Below are authentic supplications of istighfār from the Sunnah, written word for word, with Arabic text, English translation, and reliable references, as requested. These are among the most well-established forms of seeking forgiveness taught and practiced by the Prophet ﷺ.
9 Istighfār Duʿāʾ From the Sunnah
1. Sayyid al-Istighfār (The Chief of Seeking Forgiveness)
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَىٰ 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
“O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no deity except You. You created me and I am Your servant. I uphold Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your favor upon me, and I acknowledge my sin. So forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari, 6306]
2. Simple and Frequent Istighfār of the Prophet ﷺ
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ فَإِنِّي أَتُوبُ فِي الْيَوْمِ إِلَيْهِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ
“O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day.”
[Sahih Muslim, 2702]
The Prophet ﷺ would say this more than seventy times a day.
3. Duʿāʾ for Forgiveness of All Sins
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي ذَنْبِي كُلَّهُ، دِقَّهُ وَجِلَّهُ، وَأَوَّلَهُ وَآخِرَهُ، وَعَلَانِيَتَهُ وَسِرَّهُ
“O Allah, forgive me all my sins, small and great, first and last, open and hidden.”
[Sahih Muslim, 483]
4. Istighfār for Mercy and Forgiveness
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي
“My Lord, forgive me and have mercy on me.”
[Sunan Abi Dawud, 850 | Sahih]
5. Duʿāʾ the Prophet ﷺ Made in Sujūd
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي خَطِيئَتِي وَجَهْلِي وَإِسْرَافِي فِي أَمْرِي وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي جِدِّي وَهَزْلِي وَخَطَئِي وَعَمْدِي وَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ عِنْدِي اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“O Allah, forgive me my faults, my ignorance, my immoderation in my concerns. And Thou art better aware (of my affairs) than myself. O Allah, grant me forgiveness (of the faults which I committed) seriously or otherwise (and which I committed inadvertently and de- liberately. All these (failings) are in me. O Allah, grant me forgiveness from the fault which I did in haste or deferred, which I committed in privacy or in public and Thou art better aware of (them) than myself. Thou art the First and the Last and over all things Thou art Omnipotent.”
[Sahih Muslim, 2719]
6. Istighfār of the Prophet ﷺ at the End of Gatherings
مَنْ جَلَسَ فِي مَجْلِسٍ فَكَثُرَ فِيهِ لَغَطُهُ فَقَالَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقُومَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ ذَلِكَ سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ . إِلاَّ غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا كَانَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ ذَلِكَ
“Whoever sits in a sitting and engages in much empty, meaningless speech and then says before getting from that sitting of his: ‘Glory is to You, O Allah, and praise, I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except You, I seek You forgiveness, and I repent to You, (Subḥānaka Allāhumma wa biḥamdika, ashhadu an lā ilāha illā anta, astaghfiruka wa atūbu ilaik)’ whatever occurred in that sitting would be forgiven to him.”
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3433 | Sahih]
7. Istighfār for Cleansing the Heart
كَانَ يُعَدُّ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْمَجْلِسِ الْوَاحِدِ مِائَةُ مَرَّةٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يَقُومَ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَتُبْ عَلَىَّ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الْغَفُورُ
“In one sitting of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), one could count that he said a hundred time, before he would get up: ‘O my Lord, forgive me, and accept my repentance. Verily, You are the Oft-Returning, the Most Forgiving (Rabbighfirlī watub `alayya innaka antat-Tawwābul-Ghafūr).’”
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3434 | Sahih]
9. Istighfār From the Qur’an Used by the Prophets
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ
“My Lord, forgive me and my parents.”
[Qur’an 14:41]
Istighfār in Islam is not only for sin — it is for softening the heart, lifting burdens, inviting mercy, and restoring closeness to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ, though sinless, sought forgiveness constantly to teach the ummah that returning to Allah is a lifelong act of devotion.
Consistent istighfār brings light where heaviness settles and mercy where guilt lingers.
