Sayyidul Istighfar is a powerful Dua to seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty, all forgiving and merciful. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) says in the Quran: Say, O Prophet, that Allah says, "O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah's mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins.1 He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful (39:53). Here, we'll discuss the details of the most powerful dua to seek forgiveness from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). It is narrated in Sahih Bukhari Book of Invocations Hadith 6306.
Sayyidul Istighfar Dua:
للَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ ".
Sayyidul Istighfar Transliteration:
Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Khalaqtani wa ana `Abduka, wa ana `ala `ahdika wa wa`dika mastata`tu, A`udhu bika min Sharri ma sana`tu, abu’u Laka bini`matika `alaiya, wa abu’u laka bidhanbi faghfir lee fa innahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta.”
Sayyidul Istighfar Translation:
O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god worthy of worship except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I am under Your covenant and pledge (to fulfill 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.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is: 'Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Khalaqtani wa ana `Abduka, wa ana `ala `ahdika wa wa`dika mastata`tu, A`udhu bika min Sharri ma sana`tu, abu'u Laka bini`matika `alaiya, wa abu'u laka bidhanbi faghfir lee fa innahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta." Sahih al-Bukhari 6306.
The Prophet (ﷺ) added. "If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he 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 will be from the people of Paradise."
Muslims may recite Sayyidul Istighfar in the morning and evening to start and end the day while seeking forgiveness and blessings from Allah. The Prophet (ﷺ) said. "If somebody recites it ( Sayyidual Istighfar) during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he 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 will be from the people of Paradise." ( Sahih Bukhari 6306).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not." ( Riyadh as Salihin 1873).
Thauban (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished his Salat (prayer), he would beg forgiveness three times [by saying, 'Astaghfirullah' (3 times)]. Then he would say: "Allahumma Antas-Salamu, wa minkas-Salamu, tabarakta ya Dhal-Jalali wal-Ikram. (O Allah! You are the Bestower of security, and security comes from You; Blessed are You. O Possessor of glory and honor)." Imam Al-Auza'i (one of the sub-narrators) of this Hadith was asked: "How forgiveness should be sought?" He replied: "I say: Astaghfirullah, Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from Allah. I seek forgiveness from Allah)." ( Riyadh as Salihin 1876).
Narrated Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ): I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) was saying, "If somebody commits a sin and then says, 'O my Lord! I have sinned, please forgive me!' his Lord says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sins).' Then he remains without committing any sin for a while and then again commits another sin and says, 'O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,' and Allah says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and punishes for it, I therefore have forgiven my slave (his sin). Then he remains without Committing any another sin for a while and then commits another sin (for the third time) and says, 'O my Lord, I have committed another sin, please forgive me,' and Allah says, 'My slave has known that he has a Lord Who forgives sins and punishes for it I therefore have forgiven My slave (his sin), he can do whatever he likes." (Sahih al Bukhari 7507).
Al-Agharr Al-Muzani (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Sometimes I perceive a veil over my heart, and I supplicate Allah for forgiveness a hundred times in a day." ( Riyadh as Salihin 1896).
As explained above, Sayyidul Istighfar is the best way to seek forgiveness from Allah. It is a dua that has been given to us by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and it was his sunnah. Moreover, istighfar and tawba are fundamental concepts in Islam. Allah asks human beings to repent once they realize the error of their ways. When a person says tawba and seeks the forgiveness of Allah, Allah absolves them of their sins. Below are some more hadiths that shed light on the significance of reciting astaghfar:
Abu Hurairah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! If you do not commit sins, Allah will replace you with people who would commit sins and seek forgiveness from Allah, and Allah will certainly forgive them. ( Riyadh as Salihin 1871).
Abu Hurairah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "I swear by Allah that I seek Allah's Pardon and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day." ( Riyadh as Salihin 1870).
Anas (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "Allah, the Exalted, has said: 'O son of Adam! I shall go on forgiving you so long as you pray to Me and aspire for My forgiveness, whatever your sins may be. O son of Adam! I do not care if your sins pile up to the sky, and should you beg pardon of Me, I will forgive you. O son of Adam! If you come to Me with an earthful of sins and meet Me, not associating anything with Me in worship, I will certainly grant you as much pardon as will fill the earth." [At-Tirmidhi] 9 Riyadh as SAlihin 1878).
Ibn 'Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said: We counted Messenger's saying a hundred times during one single sitting:
"رب اغفر لي، وتب على إنك أنت التواب الرحيم"
Rabb- ighfir li, wa tubb 'alayya, innaka Antat-Tawwabur-Rahim.
(My Rubb! Forgive me and pardon me. Indeed, You are the Oft-Returning with compassion and Ever Merciful." ( Riyadh as Salihin 1872)
Ibn Mas'ud (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who says:
أستغفر الله الذي لا إله إلا هو الحي القيوم وأتوب إليه ،
'Astaghfir ullah-alladhi la ilaha illa Huwal-Haiyul-Qayyumu, wa atubu ilaihi
(I seek the forgiveness of Allah, there is no true god except Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting, and I turn to Him in repentance),'
his sins will be forgiven even if he should have run away from the battlefield (while he was fighting for the Cause of Allah)." ( Riyadh as Salihin 1874),
'Aishah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا) reported: Before his passing from this world, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to supplicate frequently:
"سبحان الله وبحمده، أستغفر الله، وأتوب إليه"
Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi; Astaghfirullaha wa atubu ilaihi
(Allah is free from imperfection, and I begin with praising Him. I beg forgiveness from Allah, and I turn to Him in repentance." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. (Riyadh as Salhin 1877)
Sayidul Istighfar is a miraculous dua for us to seek forgiveness from Allah-Al-Ghafoor. Reciting it in the morning and evening supplications and after every obligatory prayer is highly recommended. Download the Muslim and Quran to offer this Tasbeeh and seek the favour of your lord.
Sayyidul Istighfar is a secret, powerful weapon of Muslims to seek forgiveness from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) by saying the exact words, our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) used to say:
للَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ ".
Translation:
"O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god worthy of worship except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I am under Your covenant and pledge (to fulfill it) to the best of my ability. I seek Your protection from the evil that I have done. I acknowledge the favors that You have bestowed upon me, and I admit my sins. Forgive me, for none forgives sins but You."
The Prophet (ﷺ) added. "If somebody recites Sayyidul Isighfar during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he 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 will be from the people of Paradise." ( Sahih Bukhari 6306)
Sayyidul Istighfar is recited after Fajr prayers in morning supplications and after Asr in evening supplications. Also, it can be recited after every obligatory prayer and when one wants to seek Allah's forgiveness.
The recommended number to recite Sayyidul Istighfar in morning and evening supplications is "One." But it is evident from various other hadiths that the Prophet sought forgiveness 70-100 times a day so we can seek forgiveness from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) as often as possible to seek His blessings and mercy.
