Istikhara is asking Allah to guide a decision toward what is good for your faith and life, and to turn you away from what is harmful. The reported practice includes two non-obligatory rak‘ahs and a supplication.
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi‘ilmika wa astaqdiruka biqudratika, wa as’aluka min fadlikal-‘azim. Fa innaka taqdiru wa la aqdiru, wa ta‘lamu wa la a‘lamu, wa anta ‘allamul-ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta‘lamu anna hadhal-amra khayrun li fi dini wa ma‘ashi wa ‘aqibati amri faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma barik li fih. Wa in kunta ta‘lamu anna hadhal-amra sharrun li fi dini wa ma‘ashi wa ‘aqibati amri fasrifhu ‘anni wasrifni ‘anh, waqdur liyal-khayra haythu kana thumma ardini bih.
O Allah, I seek Your choice through Your knowledge and Your enabling through Your power, and ask for Your immense bounty. You have power and I do not; You know and I do not, and You know the unseen. If You know this matter to be good for my religion, livelihood and ultimate outcome, decree it for me, make it easy and bless it. If You know it to be harmful to my religion, livelihood and ultimate outcome, turn it away from me and turn me away from it. Decree good for me wherever it is, then make me content with it.
Context and use
It is a way of seeking Allah's guidance while making a responsible decision. It is not a method for demanding a dream, a colour signal or a predetermined answer.
Sunni school differences
Details concerning timing, combining prayers and a person unable to perform salah need qualified guidance. The basic narration should be distinguished from later local routines or claims about fixed repetition.
What the supplication asks for
In Sahih al-Bukhari 1166, the Prophet teaches a dua that acknowledges Allah’s knowledge and power. The speaker asks for a matter to be decreed, made easy and blessed if it is good, and to be turned away if it is harmful.
The request includes religion, livelihood and the outcome of one’s affairs. It ends by asking for good wherever it is and satisfaction with it. That is broader than simply asking for the option you already prefer.
The narrated practice
The report describes two rak‘ahs other than the obligatory prayer, followed by the supplication, with the matter identified. Learn the Arabic and meaning rather than rushing through unfamiliar words.
The narrator gives alternatives in part of the wording. A checked learning version may select one narrated variant, but should not hide that choice or merge alternatives into an unexplained formula.
Use advice and available information
Before deciding, understand the options. For marriage, employment or a business commitment, consider the facts, responsibilities and concerns that would matter even without an emotional feeling.
Istikhara can accompany consultation and due diligence. It should not be used to bypass consent, ignore a warning or declare something permissible when it is not.
What about dreams and signs?
Bukhari 1166 does not require a dream or prescribe a colour code. A vivid dream is therefore not a condition established by this narration.
Nor does every obstacle prove that an option is forbidden or every convenient development prove it is right. Seek guidance, consider the situation honestly and take appropriate advice rather than assigning certainty to coincidences.
Common questions
Must I repeat it seven times? That fixed count is not supplied by the narration used here; check a claim before treating it as prescribed.
What if I cannot perform the prayer? Ask a qualified teacher about your circumstances instead of making up a substitute procedure.
Can someone guarantee the answer for me? This report teaches supplication, not a paid service that guarantees knowledge of the unseen.