Istighfar

Ask Allah Through His OnenessCalling upon Allah through His Oneness is one of the most powerful ways to make du’ā. The grief-stricken Prophet Yunus (a.s.) cried out to his Lord:لا اله الا انت سبحانك اني كنت من الظالمينThe Prophet ﷺ said that no one supplicates with this du’a’ except that his supplication is accepted. And nobody supplicates with it except that Allah removes his difficulties. (Tirmidhi)In this du’a, Yunus (a.s) asked Allah through the following steps (known as tawassul in Arabic):1. Invoking the Oneness of Allah and affirming that no one deserves to be worshipped except Him.2. Declaring Allah’s absolute perfection and negating any faults from Him.3. Acknowledging one’s own wrongdoing.

• Qurʾān 21:87

This is the du‘ā’ Musā (‘alayhis-salām) made after he unintentionally killed a Coptic man. He realised that it was only through turning to Allah (subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā) that he could make things right. He cried out ‘My Rabb’. We too should cry out to our ‘Rabb’ when we have wronged.We should then acknowledge our sins, as acknowledging one’s sins and shortcomings is a sunnah of the Prophets and Messengers (‘alayhimus-Salām). And thereafter, we should ask Allah to forgive us.

• Qurʾān 28:16

This is the du‘ā’ of our father Ādam (‘alayhis-salām) and mother Ḥawwā’ (‘alayhas-salām) after they had been lured by Shayṭān to eat from the tree. What we can learn from this du‘ā’:1. We should acknowledge our sins and shortcomings before asking for forgiveness.2. This du‘ā’ contains fear (we will surely be amongst the losers) and hope (mercy and forgive). We too, should combine fear and hope in our du‘ās.3. We should show our remorse and turn to Allah in humility, like our parents did.4. We see the difference in attitude between Ādam (‘alayhis-salām) and Shayṭān: Adam (‘alayhis-salām) acknowledged his mistake, felt remorse over it, blamed himself for it, hastened to repent and didn’t lose hope from the mercy of Allah. Shayṭān, on the other hand didn’t acknowledge his sin, didn’t feel remorse, attributed blame to his Lord, didn’t repent and lost hope in the mercy of Allah.

• Qurʾān 7:23

In this du‘ā’ Mūsā (‘alayhis-salām) asked Allah (subḥānahū wa ta‘ālā) for forgiveness and mercy. He asked through Allah’s name ‘al-Waliyy’. Al-Waliyy is the Protective Friend, the Helper, the Patron, the One who truly loves us. Waliyy is derived from ‘wilāyah’ which denotes closeness, loyalty and authority. Whilst Allah’s general wilāyah extends to all of creation, His special wilāyah is reserved for the believers who are extra-devoted to Him.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Then, my servant continues to draw near to me with voluntary worship until I love Him, and when I love him, I become his hearing that he hears with, his sight that he sees with, his hand by which he grasps, and his feet by which he walks.” (Bukhārī)

• Qurʾān 7:155

This is the du‘ā’ of the people of piety and faith. In this du‘ā’, we learn a permissible and commendable form of tawassul (asking Allah through something).In this case, we are asking through one of the greatest actions of a human being: imān. It is as though we are saying, ‘O Allah, we have believed. Therefore, through and because of our belief, forgive us and protect us from Hell-fire.’

• Qurʾān 3:16

– Forgive: wipe away my sins and conceal them from people.– Have mercy: Guide me and give me the ability to say and do the correct thing.– The combination of maghfirah (forgiveness) and raḥmah (mercy) is the one most frequently seen in the du‘ās of the Qur‘ān.– This āyah indicates that one should not become deceived with one’s actions, as good deeds can sometimes make one arrogant. Similarly, it is a reminder that one should cling on to the mercy of Allah ‘azza wa jall. (al-Ālūsī)– Raḥmah is mercy, compassion, nurturing love, and kindness.

• Qurʾān 23:118

• Qurʾān 11:47

– Pray for your brothers and sisters in faith wherever they may be in the world.– Pray for your deceased brothers and sisters: those who have recently left the world and those who left the world a long time ago, those you personally knew and those whose names may be unknown to you, yet you are tied to them through the bond of imān.– Pray for yourself.– Pray for forgiveness. Pray for love. Pray for pure hearts. Pray for an end to the hatred, bitterness and infighting amongst the Ummah.– Pray for all of the above through this brief, yet comprehensive du’ā in the Qur’ān.

