١ of four
Istikharah - asking Allah directly for what is good, when you genuinely don't know which path that is
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْتَخِيْرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيْمِ ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ . اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هٰذَا الْأَمْرَ (وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَه) خَيْرٌ لِّيْ فِيْ دِيْنِيْ وَمَعَاشِيْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِيْ ، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِيْ وَيَسِّرْهُ لِيْ ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِيْ فِيْهِ ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هٰذَا الْأَمْرَ (وَيُسَمِّي حَاجَتَه) شَرٌّ لِّيْ فِيْ دِيْنِيْ وَمَعَاشِيْ وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِيْ ، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّيْ وَاصْرِفْنِيْ عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِيَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِيْ بِهِ
O Allah, I ask you for the best through Your knowledge, I seek strength through Your power, and I ask You from Your majestic benevolence. For You are fully able whilst I am not, You know everything whilst I do not know anything, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if in Your knowledge, this matter (specify the matter) is good for me in my religion, my livelihood and my ultimate destiny, then decree it for me and make it easy it for me, then bless it for me. But if in your knowledge, this matter (specify the matter) is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood and my ultimate destiny, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it and decree good for me wherever it may be, then make me pleased with it.
Scholarly reviewed
Bukhārī 6382