Question:

Are there particular surahs to be read in the two rakahs of Salaatul Istikhaara?

Answer:

The scholars say there are no specific surahs to be read when praying salaatu istikhaarah; he should recite what has been made easy for him to recite of the Quran. And Allah knows best.

~ Abu Fajr AbdulFattaah bin Uthman

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The Hanafiyyah, Malikiyyah, and Shafiyyah prefer someone to read surah Kafiroon in the first rakah and surah Ikhlas in the second

Some of the Salaf recommended that one read in the first rakah [28:68] and in the second rakat [33:36]

[See: Mowsu’ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah]

The correct opinion is there is no specific surah to read because there is no proof for that.

Shaikh Bin Baz rahimahullah said:

“Its characteristic is to pray two rakat like the remaining voluntary prayers. He reads in each rakat the opening of the Book and what is easy for him from the Quran…”

Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen raihmahullah said:

“And it is not a condition in the Istikharah prayer to read a specific surah from the Quran except Fatiha for there is no prayer for the one who does not read it. There is no specific surah to read for it as far as I know, rather a person reads what is easy for him from the Quran along with Fatiha..”

[Source]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan