Dua · Istighfar

Sayyidul Istighfar: the master supplication for forgiveness.

Sayyidul Istighfar — "the master of seeking forgiveness" — is the most complete dua for forgiveness the Prophet ﷺ ever taught. Recited once each morning and evening, it carries one of the greatest promises in the Sunnah. Here is the full dua in Arabic, transliteration and English, its meaning line by line, and how to memorise it.

Sayyidul Istighfar — Arabic, transliteration & meaning

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 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 bi-ni'matika 'alayya, wa abu'u bi-dhanbi faghfir li fa-innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa anta. — Sahih al-Bukhari, narrated by Shaddad ibn Aws (RA)

"O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant. I keep Your covenant and pledge to You as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your blessing upon me, and I acknowledge my sin — so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You."

What it means, line by line

• "You are my Lord, there is no god but You" — it opens with pure tawhid, affirming Allah alone.
• "You created me and I am Your servant" — acknowledging your origin and your place before Him.
• "I keep Your covenant as best I can" — a sincere, humble promise that admits human limitation.
• "I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done" — turning away from one's own wrongs.
• "I acknowledge Your blessing… and I acknowledge my sin" — gratitude and honest confession together.
• "So forgive me, for none forgives sins except You" — the plea, sealed with total reliance on Allah.

In a few lines it gathers tawhid, servitude, hope, fear, gratitude, confession and supplication — which is why scholars call it the master of all istighfar.

The virtue of Sayyidul Istighfar

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Whoever says it during the day with firm conviction in it and dies that day before evening, he is from the people of Paradise. And whoever says it at night with firm conviction in it and dies before morning, he is from the people of Paradise." — Sahih al-Bukhari

When to say Sayyidul Istighfar

It is recited once in the morning (after Fajr) and once in the evening (after Asr until Maghrib) as part of the daily adhkar. You can count it in our free morning azkaar and evening azkaar counters — both include Sayyidul Istighfar in the full sequence.

How to memorise it

Break it into six short pieces and add one each day:

1. Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta
2. khalaqtani wa ana 'abduka
3. wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu
4. a'udhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu
5. abu'u laka bi-ni'matika 'alayya, wa abu'u bi-dhanbi
6. faghfir li fa-innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa anta

Recite each new piece together with all the pieces before it. By the sixth day you will have the whole dua — and reciting it morning and evening will fix it for life.

Further reading

• Istighfar: meaning, how to do it & benefits
• Astaghfirullah meaning — what it means & when to say it
• Morning azkaar counter — includes Sayyidul Istighfar