The Dua of Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness: Sayyid al-Istighfar

What Are Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness?

Repentance (tawbah) means feeling remorse for a sin committed, abandoning it, and turning back to Allah. Seeking forgiveness (istighfar) means asking to be pardoned by saying "Astaghfirullah" ("I seek forgiveness from Allah"). The Quran keeps this door open to everyone:

"Say: 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.'" (Az-Zumar 53)

The Conditions for Repentance to Be Accepted

1. Abandoning the sin immediately
2. Feeling genuine remorse for what was done
3. Making a firm resolve never to return to it
4. If the rights of another person were involved, making amends with them or restoring what is owed

Repentance made under these conditions is called "tawbah nasuh" (sincere repentance) (At-Tahrim 8).

1. Sayyid al-Istighfar (The Master of Supplications for Forgiveness)

The supplication the Prophet described as "the most virtuous form of seeking forgiveness":

Arabic

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَىٰ عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

Transliteration

Allahumma anta Rabbi, la ilaha illa ant, khalaqtani wa ana 'abduk, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika ma-stata't, a'udhu bika min sharri ma sana't, abu'u laka bi-ni'matika 'alayya wa abu'u bi-dhanbi, faghfir li, fa-innahu la yaghfiru'dh-dhunuba illa ant.

Meaning

"O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no deity but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I am upon Your covenant and promise as much as I am able. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favour upon me, and I acknowledge my sin. So forgive me, for none forgives sins except You."

— Bukhari, Da'awat 2. (Recommended for recitation morning and evening.)

2. The Short Istighfar

A brief supplication of forgiveness recited frequently throughout the day:

Astaghfirullah al-'azim wa atubu ilayh. — "I seek forgiveness from Allah the Almighty, and I turn to Him in repentance."

The Prophet reported seeking forgiveness 70-100 times a day (Bukhari, Da'awat 3). You can track a daily goal of 100 istighfar easily with a dhikr counter.

3. The Repentance of Adam

The supplication recited by Adam and Eve, which was accepted:

Rabbana zalamna anfusana wa in lam taghfir lana wa tarhamna lanakunanna mina'l-khasirin. — "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers." (Al-A'raf 23)

The Effect of Istighfar on Blessing

Abundant istighfar does more than erase sins — it is also a means to provision and relief:

"Ask forgiveness of your Lord... He will send [rain from] the sky upon you in [continuing] showers and increase you in wealth and children." (Nuh 10-12)

For this reason, istighfar stands among the most important acts alongside supplications for provision and blessing.

Frequently Asked Questions

I repented but fell into the same sin again — what should I do?

Repent again, and never fall into despair. Allah accepts a servant's repentance every time it is sincerely offered. What matters is rising again after every stumble, and never giving up the effort.

Is there a prayer of repentance, and how is it performed?

Yes. Two rakahs are prayed as the prayer of repentance, followed by sincere istighfar and asking Allah for forgiveness. A hadith states that a person who sins, then performs a proper ablution and prays two rakahs while seeking forgiveness, will be forgiven (Abu Dawud).

Is there a time when istighfar is more readily accepted?

The Quran particularly praises seeking forgiveness during the pre-dawn hours: "And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness." (Adh-Dhariyat 18).

Repentance and Istighfar in the Nurlu App

To keep up a daily habit of seeking forgiveness:

• audio recitations of Sayyid al-Istighfar and other supplications of forgiveness
• a dhikr counter to track your daily goal of 100 istighfar
• a pre-dawn reminder so you don't miss the most favoured time

Download Nurlu for free → Get it on the App Store

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🔗 See also: The 99 Names of Allah · Duas for Provision and Livelihood · All Duas