We all make mistakes as part of our human nature. Some errors are considered sins in Islam, and the punishment for them can be severe. Fortunately, one of Allah’s names is Al-Ghaffar (The Repeatedly Forgiving) and Al-Ghafur (The Ever-Forgiving), which implies He is always willing to forgive people who transgress as long as they seek forgiveness from Him.
“Say: “O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”
(Surah Az-Zumar)
So Allah commanded us not to lose hope in His forgiveness and to pray for it continually, even for things we don’t understand. Even if he had done nothing wrong, the finest of people, Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), would beg Allah for pardon. According to Abu Hurairah (May Allah Be Pleased With Him):
I heard the Prophet of Allah saying: “By Allah, I seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him more than seventy times a day.”
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
So, what is the best dua for forgiveness? Read on to know the most powerful duas for forgiveness in these upcoming sentences to ensure that you’re asking for it the right way.
What Is The Dua For The Forgiveness Of Sin?
The best duas for seeking forgiveness are mentioned in the Quran and Hadith, and it’s our duty to find this dua and recite them whenever we seek forgiveness from Allah. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to recite this dua for forgiveness from Allah:
“Oh, Allah! Forgive me for the sins I have committed in the past and those I may commit in the future, for the sins I have committed in private or in public, and for all the transgressions of which You are more aware than I am. You are the one who may bring forward and reprieve as You please, and You are absolutely capable of all things.”
(Sahih Muslim)
Dua transliteration in Arabic:
Allahumma-ghfir li maa qaddamtu wa maa akh-khortu wa maa asrortu wa maa aalantu wa maa anta aalamu bihi minni, anta Al-Muqaddimu wa anta Al-Muakh-khiru wa anta alaa kulli shai-in qadir
This dua is the most powerful because covers all situations in which you may have sinned, whether in public or privately, willingly or unwillingly, and even for things you are unaware of.
Other duas for forgiveness can be taken from Quran. Some of them are said by our ancestors who were asking for Allah’s forgiveness after their sins. As Allah told us in Surah Ali Imran:
“Our Lord! Forgive our sins, remove from us our misdeeds, and grant that we join the righteous when we die.”
Dua transliteration in Arabic:
Rabbana fa-ghfir lana zunuubana wa-kaffir anna sayyi-aatina wa-tafawwafaa ma al-abrar
Azkar For Forgiveness
Azkar, athkar, or adhkar is a plural of the noun Zikr or Dhikr, which means remembrance of Allah. Muslims are asked to always remember Allah during the day and recite azkar from the moment they wake up till they go back to sleep. Some of these azkar are used to seek Allah’s forgiveness.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“Whoever says, ‘Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi, Subhan Allahu al-azim’ one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea”
(Abu Huraira)
It takes a few minutes to say Subhan Allah wa bihamdihi, Subhan Allahu al-Azim 100 times a day and all your past sins are forgiven. The easiness of the process indicates how Allah is willing to forgive us as long as we ask for it.
Another Zikr is mentioned in Imam an-Nawawi book, which says:
“O Allah, forgive my sins, make my home ample for me, and bless me in my sustenance.”
“Allahumma e-ghfir li zanbi, wa-wassi li fi daari, wa-baarek li fi rizqi”
How To Make Sure My Dua For Forgiveness Is Accepted?
To make sure your dua for forgiveness is accepted you need to do it repeatedly, admit your mistakes, declare repentance (Tawba), and commit to never doing this act ever again. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who continue to repent.”
(At-Tirmizi)
Admitting our sins is a vital part of getting the dua answered. Some people sin and deny that they did, ignoring the fact that Allah knows them more than they know themselves. Allah taught us this dua in Quran on the tongue of past sinners:
“Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You don’t forgive us and have mercy on us, we will certainly be lost.”
(Surah Al-A’raf)
Dua transliteration in Arabic:
Rabbana zalamna anfusana wa in lam taghfir lana wa-tarhamna la nakunanna minal-khasirin
The frequency of dua is also a factor in getting answered. You should recite dua as much as you can as Allah likes to hear you asking for His forgiveness. He, The Almighty, promised to answer your prayers as long as you ask Him:
“And your Lord says: “Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell – in humiliation”
(Surah Ghafir)
How To Make Dua For Forgiveness The Right Way
- Block Out All Distractions
It’s important to keep all the distractions away in order to find the peace of mind to recite concisely from your heart.
- Make Sure You Understand The Dua You Are Reciting
Understanding is an important part of Islam. You should understand the dua you’re reciting. Find translations and make sure you understand every word you’re saying.
- Address Your Sins And Admit Them
Say how you sinned and admit that you didn’t follow what Allah said, declare Tawba and promise yourself to never do that again.
- Speak With Humility
Your words don’t have to be big for your dua to be accepted, just speak from your heart and ask for Allah’s forgiveness in the most simple way.
- Invoke The Name Of Allah At The Beginning Of Each Dua.
It’s sinful to make dua for anyone but Allah. So, make sure to start your dua with “O Allah” or “Allahumma” for your dua to be valid.
