Sayyid al-Istighfar: The Best Supplication for Forgiveness

5 hadith in the six books

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

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 'alayya, wa abu'u laka bidhanbi, faghfir li, fa innahu la yaghfiru al-dhunuba illa anta.

O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I hold to Your covenant and promise as much as I can. 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 but You.

Shaddad ibn Aws narrates that the Prophet called this supplication the “master of seeking forgiveness” (sayyid al-istighfar), and said that whoever says it with certainty during the day and dies before evening, or at night and dies before morning, is among the people of Paradise.

Bukhari records it in the book of supplications; Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i and Ibn Majah record it among morning and evening remembrances.

Narrations

Bukhari · 6306سَيِّدُ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ أَنْ تَقُولَ : اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ ، أَبُوThe Prophet (ﷺ) said "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is 'Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Anta Khalaqtani wa ana `Abduka, wa ana 'ala ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu, A`udhu bika min Shar6 narrators Abu Dawud · 5070مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يُصْبِحُ أَوْ حِينَ يُمْسِي : اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ ،Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: The Prophet ﷺ said: If anyone says in the morning or in the evening: "O Allah! Thou art my Lord; there is no god but Thee, Thou hast created me, and I am Thy servant and hold to Thy covena5 narrators Tirmidhi · 3393أَلَا أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى سَيِّدِ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ ؟ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ وَShaddad bin Aws narrated that:The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: “Should I not direct you to the chief of supplications for forgiveness? ‘O Allah, You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship except You, You created me and5 narrators Nasa'i · 5524إِنَّ سَيِّدَ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ ، أَنْ يَقُولَ الْعَبْدُ : اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا It was narrated from Shaddad bin Aws that :The Prophet [SAW] said: "The best of prayers for forgiveness is for a person to say: 'Allahumma, anta rabbi, la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana 'abduka, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika w6 narrators Ibn Majah · 3872اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ , خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ , وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ , أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ , أَبُوءُ بِنِعْمَتِكَ وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي , فَاIt was narrated from 'Abdullah bin Buraidah that :his father said: "The Messenger of Allah (saas) said: Allahumma Anta Rabbi la ilaha illa Anta, khalaqtani wa ana 'abduka wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu. A'udhu5 narrators