8 Prayers for Forgiveness of Sins

Prayer for Forgiveness

It is narrated that the Holy Prophet^sa taught the following prayer:

 اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي خَطَايَايَ ، وَعَمْدِي ، وَجَهْلِي ، وَهَزْلِي وَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ عِنْدِي ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ ، وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ ، وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ ، أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ ، وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ ، وَأَنْتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ 

“O Allah! Forgive me my mistakes; protect me from the evil of my lack of knowledge, ignorance and injustice in my affairs and safeguard me from every harm and evil, of which You are aware far greater than I. O Allah! Forgive me my mistakes. Forgive all of my mistakes, whether they were committed knowingly, unknowingly or in a manner of a joke, as they are all within me. Forgive all of my mistakes, which I have already committed and which I have not yet committed; those which I committed secretly and those which I committed openly. You are the One Who causes people to progress and regress and only You are Powerful over all things.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul-Da‘waat, Hadith 6398)

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اَللّٰهُمَّ لَكَ اَسْلَمْتُ وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَبِكَ اٰمَنْتُ وَاِلَيْكَ اَنَبْتُ وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ وَاِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ فَاغْفِرْلِيْ مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا اَخَّرْتُ وَمَا اَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا اَعْلَنْتُ اَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَاَنَتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُلَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اَنْتَ

“O Allah! I forsake everything for You and put all my trust in You, believe in You, and incline towards You. With Your help I contend against the enemy. I have come to You for judgement in my case, so forgive all my past and future sins, those that are concealed and those which are evident. You cause people to progress and also restrain them. There is none worthy of worship except You.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul-Da‘waat, Hadith 6317)

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Syed-ul-Istighfar

اَللّٰهُمَّ اَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِيْ وَاَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَاَنَا عَلَي عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَااسْتَطَعْتُ اَعُوْذُبِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ اَبُوْءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَاَبُوْءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِيْ فَاغْفِرْلِيْ فَاِنَّهٗ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ اِلَّا اَنْتَ

“O Allah! You are my Lord, there is none worthy of worship except You. You created me and I am Your servant. And I am steadfast in Your covenant and Your promise to the best of my capability. I seek refuge in You from the evil effects of my deeds. I acknowledge Your blessings and favours. I confess my sins, so forgive me, as there is none except You who forgives sins.”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitabul-Da‘waat, Hadith 6306)

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اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّيْ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَخْشَعْ وَمِنْ دُعَآءٍ لَا يُسْمَعْ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لَا تَشْبَعْ وَمِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعْ۔ اَعُوْذُبِكَ مِنْ هٰؤُلَآءِ الْاَرْبَعْ

“O Allah! I seek Your deliverance from a heart which is devoid of fear, a prayer which is not accepted, a self which knows no contentment, and the knowledge which is not beneficial. My Guardian, I seek shelter from these four things.”

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwabul-Da‘waat, Hadith 3482)

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يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوْبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِيْ عَلَي دِيْنِكَ

“O Convertor of Hearts, make my heart steadfast on Your faith.”

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwabul-Qadr, Hadith 2140)

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اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّيْ اَسْئَلُكَ الْهُدٰي وَالتُّقٰي وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنٰي

“O Allah! I beg You to grant me guidance and Your fear. I beg You for chastity and contentment.’

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwabul-Da‘waat, Hadith 3489)

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اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنَّا نَجْعَلُكَ فِيْ نُحُوْرِهِمْ وَنَعُوْذُبِكَ مِنْ شُرُوْرِهِمْ

“We take You as a shield against whatever is in their [enemy’s] heart. We seek protection against every evil of theirs and its dangerous effects.”

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Kitabul-Witr, Hadith 1537)

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اللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّيْ اَسْئَلُكَ حُبَّكَ وَ حُبَّ مَن يُّحِبُّكَ وَالْعَمَلَ الَّذِيْ يُبَلِّغُنِيْ حُبَّكَ۔ اَللّٰهُمَّ اجْعَلْ حُبَّكَ اَحَبَّ اِلَيَّ مِنْ نَفْسِيْ وَاَهْلِيْ وَمِنَ الْمَآئِ الْبَارِدِ

“O Allah, I implore You for Your love and the love of those who love You and also such conduct as should lead me to Your love. O Allah, make Your love dearer to me than my soul and my family and my wealth and dearer to me than [refreshing] cold water.”

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwabul-Dawaat, Hadith 3490)

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More Hadiths

Then there is a lengthy prayer in which it is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Abbas^ra that he heard the Holy Prophet^sa recite the following prayer:

“O Allah, I seek Your mercy, which can guide my heart and accomplish my affairs. Bestow success upon my disjointed affairs. Unite me with those that have been separated from me. Grant dignity to those who are with me. Purify my actions. Inspire me with wisdom and guidance. Bestow upon me things that I love and save me from every evil. O Allah, grant me such faith and certainty that prevents disbelief. And bestow upon me such grace, which makes me the recipient of Your generosity in this world and in the Hereafter. 

“O Allah, make every decision of mine fruitful, grant me the company of martyrs and the life of Your obedient servants and victory over enemies. O Lord, I have come to Your threshold with my needs. Although my thinking is faulty and my planning is weak, I still depend on Your mercy. So, O the Arbiter of all affairs and Bestower of peace of mind, I beg you to save me from the punishment of the Fire, as You save people from the raging seas. Protect me from perdition and the trials of the grave. 

“O my Lord, Grant me those things which I have not even thought about. The matters which I have not even begged of You. The good things for which the intention has not yet arisen, but You have promised these blessings to any of Your servants or You are going to give these blessings to any of Your creation, I too have desire for them O Lord of the Universe; I beseech You in the name of Your mercy to grant me every such blessing. 

“O Allah, the Firm Friend and the Master of guidance and wisdom, I beg You to grant me peace on the Day of Resurrection. In the eternal period I am desirous of attaining Paradise in the company of Your pious people, who bow and prostrate before You, and who fulfil their covenants. Surely, You are Gracious and loving. Without doubt You do what You will. 

“O Allah, make us such guided leaders who do not go astray themselves and do not lead others astray. Make us harbingers of peace for Your loved ones and enemy of Your enemies. I beg You in the name of Your love, to make us love everyone who loves You and make us, for Your sake, hostile to Your enemies. 

“O Allah, this is our humble supplication. Its acceptance depends on You. This prayer is all we have laboured for. We now, put our complete trust in You.

“O Allah, enlighten my heart for me, light up my grave, put light in front of me and behind me, put light on my right and on my left, put light above me and beneath me, enlighten my sight and my hearing, brighten up my hair and skin, fill my flesh and blood with light, and make light penetrate into my bones. O Lord, increase light in my heart and bestow such light on me that it makes me an embodiment of light.

“Holy is the One, Who presides over the universe with greatness. Holy is the Being and offering praise to any other being cannot be justified. Holy is the Bestower of blessings and favours. Holy is the Lord of Honour and Glory. His is the Majesty and Honour.”

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Abwabul-Dawaat, Hadith 3419)