Dua for Forgiveness: The Best Islamic Supplications for Tawbah

Seeking forgiveness from Allah ﷻ is one of the most important and beloved acts in Islam. These are the most authentic duas — start with Sayyid al-Istighfar, the Prophet's own master supplication.

Sayyid al-Istighfar — The Master of Forgiveness

Arabic:

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 لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

Transliteration:

Allāhumma anta rabbī lā ilāha illā anta, khalaqtanī wa ana ʿabduka, wa ana ʿalā ʿahdika wa waʿdika mas-taṭaʿtu, aʿūdhu bika min sharri mā ṣanaʿtu, abū'u laka biniʿmatika ʿalayya, wa abū'u laka bidhanbī, faghfir lī fa-innahū lā yaghfiru adh-dhunūba illā ant

Translation:

"O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant. I am upon Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge before You Your blessing upon me, and I acknowledge before You my sin. So forgive me, for indeed none forgives sins but You."

Source: Narrated by Bukhari, 6306

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever says this in the morning with firm belief, and dies that day before evening, will be among the people of Paradise. And whoever says it in the evening with firm belief, and dies that night before morning, will be among the people of Paradise."

Looking for more duas? Browse our complete Dua Collection — organized by occasion with Arabic text, transliteration, and translation.

Astaghfirullah — Simple and Constant

Arabic:

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ

Transliteration:

Astaghfirullāh

Translation:

"I seek forgiveness from Allah."

Source: Narrated by Bukhari, 6307 — the Prophet ﷺ used to say this more than 70 times a day.

This is the simplest and most common form of seeking forgiveness. You can recite it at any moment — while walking, driving, waiting, or resting. The Prophet ﷺ said: "By Allah, I seek Allah's forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day." (Narrated by Bukhari, 6307)

Extended Version

Arabic:

أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ

Transliteration:

Astaghfirullāhal-ʿAẓīmal-ladhī lā ilāha illā Huwal-Ḥayyul-Qayyūmu wa atūbu ilayh

Translation:

"I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Magnificent, the One besides Whom there is no deity, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining, and I repent to Him."

Source: Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1517; Tirmidhi, 3577 — graded as sahih

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever says this will be forgiven even if he has fled from battle." (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1517)

When and How to Recite

After each prayer (sunnah):

• Recite Astaghfirullah three times after finishing each of the five daily prayers — this is an established sunnah
• Then recite Allāhumma anta al-salāmu... as part of the post-prayer adhkar

Morning and evening:

• Recite Sayyid al-Istighfar once in the morning and once in the evening with full focus on its meaning

After sinning:

• Turn immediately to Allah in tawbah
• Recite the extended Astaghfirullah formula
• Follow it with a good deed — the Prophet ﷺ said: "Follow a bad deed with a good deed and it will erase it" (Narrated by Tirmidhi, 1987)

Before sleeping:

• Recite Astaghfirullah as part of your pre-sleep adhkar

Virtues and Rewards

Allah ﷻ says in the Quran:

Arabic:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ

Transliteration:

Qul yā ʿibādī alladhīna asrafū ʿalā anfusihim lā taqnaṭū min raḥmatillāh

Translation:

"Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves — do not despair of the mercy of Allah." (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53)

The Prophet ﷺ said: "All of the children of Adam are sinners, and the best of sinners are those who repent." (Narrated by Tirmidhi, 2499 — graded as hasan)

Seeking forgiveness also has worldly benefits. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever makes istighfar abundantly, Allah will grant him relief from every worry, a way out from every hardship, and will provide for him from where he did not expect." (Narrated by Abu Dawud, 1518 — graded as hasan)

Related Duas

• Dua for Anxiety — when guilt or regret causes distress, these duas help restore peace of heart
• Dua for Sleeping — end your day by seeking forgiveness before sleep, as the Prophet ﷺ taught
• Dua for Success — tawbah clears the path to success; these duas help you move forward