Duas for Forgiveness (Istighfar)
The most authentic Sunnah and Qur'anic supplications for seeking Allah's forgiveness — with Arabic, transliteration, English translation and Hadith sources.
Why Forgiveness (Istighfar) is Central in Islam
Seeking Allah's forgiveness — istighfar — is one of the most repeated themes in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who was already forgiven all past and future sins, sought Allah's forgiveness more than seventy times a day (Sahih al-Bukhari 6307), and in another narration more than one hundred (Sahih Muslim 2702). Istighfar is not merely about wiping away sin; the Qur'an directly ties it to relief from drought, increased wealth, more children, and the blessing of gardens and rivers: "Seek forgiveness of your Lord — indeed He is ever a perpetual forgiver. He will send rain from the sky upon you in showers, and increase you in wealth and children, and grant you gardens and rivers" (Surah Nuh 71:10–12). The duas below are the most authentic supplications of forgiveness preserved in Bukhari, Muslim and the Sunan collections.
The Core Duas of Istighfar
1. Sayyid al-Istighfar — The Master of Seeking Forgiveness
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى 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 anta, khalaqtani wa ana 'abduka, 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 anta.
Translation: "O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant. I keep Your covenant and Your promise to the best of my ability. 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."
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6306 — Shaddad ibn Aws (RA) reports the Prophet ﷺ called this the "master of istighfar" and promised: "Whoever says it during the day with firm faith and dies before evening enters Paradise; whoever says it during the night with firm faith and dies before morning enters Paradise."
2. The Simple Astaghfirullah Routine
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ
Transliteration: Astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilayh.
Translation: "I seek the forgiveness of Allah and I turn to Him in repentance."
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6307 — Abu Hurayrah (RA) reports: "By Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day," said the Prophet ﷺ. This short formula is what he meant by astighfar; reciting it 70 or 100 times daily is a direct revival of his Sunnah.
3. The Qur'anic Dua of Adam (AS) and Hawwa
رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنْفُسَنَا وَإِنْ لَمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
Transliteration: Rabbana zalamna anfusana, wa in lam taghfir lana wa tarhamna, la-nakunanna mina-l-khasirin.
Translation: "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."
Source: Qur'an, Surah al-A'raf 7:23 — the very first words Adam (AS) and Hawwa (Eve) said after their lapse in Jannah. Allah accepted their repentance and chose them. The verse is recited in the same spirit by every descendant who turns back.
4. Forgiveness After Salah
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ · أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ · أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ
Source: Sahih Muslim 591 — Thawban (RA) reports that the Prophet ﷺ, upon finishing every fard prayer, would seek forgiveness three times. See our full guide on the duas after Salah for the complete routine.
5. The Comprehensive Pre-Sleep Forgiveness Dua
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي كُلَّهُ، دِقَّهُ وَجِلَّهُ، وَأَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ، وَعَلَانِيَتَهُ وَسِرَّهُ.
Transliteration: Allahumma-ghfir li dhanbi kullah, diqqahu wa jillah, wa awwalahu wa akhirah, wa 'alaniyatahu wa sirrah.
Translation: "O Allah, forgive me all my sins — the small and the great, the first and the last, the public and the private."
Source: Sahih Muslim 483 — narrated by Abu Hurayrah (RA), recited by the Prophet ﷺ in his prostration.
Conditions for Sincere Tawbah
Classical scholars including Imam an-Nawawi summarised that sincere repentance (tawbah nasuha) for sins between a servant and Allah rests on three conditions: leaving the sin immediately, sincerely regretting having done it, and firmly resolving never to return to it. If the sin involved harm to another human being — taking property, defaming, breaking trust — a fourth condition is added: returning the right or seeking pardon from the wronged person. The duas above provide the verbal frame; these conditions provide the inward reality. Without them, istighfar becomes "the repentance of liars", as al-Hasan al-Basri famously warned.
When Allah's Forgiveness Outpaces the Servant
In a beloved hadith qudsi, Allah says: "O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were you then to ask My forgiveness, I would forgive you and I would not mind. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and then meet Me without associating partners with Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3540, hasan). No sin is too large for sincere istighfar — only despair (qunut min rahmatillah) closes the door, because despair itself contradicts the believer's understanding of Allah.
Common Questions
Is "Astaghfirullah" alone enough?
Yes — the short formula is what the Prophet ﷺ himself used most often. Sayyid al-Istighfar is the master form, but consistency with the short form throughout the day fulfils the Sunnah.
What is the best time to seek forgiveness?
The last third of the night, when Allah descends to the lowest heaven and says: "Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, that I may forgive him?" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145). Also immediately after fard prayers and during sujud.
Do I need a specific count?
No count is obligatory. The Sunnah ranges from 70 to 100 times a day. Quality of presence outweighs quantity of repetition.
Can I seek forgiveness for others?
Yes — for living Muslims and for deceased Muslim relatives. The Qur'an records the prophets doing both. Forgiveness cannot be sought for someone who died in disbelief (Surah at-Tawbah 9:113).