahs apart from the obligatory prayer, then say: 'O Allah, I seek Your guidance by Your knowledge, and I seek ability by Your power, and I ask of Your great bounty. You have power and I have none, You know and I know not, and 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 — or he said: in the short term and long term — 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 — or he said: in the short term and long term — then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me content with it.'" He said: "And he should name his need." Narrated by al-Bukhari.