Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullãh : The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara in all matters as he taught us the Surahs of the Quran. (Istikhara means to ask Allah to guide one to the right sort of action concerning any job or deed), He said, "If anyone of you decides to do any job, he should offer a two Rak'ah Salat (prayer) other than the compulsory ones and say (after the Salat):
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي ـ أَوْ قَالَ عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ ـ فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ، وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي ـ أَوْ قَالَ فِي عَاجِلِ أَمْرِي وَآجِلِهِ ـ فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ أَرْضِنِي بِهِ
The Prophet (ﷺ) added that then the person should name (mention) his need (matter).
TRANSLATION:
O Allah, I consult You as You are All- Knowing, and appeal to You to give me power as You are Omnipotent, and ask You for Your Great Favour, for You have power, but I don't, and You have knowledge, but I don't have, and You know all hidden matters. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and for my life in the Hereafter (or said: For my present, and future life), then do it for me; and if You know that this matter is evil (not good) for me in my religion, my livelihood, and for my life in the Hereafter (or said: For my present and future life), then keep it away from me and take me away from it, and choose what is good for me wherever it is, and please me with it.
Al-Hasan bin Ali (ra) said:
"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) taught me some phrases to say during Al-Witr
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ
وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ
وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ
وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ
وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ
فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ
وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
TRANSLATION:
O Allah
1) Guide me among those You have guided,
2) Pardon me among those You have pardoned,
3) Befriend me among those You have befriended,
4) Bless me in what You have granted, and
5) Save me from the evil that You decreed.
Indeed You decree, and none can pass decree upon You, indeed he is not humiliated whom You have befriended, blessed are You our Lord and Exalted.
Narrated: Ali bin Abi Talib (ra)
Prophet (ﷺ) used to say in his Witr:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ
وَأَعُوذُ بِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ
وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ لاَ أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ
TRANSLATION:
O Allah,
1) I seek refuge in your pardon from Your Punishment, and
2) I seek refuge in You from You,
I am not capable of extolling You as You have extolled Yourself.
Duwa - After Witr Salaah
Bahz bin Asad, said:
"Shu'bah narrated to us, from Salamah and Zubaid, from Dharr, from Ibn Abdur-Rahman bin Abza from his father that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to recite in Witr: " (Quran 87:1-19) Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;" and "(Quran 109:1-6) Say: O you disbelievers!;' and '(Quran 112:1-4) Say: He is Allah, (the) One.' And when he said the taslim, he would say:
سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِكِ الْقُدُّوسِ
three times, raising his voice the third time."
TRANSLATION:
Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy.
Narrated: ‘Ali bin Abi Talib
Prophet (ﷺ) used to say at the end of Witr:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ
وَأَعُوذُ بِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ
وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ لاَ أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ
TRANSLATION:
O Allah,
1) I seek refuge in your pardon from Your Punishment, and
2) I seek refuge in You from You,
I am not capable of extolling You as You have extolled Yourself.
