Sayyidul Istighfar (With PDF and Audio)

Sayyidul Istighfar is known as the "Master of Seeking Forgiveness."

It is the most complete and powerful way to ask Allah for forgiveness.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught this Dua to his companions because it covers everything a believer needs to say to fix their relationship with Allah.

It is not just about saying "I'm sorry"—it is about admitting that Allah is your Master, that you are His servant, and that you need His help to be good.

Sayyidul Istighfar

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ

Audio Recitation

Translation

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 bini'matika 'alayya, wa abu'u laka bidhanbi faghfir lee fa innahu la yaghfiru adhdhunuba illa anta.

Significance

The meaning of this Dua is very deep, which is why it is called the "Master" of Istighfar.
When you recite this, you start by saying, "O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no God but You." This is a renewal of your faith (Iman). You are reminding yourself that Allah is the only one in charge.
Then you say, "You created me and I am Your slave." This shows humility. You are admitting that you have no power without Him.
The next part is a promise: "I am faithful to Your covenant and my promise to You as much as I can."
This is beautiful because it is honest.
You are telling Allah that you are trying your best to obey Him, even though you are not perfect. You then say, "I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done."
Here, you admit that your sins are harmful and you need Allah's protection from the bad consequences of your own mistakes.
Finally, you end with gratitude and honesty: "I acknowledge Your favors upon me, and I admit my sin."
You are balancing two things—thanking Allah for all the good He gave you, while admitting the bad you did in return.
You close by asking, "So forgive me, for indeed, no one forgives sins except You." This confirms that only Allah has the authority to wipe away your mistakes.

When to Recite Sayyidul Istighfar

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged us to recite this Dua with full focus and sincerity.

The best times to read it are:

In the Morning: After Fajr prayer or before the sun gets too high.
In the Evening: After Asr prayer or around Maghrib time.

If a person recites this Dua during the day with firm belief in it and passes away before the evening, they will be among the people of Paradise (Jannah).

If they recite it at night with firm belief and pass away before the morning, they will also be among the people of Paradise.

Here is the Reference:

حَدَّثَنَا شَدَّادُ بْنُ أَوْسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ سَيِّدُ الاِسْتِغْفَارِ أَنْ تَقُولَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَمَنْ قَالَهَا مِنَ النَّهَارِ مُوقِنًا بِهَا، فَمَاتَ مِنْ يَوْمِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُمْسِيَ، فَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَمَنْ قَالَهَا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَهْوَ مُوقِنٌ بِهَا، فَمَاتَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصْبِحَ، فَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ‏"‏‏.

Sahih al-Bukhari: 6306