Istighfār refers to seeking forgiveness. Along with tawbah (repentance), istighfār should be part of our daily schedule. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ would repeatedly seek forgiveness every day.

Along with being the means to getting our sins forgiven, istighfār removes calamities, dispels anxieties and opens the door of much good.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah, Exalted is He, said: ‘Son of Ādam, as long as you call upon me and hope in Me, I will forgive you despite what you do, and I do not care. Son of Ādam, even if your sins were to reach to the clouds of the sky, then you seek forgiveness from Me, I will forgive you. Son of Ādam, even if you were to come to Me with nearly an earth full of sins, and then you meet me, not having associated anything with me, then I will surely bring you as much as the earth in forgiveness.’” (Hadīth Qudsī, Tirmidhī)

Ibn Taymiyyah wrote: “Asking for Allah’s forgiveness is more important than all other duʿās.”

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #1

    لَآ إِلٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّيْ كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِيْنَ

    (1x)

    There is no god worthy of worship except You; You are free from all imperfection. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers. (21:87)

    Lā ilāha illā Anta subḥānaka innī kuntu mina-ẓ-ẓālimīn.

    Ask Allah Through His Oneness

    Calling upon Allah through His Oneness is one of the most powerful ways to make du’ā. The grief-stricken Prophet Yunus (a.s.) cried out to his Lord:

    لا اله الا انت سبحانك اني كنت من الظالمين

    The Prophet ﷺ said that no one supplicates with this du’a’ except that his supplication is accepted. And nobody supplicates with it except that Allah removes his difficulties. (Tirmidhi)

    In this du’a, Yunus (a.s) asked Allah through the following steps (known as tawassul in Arabic):

    1. Invoking the Oneness of Allah and affirming that no one deserves to be worshipped except Him.

    2. Declaring Allah’s absolute perfection and negating any faults from Him.

    3. Acknowledging one’s own wrongdoing.

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #2

    رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي

    (1x)

    My Lord, I have certainly wronged myself, so forgive me. (28:16)

    Rabbi innī ẓalamtu nafsī fa-ghfirlī.

    This is the du‘ā’ Musā (‘alayhis-salām) made after he unintentionally killed a Coptic man. He realised that it was only through turning to Allah (subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā) that he could make things right. He cried out ‘My Rabb’. We too should cry out to our ‘Rabb’ when we have wronged.

    We should then acknowledge our sins, as acknowledging one’s sins and shortcomings is a sunnah of the Prophets and Messengers (‘alayhimus-Salām). And thereafter, we should ask Allah to forgive us.

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #3

    رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا وَإِنْ لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

    (1x)

    Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be amongst the losers. (7:23)

    Rabbanā ẓalamnā anfusanā wa il-lam taghfir lanā wa tarḥamnā la-nakūnanna minal-khāsīrīn.

    This is the du‘ā’ of our father Ādam (‘alayhis-salām) and mother Ḥawwā’ (‘alayhas-salām) after they had been lured by Shayṭān to eat from the tree. What we can learn from this du‘ā’:

    1. We should acknowledge our sins and shortcomings before asking for forgiveness.

    2. This du‘ā’ contains fear (we will surely be amongst the losers) and hope (mercy and forgive). We too, should combine fear and hope in our du‘ās.

    3. We should show our remorse and turn to Allah in humility, like our parents did.

    4. We see the difference in attitude between Ādam (‘alayhis-salām) and Shayṭān: Adam (‘alayhis-salām) acknowledged his mistake, felt remorse over it, blamed himself for it, hastened to repent and didn’t lose hope from the mercy of Allah. Shayṭān, on the other hand didn’t acknowledge his sin, didn’t feel remorse, attributed blame to his Lord, didn’t repent and lost hope in the mercy of Allah.

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #4

    أَنْتَ وَلِيُّنَا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۖ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْغَافِرِينَ

    (1x)

    You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us. You are the best of those who forgive. (7:155)

    Anta Walliyyunā fa-ghfir lanā war-ḥamnā wa Anta khayrul-ghāfirīn.

