Dua For Forgiveness | Indeed, our merciful Creator, Allah the Exalted, loves those who turn to Him in repentance. The door of forgiveness is always open for His servants, serving as a beacon of hope and solace for those yearning for His mercy.
He assures us in the Quran: “Say, O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53).
The following duas have been taught to us by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) for seeking forgiveness:
Dua For Forgiveness | Istaghfar (Seeking Forgiveness):
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ الْعَظِيمَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيَّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ
Transliteration: “Astaghfirullah al-‘Adheemal-ladhee laa ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum wa atoobu ilayh.”
Translation: “I seek the forgiveness of Allah the Mighty, Whom there is none worthy of worship except Him, the Living, the Eternal, and I repent unto Him.”
Dua For Forgiveness | Sayyid-ul Istighfar (The Best Dua for Forgiveness):
A very comprehensive dua is Sayyid-ul Istighfar, which translates as the “Master of Forgiveness”. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stated that one who recites this dua during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he/she will be from the people of Paradise; and if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning, he/she will be from the people of Paradise (Bukhari).
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Transliteration: “Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana ‘abduka, wa ana ‘ala ‘ahdika wa wa’dika mastata’tu, ‘a’udhubika min sharri ma sana’tu, ‘aboo’u laka bini’matika ‘alayya, wa ‘aboo’u bidhanbi faghfir li, fa innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa anta.”
Translation: “O Allah! You are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You.”
May these duas assist you in seeking forgiveness and may Allah grant us all His mercy and forgiveness. Ameen.
The Mercy of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) transcends all bounds, and His Forgiveness is all-encompassing. As Muslims, we are forever blessed to be granted multitudes of opportunities to turn to our Creator for His Forgiveness. Here we offer more supplications focused on asking our Merciful Lord for His ever-awaited forgiveness.
Dua For Forgiveness | Dua from Hadith:
Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessings be upon him) was known to say this dua between the tashahhud and tasleem during his Salat.
اللهمَّ إنِّي أستغفِرُك لِما قدَّمْتُ وما أخَّرْتُ وما أسرَرْتُ وما أعلَنْتُ أنت المُقَدِّمُ وأنت المُؤخِّرُ وأنت على كلِّ شيءٍ قديرٌ
Transliteration: “Allahumma ighfir li ma qaddamtu wa ma akhkhartu wa ma asrartu wa ma a’lantu wa ma anta a’lamu bihi minni. Anta al-muqaddimu wa anta al-mu’akhkhiru. La ilaha illa ant.”
Translation: “O Allah! Forgive me what I did in the past, and what I will do in the future, and what I concealed, and what I revealed, and what You are more knowledgeable than me. You are the Promoter, and You are the Delayer. There is no god but You.”
Dua For Forgiveness | Verses From the Quran:
Surah Al-Muzzammil, Ayah 20:
قال الله تعالى: وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيم (المزمل:20)
Transliteration: Wa istaghfiru Allaha; innallahaa ghafoorur raheem.
Translation: And seek forgiveness from Allah, surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
Explanation: This Ayah encourages Muslims to repent and seek forgiveness from Allah (SWT), emphasizing Allah’s (SWT) merciful and forgiving nature.
Surah Hud, Ayah 90:
قال تعالى: وَاسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ (هود:90)
Transliteration: Wa istaghfiroo rabbakum thummatuboo ilaiyhi.
Translation: And ask your Lord for forgiveness and then turn to Him.
Explanation: This Ayah is a reminder to Muslims that they should continuously seek forgiveness from Allah (SWT) and turn back to Him—a proof of Allah’s (SWT) immense mercy and willingness to forgive human mistakes.
Surah An-Nasr, Ayah 3:
قال تعالى: فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّاباً (النصر:3)
Transliteration: Fasabbih bihamdi rabbika wastaghfirhu innahu kana tawwaba.
Translation: So exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord and ask His forgiveness; indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.
Explanation: This Ayah recommends Muslims to praise Allah (SWT) and seek His forgiveness, as He is always willing to accept repentance from His servants.
