609. Duaas For Seeking Forgiveness

By Asma bint Shameem  

There are many, MANY, most beautiful Duaas from the Qur’aan and authentic Sunnah about seeking forgiveness from Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala 

Here are only a few. 

FROM THE QUR’AAN:

1. Duaa of Adam Alaiyhis-Salaatu was-Salaam to Allaah 

رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

“ 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.” (Surah al Aaraaf:23)

2. The duaa of the righteous 

 رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

"Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our transgressions (in keeping our duties to You), establish our feet firmly, and give us victory over the disbelieving people." (Surah Aal-Imraan:147)

3. Duaa of Ibraheem Alaiyhis-Salaatu was-Salaam 

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ

"Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and (all) the believers on the Day when the reckoning will be established." (Surah Ibraheem:41)

4. Duaa of Nuh Alaiyhis-Salaatu was-Salaam 

رَّبِّ ٱغۡفِرۡ لِي وَلِوَٰلِدَيَّ وَلِمَن دَخَلَ بَيۡتِيَ مُؤۡمِنٗا وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِۖ

“My Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and him who enters my home as a believer, and all the believing men and women.” (Surah Nuh: 28)

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

‘Whoever sought forgiveness for believing men and believing women, Allaah writes a good deed for him for every believing man and woman.”

(at-Tabrani- hasan by al-Albaani, Saheeh al-Jami’ no. 6026)

5. Duaa of Yunus Alaiyhis-Salaatu was-Salaam 

لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ 

“There is no God but You; Glory be to You, Truly I have been one of the wrongdoers” 

(Surah al-Anbiyah: 87)

FROM THE SUNNAH 

1. The BEST duaa for seeking forgiveness

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam called this duaa “syedul Istighfaar” or “The Master (the best) of prayers for forgiveness”

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لاَ إِلَٰهَ 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

“O Allaah! You are my Rabb. There is no true god except You. You have created me, and I am Your slave, and I hold to Your Covenant as far as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge thefavors  that You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to you my sins. Pardon me, for none but You has the power to pardon.” 

He said: 

“Whoever says this during the day, believing in it firmly, and dies on that day before evening comes, he will be one of the people of Paradise, and whoever says it at night, believing firmly in it, and dies before morning comes, he will be one of the people of Paradise.” 

(al-Bukhaari)

2. The Duaa that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam taught Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

“O Allaah, indeed You are Pardoning, [Generous,] You love pardon, so pardon me.” (al-Tirmidhī)

3. The Duaa the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam taught Abu Bakr radhi Allaahu anhu 

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مِنْ عِنْدِكَ مَغْفِرَةً، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ 

“O Allaah! I have wronged my soul very much (oppressed myself), and none forgives the sins but You; so please bestow Your Forgiveness upon me. No doubt, You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (al-Bukhaari)

4. The duaa that we say multiple times a day in between the two sujood 

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وَارْحَمْنِي، وَاهْدِنِي، وَاجْبُرْنِي، وَعَافِنِي، وَارْزُقْنِي، وَارْفَعْنِي

“O Allaah forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, support me, protect me, provide for me and elevate me.”

(Ibn Majah, at-Tirmidhi)

5. The duaa that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said in one sitting 100 times. 

‎رَبِّ اغْفِرْلِیْ وَ تُبْ عَلَیَّ اِنَّکَ اَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِیْمُ۔

“O Allaah, forgive me and accept my repentance,  for You are the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful).” 

(Abu Dawood and others- saheeh by al-Albaani)

6. The duaa that the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam used to recite in his prayer before saying the tasleem:

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَ مَا أَخَّرْتُ وَ مَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَ مَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَ مَا

أَسْرَفْتُ  وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي. أَنْتَ المُقَدِّمُ وَ أَنْتَ المُؤَخِّرُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَا أَنْتَ 

“O Allah! Forgive me what I have done in the past, and what I will do in the future, and what I have concealed, and what I have done openly, and what I have exceeded in, and whatever You are More Knowing of than I. You are the  One who Brings Forward, and You are the One who Delays, there is no (true) diety except You.” (Ahmad, Saheeh)

And there are MANY more. 

And Allaah knows best