    In this du‘ā’ Mūsā (‘alayhis-salām) asked Allah (subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā) for forgiveness and mercy. He asked through Allah’s name ‘al-Waliyy’. Al-Waliyy is the Protective Friend, the Helper, the Patron, the One who truly loves us. Waliyy is derived from ‘wilāyah’ which denotes closeness, loyalty and authority. Whilst Allah’s general wilāyah extends to all of creation, His special wilāyah is reserved for the believers who are extra-devoted to Him.

    The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Then, my servant continues to draw near to me with voluntary worship until I love Him, and when I love him, I become his hearing that he hears with, his sight that he sees with, his hand by which he grasps, and his feet by which he walks.” (Bukhārī)

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #5

    رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

    (1x)

    Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (3:16)

    Rabbanā in-nanā āmannā fa-ghfir lanā dhunūbanā wa qinā ʿadhāba-n-nār.

    This is the du‘ā’ of the people of piety and faith. In this du‘ā’, we learn a permissible and commendable form of tawassul (asking Allah through something).

    In this case, we are asking through one of the greatest actions of a human being: imān. It is as though we are saying, ‘O Allah, we have believed. Therefore, through and because of our belief, forgive us and protect us from Hell-fire.’

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #6

    رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

    (1x)

    My Lord, forgive and have mercy. You are the Best of those who are merciful. (23:118)

    Rabbi-ghfir wa-rḥam wa Anta khayru-r-rāḥimīn.

    – Forgive: wipe away my sins and conceal them from people.

    – Have mercy: Guide me and give me the ability to say and do the correct thing.

    – The combination of maghfirah (forgiveness) and raḥmah (mercy) is the one most frequently seen in the du‘ās of the Qur‘ān.

    – This āyah indicates that one should not become deceived with one’s actions, as good deeds can sometimes make one arrogant. Similarly, it is a reminder that one should cling on to the mercy of Allah ‘azza wa jall. (al-Ālūsī)

    – Raḥmah is mercy, compassion, nurturing love, and kindness.

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #7

    رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۖ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُنْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

    (1x)

    My Lord, I seek Your protection from asking You anything about which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I shall be amongst the losers. (11:47)

    Rabbi innī aʿūdhu bika an as’alaka mā laysa lī bihī ʿilm, wa il-lā taghfir lī wa tarḥamnī aku-m-mina-l-khāsīrīn.

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #8

    رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ

    (1x)

    Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith. Do not put in our hearts any hatred toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are the Most Compassionate, the Ever-Merciful. (59:10)

    Rabbana-ghfir lanā wa li-ikhwānina-l-ladhīna sabaqūnā bil-īmān, wa lā tajʿal fī qulūbinā ghilla-l-lil-ladhīna āmanū Rabbanā innaka Ra’ūfu-r-Raḥīm.

    – Pray for your brothers and sisters in faith wherever they may be in the world.

    – Pray for your deceased brothers and sisters: those who have recently left the world and those who left the world a long time ago, those you personally knew and those whose names may be unknown to you, yet you are tied to them through the bond of imān.

    – Pray for yourself.

    – Pray for forgiveness. Pray for love. Pray for pure hearts. Pray for an end to the hatred, bitterness and infighting amongst the Ummah.

    – Pray for all of the above through this brief, yet comprehensive du’ā in the Qur’ān.

  • Istighfar - From the Qur’an #9

    رَبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

    (1x)

    Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are All-Powerful over everything. (66:08)

    Rabbanā atmim lanā nūranā wa-ghfir lanā innaka ʿalā kulli shay’in Qadīr.

    This is the du‘ā’ the believers will make on the Day of Judgement when the light of the hypocrites will be extinguished. To reach to their ultimate destination, Jannah, this ‘light’ (nūr) will be essential in guiding them to it. This ‘nūr’ is also the same light which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will recognize us with.

