The Fifth Kalimah or Kalima Astaghfar (كَلِمَاتْ إِسْتِغْفَارْ). The Arabic word Astaghfar (استغفار) is translated as Penitence. It can also mean Repentance for something done wrong.
All the six Kalimahs are phrased for a specific purpose, for example the second Kalimah is meant for bearing witness (Shahdat) and the third Kalima is about Praising the Greatness of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. Likewise, the 5th Kalimah is about Penitence or Astaghfar. It’s all about seeking forgiveness from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى about all the intentional or unintentional sins and wrongdoings committed by a person.
The theme of the 5th Kalima is to make apologies before Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى for all the previous wrongdoings by the reciter. Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى likes the repentance and apologies and is always willing to accept it. Kalima 5 also refers to the Graciousness of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, as He also likes to keep such wrongdoings of a person concealed, though He is All Knowing. However, the penitence needs to be from the heart's core and with the assurance not to repeat the sins in the future. So, the recitation of Fifth Kalima can liberate us from past sins and bring us peace of mind.
Istighfar (Word of Penitence)
astaghfiru-llāha rabbī min kulli dhanbin adnabtuhu ʿamadan ʾaw khaṭāʾan sirran ʾaw ʿalāniyyataw wa atūbu ʾilayhi minal dhanbi-lladhī aʿlamu wa minal dhanbi-lladhī lā aʿlamu innaka ʾanta ʿallāmul-ghuyūbi wa sattārul-ʿuyūbi wa ghaffāru dhunūbi wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāhil-ʿalīyyil-ʿaẓīm
I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord, from every sin I committed knowingly or unknowingly, secretly or openly, and I turn towards Him from the sin that I know and from the sin that I do not know. Certainly You, You (are) the knower of the hidden things and the Concealer (of) the mistakes and the Forgiver (of) the sins. And (there is) no power and no strength except from Allah, the Most High, the Most Great
astaghfiru-llāha rabbī min kulli dhanbin adnabtuhu ʿamadan ʾaw khaṭāʾan sirran ʾaw ʿalāniyyataw wa atūbu ʾilayhi minal dhanbi-lladhī aʿlamu wa minal dhanbi-lladhī lā aʿlamu innaka ʾanta ʿallāmul-ghuyūbi wa sattārul-ʿuyūbi wa ghaffāru dhunūbi wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāhil-ʿalīyyil-ʿaẓīm
I seek forgiveness from Allah, my Lord, from every sin I committed knowingly or unknowingly, secretly or openly, and I turn towards Him from the sin that I know and from the sin that I do not know. Certainly You, You (are) the knower of the hidden things and the Concealer (of) the mistakes and the Forgiver (of) the sins. And (there is) no power and no strength except from Allah, the Most High, the Most Great
Repentance or seeking forgiveness is an act that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى highly appreciates, and He is always willing to forgive the believers. The fifth Kalimah is, in fact, a penitence by a person before his Creator, Almighty Allah. It is a humble request before Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى to forgive all the sins committed intentionally or unintentionally, openly or secretly, with the firm belief that the request will be accepted. The reciter further submits that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is All-Knowing and that He keeps our sins and wrongdoings concealed.
All these submissions are made before Him while admitting He holds the Powers and Authority and will forgive us. The theme of the Kalima 5 can be summarized as follows:
The believer tenders his apologies and repentance before Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى, admitting that He is aware of all the wrongdoings committed by us, intentionally or unintentionally.
The believer tenders his penitence and seeks forgiveness for all the sins committed knowingly or unknowingly before Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى with the belief that He will accept it.
The believer also admits that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is All-Knowing, but at the same time, He keeps our sins concealed from others and that He is the One Who forgives all our sins and wrongful deeds.
The believer also admits that it is only Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى who can keep us on the right path and help us do good deeds and that He is the Greatest and Holds the Highest Respect.
Recitation of any of the six Kalimahs is just a way of supplication and worship. So, reading Kalima 5 is an important act for every Muslim. It is even more important in the sense that it is the source of tendering one’s repentance, seeking forgiveness for all the previous sins with a firm belief that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى will accept our request.
Reading fifth Kalima has no limitations and restrictions whatsoever. It can be recited everywhere but more appropriately in your privacy, as it is a matter of repentance between the believer and his Creator. Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى keeps our sins and wrongdoings concealed from others despite being the All-Knowing, so we should also tender our penitence, secretly, with the firm belief of it being accepted by Him. But again, there are no such restrictions; it can be recited anywhere, anytime.
The best time to recite Kalimah 5 might be the one when you feel sorrow for what you have been doing in the past. When you are convinced that you have been doing wrong and had committed sins in your past days, it will be the most appropriate time to turn back to Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى and tender your apologies and repent all the wrongful deeds, committed by you.
So, it can be done right then or at any time in your life, but most preferably on a daily basis. You can also make it a part of your routine supplications and worship. But the baseline is that you must realize that you have been doing wrong in the past.
Fifth Kalimah is relatively more specific in that it is meant for tendering repentance before the Almighty Allah, hence reciting it, is not without a purpose. So, one needs to recite this Kalima often but with full meditativeness. Recite it as much as you wish to. It can be made an essential part of your routine supplications.
But again, the pre-requisite for reciting it is your firm commitment to not repeat the wrongful deeds and sins in the coming days. Make it a routine to recite it with other Kalimas at least a few times daily. However, it is a Sunnah to seek forgiveness from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى seventy times a day.
Astaghfar, or Repentance, plays a key role in one’s life. Confession of sins before Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى is a highly appreciable act. It can entirely change the life pattern of a person. It can free up your mind from the burden of past sins so you can keep moving forward in the right direction, as suggested by the Islamic teachings. Reciting the Fifth Kalima is the best way of tendering repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.
This Kalima comprises various submissions that ultimately are aimed at seeking forgiveness while admitting the Greatness of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. So, if our repentance is accepted and assured that it will be accepted, it will profoundly impact our personal lives. Repeated and regular recitation of this Kalima will help us follow the true pattern of a Muslim’s life. But the basic condition is that one should make sure not to repeat the wrongful acts and avoid committing sins for the rest of his life.
Repentance is a topic that has been repeatedly discussed in the Quran. 3rd Verse of Surah Hud speaks about the importance of repentance as under.
Translation - And seek your Lord’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. He will grant you a good provision for an appointed term and graciously reward the doers of good. But if you turn away, then I truly fear for you the torment of a formidable Day.
The same concept is narrated in the 52nd verse of Surah Hud:
Translation - And O my people! Seek your Lord’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. He will shower you with rain in abundance, and add strength to your strength. So do not turn away, persisting in wickedness
Similarly, 58th verse of Surah Al-Baqarah also describes the value of seeking forgiveness:
Translation - And ˹remember˺ when We said, “Enter this city and eat freely from wherever you please; enter the gate with humility, saying, ‘Absolve us.’ We will forgive your sins and multiply the reward for the good-doers.
And the 3rd verse of Surah An-Nasr narrates the virtue of seeking forgiveness as follows:
Translation - then glorify the praises of your Lord and seek His forgiveness, for certainly He is ever Accepting of Repentance.
The same theme is also quoted in Hadith number 6307 of Sahi Al-Bukhari as follows:
Translation - Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying." By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."
Hence, it is well-established in the Quran and Hadith that Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى certainly likes repentance and forgives the wrongdoings of His believers. So, keep reciting Kalima 5 from the core of your heart to get the benefit of forgiveness and mercy of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى.