أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ
Al-Istighfaar: Seeking Forgiveness
By Imam Ibn Taymiyyah — why the Prophet ﷺ himself sought Allah's forgiveness every single day
"And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." — Surah Al-Muzzammil (73:20)
Always in Need of Forgiveness
The servant is always in the blessings of Allah, which call for thankfulness, and always in sinfulness, which calls for seeking forgiveness. Both of these are required and essential for the servant at all times — we never cease to alternate between Allah's favours and blessings, and we never cease to be in need of repentance and seeking forgiveness.
This is why the Master of the Children of Adam, Muhammad ﷺ, sought forgiveness in every circumstance. He said, as reported by Al-Bukhari: "O people, repent to your Lord, for verily I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him more than seventy times in a day." In Saheeh Muslim, he said: "I seek forgiveness one hundred times in a day."
Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) said that they once counted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, one hundred times in a single sitting: "My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, verily You are the Acceptor of Repentance, Oft-Forgiving."
🌟 The Master of Seeking Forgiveness
The Prophet ﷺ said: "The master of invocations for forgiveness is that the servant says..." — and whoever recites it with certainty of faith and dies that same day or night, enters Paradise. [Al-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 بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Allahumma anta rabbee, laa ilaaha illaa anta, khalaqtanee, wa ana `abduka, wa ana `alaa `ahdika wa wa`dika mastata`tu, a`oothu bika min sharri maa sana`tu, aboo'u laka bini`matika `alayya, wa aboo'u bithambee, faghfirlee fa'innahu laa yaghfirudh-dhunooba illaa anta.
"O my Lord, You are my Lord, there is no god but You. You created me, and I am Your servant, and I will keep to my covenant and promise to You 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."
More Duas of Forgiveness from the Sunnah
After Every Prayer
أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ ×٣ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ تَبَارَكْتَ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ
Astaghfirullah (×3), Allahumma antas-salaamu wa minkas-salaamu tabaarakta yaa dhal-jalaali wal-ikraam
"I seek Allah's forgiveness" (three times), then: "O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace, blessed are You, O Possessor of Glory and Honour." [Muslim]
When Mounting a Ride
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي
Laa ilaaha illaa anta subhaanaka, dhalamtu nafsee, faghfirlee
"There is no god but You, glory be to You, I have wronged myself, so forgive me." Said after takbeer, three times. [Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi]
To Close a Gathering
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ
Subhaanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illaa anta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk
"Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise, I testify there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in repentance." [Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi]
The Dua of Yunus (AS)
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
Laa ilaaha illaa anta, subhaanaka, innee kuntu minadh-dhaalimeen
"There is no god but You, glory be to You, I have indeed been among the wrongdoers." — Surah Al-Anbiya (21:87)
🌿 Why Seeking Forgiveness Was Placed at the End of Actions
- Allah commanded istighfaar even after the Prophet's ﷺ greatest achievement — the conquest of Makkah — as mentioned in Surah An-Nasr (110:1-3)
- The Deen is established upon Tawheed and Istighfaar together, as Allah repeats throughout Surah Hud
- A well-known narration states: "The Shaytaan said: People are destroyed with sins, and they destroy me with 'Laa ilaaha illa Allah' and seeking forgiveness"
- Even Prophet Yunus (AS), in the belly of the whale, turned to Allah with these very words of istighfaar