    … In order to be rewarded with this nūr in the hereafter, we must strive to attain the ‘nūr’ of knowledge, guidance and imān in this world.

    This is why the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite the following du‘ā’ on the way to the Masjid:

    اَللّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِيْ قَلْبِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَفِيْ بَصَرِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَفِيْ سَمْعِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَعَنْ يَّمِيْنِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَعَنْ يَّسَارِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَفَوْقِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَتَحْتِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَأَمَامِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَخَلْفِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَاجْعَلْ لِيْ نُوْرًا

    O Allah, place light in my heart, light in my sight and light in my hearing. Place light on my right and place light on my left. Place light above me and place light beneath me. Place light in front of me, place light behind me and grant me light. (Bukhārī)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #1

    اَللّٰهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّيْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، خَلَقْتَنِيْ وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ، وَأَنَا عَلَىٰ عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ ، أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ ، أَبُوْءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوْءُ بِذَنْبِيْ ، فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

    (1x)

    O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I am under Your covenant and pledge (to fulfil it) to the best of my ability. I seek Your protection from the evil that I have done. I acknowledge the favours that You have bestowed upon me, and I admit my sins. Forgive me, for none forgives sins but You.

    Allāhumma Anta Rabbī, lā ilāha illā Ant, khalaqtanī wa ana ʿabduk, wa ana ʿalā ʿahdika wa waʿdika mā’staṭaʿt, aʿūdhu bika min sharri mā ṣanaʿt, abū’u laka bi niʿmatika ʿalayya wa abū’u bi-dhambī fa-ghfir lī fa-innahū lā yaghfiru-dh-dhunūba illā Ant.

    Shaddād b. Aws (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The most superior manner of seeking forgiveness is that you say [the above]. Whoever says it during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise. And whoever says it during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.” (Bukhārī 6306)

    **Brief Commentary**
    • We are asking the Almighty by His Greatest Name (according to many scholars): the name “**Allah**” itself which means the One who is adored and worshipped.
    • We are asking Him through (also known as tawassul in Arabic) His Oneness and His Lordship: He is our Sole Master, the One who created us, provides for us and manages our affairs.
    • To further reiterate Allah’s Lordship over us, we remind ourselves that He is the one who created us, so we are His slaves and must worship Him as He commands. Thus, we acknowledge our servitude to Him.
    • After acknowledging Allah’s superiority over us, we move on to how we are supposed to interact with Him: trying to fulfil our pledge to Him.
    • Our “**pledge**” to Allah is the pledge we made when we were taken out from the back of Ādam (ʿalayhis-salām) as Allah mentions in the Qur’ān, “And when your Lord took out the offspring from the loins of the Children of Ādam and made them bear witness about themselves, He said, ‘Am I not your Lord?’ and they replied, ‘Yes, we bear witness’ (7:172).
    • Allah’s “**covenant**” to us is the one mentioned in the ḥadīth narrated by Muʿādh b. Jabal (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu), which is that Allah will not punish the person who does not associate any partners with Him (Bukhārī 7373).
    • By highlighting that we will keep our pledge “**to the best of my ability**”, we acknowledge our weakness and shortcomings towards Allah, as we will never be able to worship Him and thank Him as He truly deserves.
    • We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our actions as they could lead us to be punished. Similarly, we seek protection from further misguidance, as the punishment of a sin is to be deprived from doing good deeds.
    • By acknowledging Allah’s blessings over us, we feel more shame to disobey Him.
    • Ibn al-Qayyim (raḥimahullāh) beautifully explains this part of the du‘ā’: “The words “**I acknowledge the favours that You have bestowed upon me and I admit my sins**” combine the recognition of divine favours with the awareness of the defects of the human soul and its deeds.
    The perception of **Allah’s favours** leads one to love, praise and thank Him. The awareness of **the soul’s defects** leads one to be humble, need Allah and turn to Him in repentance at every moment.
    Thus, the ‘ārif (one who has attained Allah’s recognition) journeys towards Him on these two wings: awareness of his own faults and recognition of his Lord’s grace. He cannot journey without them, and if he loses one, he would be like a bird that has lost a wing.”
    • All of what was mentioned so far in this duʿā’ is just a preparation for the last part, which is to ask Allah for forgiveness.
    • We end this duʿā’ by saying, “**Forgive me, for none forgives sins but You**.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Your Lord, Most High, is pleased with His servant when he says: “Forgive me my sins.” He knows that no one forgives sins except Him” (Abū Dāwūd).
    ` `
    ` `
    **Action Points & Benefits     **
    • Though this duʿā’ is to ask Allah for forgiveness, we only do so at the end. Thus, we learn that the best way of seeking forgiveness is not to immediately ask for it, but to **precede** it with the following:
    1) Acknowledging Allah’s greatness and that He alone deserves to be worshipped.
    2) Acknowledging the pledge we made to Allah, which is to take Him as our Lord.
    3) Having hope in the promise of Allah (i.e. the promise of admitting us into Paradise if we do not associate partners with Him).
    4) Seeking refuge in Allah from the evil of our sins.
    5) Acknowledging Allah’s blessings over us.
    6) Acknowledging our shortcomings towards Allah (i.e. our sins and our inability to perfect acts of worship).
    • This duʿā’ teaches us the **adab** of seeking forgiveness and how to approach Allah with the true humility of a servant.
    • It also teaches us the mindset of a believer and in a few words, reminds us about **the bond between servant and Master**.
    • It reminds us **who Allah is** and who we are; how weak we are and how Powerful He is.
    • When read daily, in the morning and in the evening, it gives us a chance to **reaffirm our tawḥīd** to Him and be purified from our endless sins inshā’Allah.
    • It is no surprise that the Prophet ﷺ said that whoever says this with certainty will enter Paradise. This is because whoever says it with certainty is someone who sincerely repents to Allah; and **sincere repentance guarantees Paradise**.
    • If we gain the habit of reciting this duʿā’ every day, inshallah we hope that whenever we die, we will be admitted into Paradise.
    • The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever says it during the day with **firm belief in it**…” Reciting these adhkār with firm belief and conviction (yaqīn) requires us to know what they mean. This is why we should learn the meaning of the adhkār and reflect on it, so that we can increase in our conviction and attain the full reward.

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #2

    اَللّٰهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، أَنْتَ رَبِّيْ وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ، ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِيْ وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِيْ ، فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ ذُنُوْبِيْ جَمِيْعًا ، إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، وَاهْدِنِيْ لِأَحْسَنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ لَا يَهْدِيْ لِأَحْسَنِهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّيْ سَيِّئَهَا لَا يَصْرِفُ عَنِّيْ سَيِّئَهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ ، وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِيْ يَدَيْكَ ، وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ ، أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ ، تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوْبُ إِلَيْكَ

    (1x)

    O Allah, You are the King, there is no god worthy of worship except You. You are my Lord and I am Your slave. I have wronged myself and I confess my sins. Forgive all of my sins; indeed no one forgives sins except You. Guide me to the best of character, for no one guides to the best of it except You; and turn the evil of it away from me, for no one turns it away except You. Here I am at Your service, seeking Your pleasure; all good is in Your hands and no evil is attributed to You. I am from You and I am returning to You. You are Most Blessed and You are Most Exalted. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You.

    Allāhumma Antal-Maliku lā ilāha illā Ant, Anta Rabbī wa ana ʿabduk, ẓalamtu nafsī waʿtaraftu bi-dhambī, fa-ghfir lī dhunūbī jamīʿā, innahū lā yaghfiru-dh-dhunūba illā Ant, wa-hdinī li-aḥsani-l-akhlāqi lā yahdī li-aḥsanihā illā Ant, wa-ṣrif ʿannī sayyi’ahā lā yaṣrifu ʿannī sayyi’ahā illā Ant, labbayka wa saʿdayk, wal-khayru kulluhū fī yadayk, wa-sh-sharru laysa ilayk, ana bika wa ilayk, tabārakta wa taʿālayt, astaghfiruka wa atūbu ilayk.

    ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates: “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would stand for prayer, he would say:

    وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
    (I have turned my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, turned away from all that is false having surrendered to Allah, and I am not of the polytheists. My ṣalāh, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, Lord of the worlds, who has no partners. I have been commanded of this, and I am of those who submit.)

    He would then say [the above].

    When he would do rukū, he would say:
    اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ رَكَعْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ خَشَعَ لَكَ سَمْعِي وَبَصَرِي وَمُخِّي وَعَظْمِي وَعَصَبِي
    (O Allah, for You Alone I have bowed in prayer, in You Alone I have believed, and to You Alone I have submitted. My hearing, sight, mind, bones and nerves are humble to You.)

    When he would raise his head from rukū, he would say:
    اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ بَعْدُ
    (O Allah, Our Lord, for You Alone is all praise; praise which fills the heavens, which fills the earth, which fills whatever is in between them, and which fills whatever You wish after that.)

    When he would do sajdah, he would say:
    اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ سَجَدْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ سَجَدَ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهُ وَصَوَّرَهُ وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
    (O Allah, for You Alone I have prostrated, in You Alone I have believed, and to You Alone I have submitted. My face has prostrated to the One who created and fashioned it, and who formed its hearing and sight. Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators.)

    The last thing he would say after the tashahhud and the salām would be:
    اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
    (O Allah, forgive me for what I have done in the past and for what I am yet to do, for what I have done privately and for what I have done publicly, for my excesses and for that which You know more than me. You are the One who brings forward and the One who puts behind, and there is no god worthy of worship except You.)
    (Muslim 771)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #3

    اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ خَطِيْئَتِيْ وَجَهْلِيْ وَإِسْرَافِيْ فِيْ أَمْرِيْ ، وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّيْ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ جِدِّيْ وَهَزْلِيْ وَخَطَئِيْ وَعَمْدِيْ وَكُلُّ ذٰلِكَ عِنْدِيْ ، اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ ، وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّـيْ ، أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ

    (1x)

    O Allah, forgive my mistakes, ignorance, transgression in my matters, and what You are more Knowledgeable of than me. O Allah, forgive me for what I did in earnestness and in jest; unintentionally or intentionally; as I have committed all of these (types of sins). O Allah, forgive me for what I have already done, what I am yet to do, what I did publicly, what I did privately, and what You are more Knowledgeable of than me. You are the One who brings forward and You are the One who defers. You are All-Powerful over everything.

    Allāhumma-ghfirlī khaṭī’atī wa jahlī wa isrāfī fī amrī, wa mā Anta aʿlamu bihī minnī, Allāhumma-ghfir lī jiddī wa hazlī wa khaṭa’ī wa ʿamdī wa kullu dhālika ʿindī, Allāhumma-ghfirlī mā qaddamtu wa mā akh-khart, wa mā asrartu wa mā aʿlant, wa mā Anta aʿlamu bihī minnī, Anta-l-Muqaddimu wa Anta-l-Muakh-khir, wa Anta ʿalā kulli shay’in Qadīr.

    Abū Mūsā al-‘Ashʿarī (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) reported from his father that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would supplicate with [the above]. (Muslim 2719)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #4

    اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيْمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّيْ

    (1x)

    O Allah, You are the Ever-Pardoning, the Generous; You love to pardon so pardon me.

    Allāhumma innaka ʿAffuwwun Karīmun tuḥibb-ul-ʿafwa faʿfu ʿannī.

    ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) narrated: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, if I know when the Night of al-Qadr is, then what should I say in it?” He said: ‘Say: [the above].’” (Tirmidhī 3513)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #5

    اَللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّ مُحَمَّدٍ اغْفِرْ لِيْ ذَنْبِيْ ، وَأَذْهِبْ غَيْظَ قَلْبِيْ ، وَأَعِذْنِيْ مِنْ مُضِلَّاتِ الْفِتَنِ

    (1x)

    O Allah, Lord of Muḥammad forgive my sins, remove the anger of my heart and protect me from misleading trials.

    Allāhumma Rabba Muḥammad, ighfir lī dhambī, wa adh-hib ghayẓa qalbī, wa aʿidhnī min muḍillāti-l-fitan.

    Muhammad b. Abī Bakr (raḥimahullāh) narrates that when ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) would become angry, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would stroke her nose and then say (to her): “O ʿUwaysh! Say: [the above].” (Ibn al-Sunnī 456)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #6

    اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ ذَنْبِيْ كُلَّهُ ، دِقَّهُ وَجِلَّهُ ، وَأَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ ، وَعَلَانِيَتَهُ وَسِرَّهُ

    (1x)

    O Allah, forgive for me all of my sins: the minor and major, the first and the last, the public and the private.

    Allāhumma-ghfir lī dhambī kullah, diqqahū wa jillah, wa awwalahū wa ākhirah, wa ʿalāniyatahū wa sirrah.

    Abū Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say [the above] in sujūd.” (Muslim 483)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #7

    اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنّيْ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِيْ ظُلْمًا كَثِيْرًا ، وَلَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، فَاغْفِرْ لِيْ مَغْفِرَةً مِّنْ عِنْدِكَ ، وَارْحَمْنِيْ ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ

    (1x)

    O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly and no one forgives sins except You; so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy upon me. You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

    Allāhumma innī ẓalamtu nafsī ẓulman kathīrā, wa lā yaghfiru-dh-dhunūba illā Ant, fa-ghfir lī maghfirata-m-min ʿindik, war-ḥamnī, innaka Anta-l-Ghafūru-r-Raḥīm.

    Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates: “I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to teach me a du’ā so that I may invoke Allah with it in my salāh. He told me to say: [the above].” (Bukhārī 834)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #8

    اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِيْ ، وَارْحَمْنِيْ ، وَعَافِنيْ ، وَاهْدِنِيْ وَارْزُقْنِيْ

    (1x)

    O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me wellbeing, guide me and grant me sustenance.

    Allāhumma-ghfir lī, war-ḥamnī, wa ʿāfinī, wah-dinī war-zuqnī.

    ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās (radiy Allāhū ‘anhumā): “The Prophet ﷺ used to say [the above] between the two prostrations.” (Abū Dāwūd 850)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #9

    اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِيْ وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَاىَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ ، اللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِي مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْ خَطَايَاىَ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ

    (1x)

    O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah, purify me from my sins as white cloth is purified from dirt. O Allah, wash away my sins with snow, water and hail.

    Allāhumma bāʿid baynī wa bayna khaṭāyāya kamā bāʿadta bayna-l-mashriqi wa-l-maghrib, Allāhumma naq-qinī min khaṭāyāya kamā yunaq-qa-th-thawbul-abyaḍu mina-d-danas, Allāhumma-ghsilnī min khaṭāyāya bil-māi’ wa-th-thalji wal-barad.

    Abū Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pause between the opening takbīr and the recitation. said: ‘May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, the pause between the opening takbir and the recitation, what do you say?’ He replied: ‘I say [the above].’ (Bukhārī 744, Muslim 598)

  • Istighfar - From the Sunnah #10

    اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ

    (1x)

    O Allah, forgive the believing men and the believing women.

    Allāhumma-ghfir lil-mu’minīna wa-l-mu’mināt.

    Umm Salamah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever says [the above] everyday, he will receive a reward for every believer.” (Tabarānī in Muʿjam al-Kabīr 23/370)

    ʿUbādah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and women, Allah will write a good deed for every believing man and woman.” (Tabarānī in Musnad al-Shāmiyyīn 2155)

Occasions When Du'a is Readily Accepted
Names of Allah

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