Surah An-Nisa, Ayah 106:
قال تعالى: وَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُوراً رَحِيماً (النساء:106)
Transliteration: Wastaghfiri Allah; innaAllaha kana ghafooran raheema.
Translation: And ask Allah for forgiveness; indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
Explanation: Once again, this Ayah highlights the importance of seeking Allah’s (SWT) forgiveness and highlights His attributes of being the Most Forgiving and Merciful.
Surah Ghafir, Ayah 55:
وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ بِالْعَشِيِّ وَالْأِبْكَارِ(غافر:55)
Transliteration: Wastaghfirlidhambika wasabbih bihamdi rabbika bil’ashiī wal-ibkar.
Translation: Ask forgiveness for your sin and glorify the praises of your Lord in the evening and early morning.
Explanation: This Ayah particularly instructs the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to ask for forgiveness and to praise Allah (SWT) during the evening and early morning, but this guidance can be beneficial for all Muslims who want to repent and become closer to Allah (SWT).
Surah Al-A’raf, Ayah 23:
قال تعالى: رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ(الأعراف:23)
Transliteration: Rabbana thalamna anfusana wa’illam taghfirlana wa tarhamna lanakoonanna minalkhasireen.
Translation: 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.
Explanation: This Ayah is the supplication made by Adam (AS) and Hawwa (Eve) after committing the mistake of eating from the forbidden tree. It teaches Muslims the importance of repentance and seeking Allah’s (SWT) mercy when recognizing their errors, as without divine forgiveness and mercy, they may face difficulties and be counted among the losers.
Surah Hud, Ayah 47:
قال تعالى: وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُنْ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ (هود: 47)
Transliteration: Wail-lataghfir li watrhamni akun minal-khasireen.
Translation: And if You do not forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.
Explanation: This Ayah is a plea made by the Prophet Nuh (AS) to Allah (SWT) seeking forgiveness and mercy, which highlights their importance in saving believers from becoming losers, reinforcing the centrality of repentance and God’s mercy in Islam.
Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayah 87:
قال تعالى: لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ (الأنبياء: 87)
Transliteration: La ilaha illa anta subhanaka innikuntu mina aththalimeen.
Translation: There is no deity except You, glory be to You! Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.
Explanation: This Ayah is the invocation of the Prophet Yunus (AS) while he was in the belly of the whale. It serves as a powerful supplication for repentance and seeking Allah’s (SWT) mercy. The believers can use it to acknowledge their wrongdoings and express their unwavering belief in the oneness of Allah (SWT).
Surah Al-Imran, Ayah 17:
قال الله تعالى: الصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْمُنْفِقِينَ وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالْأَسْحَارِ رِ ﴿١٧ آل عمران﴾
Transliteration: As-Sabireena Wal-Sadiqeena Wal-Qaniteena Wal-Munfiqeena Wal-Mustaghfireena Bil-Asĥaar.
Translation: Patient, true, obedient, those who spend [in the way of Allah], and seek forgiveness in the early hours of the morning.
Explanation: This verse highlights five admirable traits that Muslims should aspire to have:
- Patience (Sabr): in times of hardship and adversity.
- Truthfulness (Sadiqeen): in words, actions, and intentions.
- Obedience (Qaniteen): submission to Allah’s commandments.
- Spending, or generosity (Munfiqeen): spending in the way of Allah for charity and good deeds.
- Seeking forgiveness (Mustaghfireena): supplicating for forgiveness, especially during the early morning hours before dawn (Bil-Asĥaar).
These characteristics not only bring Muslims closer to Allah but also nurture their spiritual, moral, and social growth
Indeed, this powerful duas serves as a profound reminder that we are always in need of Allah’s forgiveness. It also teaches us the importance of seeking forgiveness, not only for our past sins, but also for future errors, for both our secret and public transgressions, and even for those instances of which only Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) is aware. If we humbly beseech His forgiveness in the darkest moment, remember we’re appealing to the Pardoner who loves to forgive. What better solace could we wish for?
May our humble supplications be accepted, and may He embrace us with His Boundless Mercy and Forgiveness. Ameen.