• Qurʾān 59:10

This is the du‘ā’ the believers will make on the Day of Judgement when the light of the hypocrites will be extinguished. To reach to their ultimate destination, Jannah, this ‘light’ (nūr) will be essential in guiding them to it. This ‘nūr’ is also the same light which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will recognize us with.… In order to be rewarded with this nūr in the hereafter, we must strive to attain the ‘nūr’ of knowledge, guidance and imān in this world.This is why the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite the following du‘ā’ on the way to the Masjid:اَللّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِيْ قَلْبِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَفِيْ بَصَرِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَفِيْ سَمْعِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَعَنْ يَّمِيْنِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَعَنْ يَّسَارِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَفَوْقِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَتَحْتِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَأَمَامِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَخَلْفِيْ نُوْرًا ، وَاجْعَلْ لِيْ نُوْرًاO Allah, place light in my heart, light in my sight and light in my hearing. Place light on my right and place light on my left. Place light above me and place light beneath me. Place light in front of me, place light behind me and grant me light. (Bukhārī)

• Qurʾān 66:08

Shaddād b. Aws (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The most superior manner of seeking forgiveness is that you say [the above]. Whoever says it during the day with firm belief in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise. And whoever says it during the night with firm belief in it and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.” (Bukhārī 6306)

This du‘ā’ asks Allah for forgiveness only at its end and everything before it prepares for that request. We affirm that He is our Lord, that none is worthy of worship but Him and that He created us and we are His servants. We recall our pledge - “Am I not your Lord?” and they replied, “Yes, we bear witness” (7:172) - and His promise, narrated by Muʿādh b. Jabal (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu), that Allah will not punish the one who does not associate partners with Him (Bukhārī 7373). We say ‘to the best of my ability’ because we can never worship Him as He deserves We then seek refuge from the evil of what we have done, acknowledge His favours upon us and admit our sins. Only then do we ask, “Forgive me, for none forgives sins but You.” The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever says it with firm belief will enter Paradise, so learn its meaning and say it with conviction

• Bukhārī 6306

ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates: “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would stand for prayer, he would say: وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ (I have turned my face towards the One who created the heavens and the earth, turned away from all that is false having surrendered to Allah, and I am not of the polytheists. My ṣalāh, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, Lord of the worlds, who has no partners. I have been commanded of this, and I am of those who submit.) He would then say [the above]. When he would do rukū, he would say: اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ رَكَعْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ خَشَعَ لَكَ سَمْعِي وَبَصَرِي وَمُخِّي وَعَظْمِي وَعَصَبِي (O Allah, for You Alone I have bowed in prayer, in You Alone I have believed, and to You Alone I have submitted. My hearing, sight, mind, bones and nerves are humble to You.) When he would raise his head from rukū, he would say: اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ بَعْدُ (O Allah, Our Lord, for You Alone is all praise; praise which fills the heavens, which fills the earth, which fills whatever is in between them, and which fills whatever You wish after that.) When he would do sajdah, he would say: اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ سَجَدْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ سَجَدَ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهُ وَصَوَّرَهُ وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ (O Allah, for You Alone I have prostrated, in You Alone I have believed, and to You Alone I have submitted. My face has prostrated to the One who created and fashioned it, and who formed its hearing and sight. Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators.) The last thing he would say after the tashahhud and the salām would be: اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ (O Allah, forgive me for what I have done in the past and for what I am yet to do, for what I have done privately and for what I have done publicly, for my excesses and for that which You know more than me. You are the One who brings forward and the One who puts behind, and there is no god worthy of worship except You.) (Muslim 771)

• Muslim 771

Abū Mūsā al-‘Ashʿarī (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) reported from his father that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would supplicate with [the above]. (Muslim 2719)

• Muslim 2719

ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) narrated: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, if I know when the Night of al-Qadr is, then what should I say in it?” He said: ‘Say: [the above].’” (Tirmidhī 3513)

• Tirmidhī 3513

Muhammad b. Abī Bakr (raḥimahullāh) narrates that when ʿĀ’isha (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) would become angry, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would stroke her nose and then say (to her): “O ʿUwaysh! Say: [the above].” (Ibn al-Sunnī 456)

Abū Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would say [the above] in sujūd.” (Muslim 483)

• Muslim 483

Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates: “I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to teach me a du’ā so that I may invoke Allah with it in my salāh. He told me to say: [the above].” (Bukhārī 834)

• Bukhārī 834

ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbbās (radiy Allāhū ‘anhumā): “The Prophet ﷺ used to say [the above] between the two prostrations.” (Abū Dāwūd 850)

• Abū Dāwūd 850

Abū Hurayrah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would pause between the opening takbīr and the recitation. said: ‘May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, the pause between the opening takbir and the recitation, what do you say?’ He replied: ‘I say [the above].’ (Bukhārī 744, Muslim 598)

• Bukhārī 744, Muslim 598

Umm Salamah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhā) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever says [the above] everyday, he will receive a reward for every believer.” (Tabarānī in Muʿjam al-Kabīr 23/370) ʿUbādah (raḍiy Allāhu ‘anhu) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and women, Allah will write a good deed for every believing man and woman.” (Tabarānī in Musnad al-Shāmiyyīn 2155)