- Follow Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Duas
Reciting dua as our glorious Prophet (PBUH) used to do is an excellent way to get your dua accepted. His words were clear, concise, and to the point, so you won’t struggle to understand or recite them.
- Don’t Lose Hope
Even if you repeatedly sin, make dua for every sin you make and declare Tawba until you stop going back to these sins. It’s wrong to lose hope in Allah’s power to remove all your sins no matter how huge they are.
Dua For Forgiveness In Ramadan
Ramadan is known to be the month of forgiveness and mercy for all Muslims. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) used to say:
“Whoever observes fasts during the month of Ramadan out of sincere faith, and hoping to attain Allah’s rewards, then all his past sins will be forgiven.”
(Bukhari)
As a part of its rituals in the last ten days of Ramadan, Muslims are asked to repeatedly recite:
“Allahuma innaka aafowwun karim tihubbu al-afwwa fa-aafou anni”
This translates to:
“O Allah, You’re the one who pardons greatly and loves to pardon, so pardon me”
This dua is greatly accepted especially if recited in the middle of the night. As our glorious Prophet (PBUH) taught us:
“The nearest the Lord comes to His servant is in the middle of the night, so if you are able to be of those who remember Allah at that time, then be so.”
Dua For Forgiveness In Arabic
- اللهم أنت الحليم لا تعجل وأنت الجواد فلا تبخل وأنت العزيز فلا تذل وأنت المنيع فلا ترام وأنت المجير فلا تضام وأنت علي كل شئ قدير.
Allahumma antaa al-Haleem laa taajal wa antaa al-Jawad falaa tabkhal wa anta al-Aziz falaa tadhel wa antaa al-Manee’ falaa turaam wa antaa al-Mojeer falaa tudaam w anta alaa kuli shai’en qadir
- اللهم لا تحرمني سعة رحمتك وسبوغ نعمتك وشمول عافيتك وجزيل عطاءك ولا تمنع عني مواهبك لسوء ما عندى ولا تجازني بقبيح عملي وتصرف وجهك الكريم علي برحمتك يا أرحم الراحمين.
Allahuma la tahrimuni seaa’t rahmatika wa suboogha neamatika wa shumul aafyetaka wa jazeela aa’taeka wa laa tamnaa’ aani mawahibaka le-sou’ maa endi wa la tojazeni be-qabeeha amaali wa tasrufa wajhaaka al-Karim aalay be-rahmatika yaa arham ar-rahmin
- اللهم لا تحرمني وأنا أدعوك وتخيبني وأنا أرجوك. اللهم أني أسألك يا فارج الهم ويا كاشف الغم يا مجيب دعوة المضطرين يا رحمن الدنيا يا رحيم الأخرة ارحمني برحمة تغنيني بها عن رحمة من سواك يا أرحم الراحمين.
Allahumma la tahremuni wa ana aduoka wa toukhyebani wa ana arjouka. Allahumma eni asaalouka ya fareja al-hammi wa ya kashefa al-qhammi yaa mojeeb dua al-modtareen yaa Rahmanu ad-donia ya Raheem al-akhera erhamni be-rahmaten toghneni behaa aan rahmat mann-sewaka ya arham ar-rahmin
- اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ فِعْلَ الخَيْرَاتِ وَتَرْكَ المُنْكَرَاتِ وَحُبَّ المَسَاكِينِ وَأَنْ تَغْفِرَ لِي وَ تَرْحَمَنِي
Allahuma enni asaalouka fe’ela al-khayraati wa taarka al-monkarati wa hubba al-masakin wa ann taghfir li wa tarhamuni
You can also learn about the Dua for recovering lost items here.
Dua For Forgiveness In Urdu
- اے میرے رب! میں تم سے یہ سوال کرنے سے پناہ مانگتا ہوں کہ جس کا مجھے کوئی علم نہیں ہے۔ اور جب تک کہ تم مجھے معاف نہ کرو اور مجھ پر رحم نہ کرو ، میں واقعی نقصان اٹھانے والوں میں ہوتا
O, Allah! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers.
- اے اللہ مجھے معاف فرما ، مجھ پر رحم فرما ، میری رہنمائی کرے ، میری مدد کرے ، میری حفاظت کرے ، مجھے مہیا کرے اور مجھے بلند کرے۔
O, Allah! Forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, support me, protect me, provide for me and elevate me.
- اے اللہ ، میرے تمام چھوٹے بڑے گناہ بخش دے ، بڑے اور چھوٹے ، پہلے اور آخری ، ان عیبوں اور پوشیدہوں کو۔
O, Allah! Forgive me all my sins, great and small, the first and the last, those that are apparent and those that are hidden.
- اے اللہ ، میں تیری رضا سے تیرے قہر سے حفاظت چاہتا ہوں ، اور میں تیرے عذاب سے معافی مانگتا ہوں۔ میں تجھ سے پناہ مانگتا ہوں۔ میں تیری حمد نہیں گن سکتا۔ آپ جیسے ہیں آپ نے اپنی تعریف کی ہے۔
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